JavaFX | TabPane Class

TabPane class is a part of JavaFX. TabPane allows switching between several tabs. TabPane acts as a container of tabs. The positions of the tabs can be specified using the setSide() function. when the tabs do not fit in the TabPane, a menu button appears at the upper right corner of TabPane which displays all the tabs of the Tabpane.

Constructors of the class:

1. TabPane(): Creates a new TabPane with no tabs.
2. TabPane(Tab… t): Creates a new TabPane with specified tabs.

Commonly Used Methods:

Method	Explanation
getSide()	Returns the current position of tabs on the TabPane
getTabs()	Returns the tabs of the TabPane.
setSide(Side v)	The position to place the tabs in this TabPane.
setSelectionModel(SingleSelectionModel v)	Sets the model used for tab selection.
getSelectionModel()	Returns the selection model for tab selection.
getTabMaxHeight()	Returns the max height of the tab in TabPane.
getTabMinHeight()	Returns the min height of the tab in TabPane.
getTabMaxWidth()	Returns the max Width of the tab in TabPane.
getTabMinWidth()	Returns the min Width of the tab in TabPane.
setTabMaxHeight(double v)	Sets the max height of the tab in TabPane.
setTabMinHeight(double v)	Sets the min height of the tab in TabPane.
setTabMaxWidth(double v)	Sets the max width of the tab in TabPane.
setTabMinWidth(double v)	Sets the min width of the tab in TabPane.

Below programs illustrate the use of TabPane class:

1. Java program to create multiple tabs and add it to the TabPane: In this program we will create a Tabpane named tabpane. To add multiple tabs we will use a for loop and then add tabs to the tabpane. Create a Tab named tab. We will also create a Label named label. We will add the label to the tab by using the function setContent(). The title of the tab will be passed as arguments. Now create a TabPane named tabpane and add the tab to the tabpane. After that add the tabpane to the scene and add the scene to the stage and display the stage using the show() function.

   // Java program to create multiple tabs
   // and add it to the TabPane
   import javafx.application.Application;
   import javafx.scene.Scene;
   import javafx.scene.layout.*;
   import javafx.stage.Stage;
   import javafx.scene.Group;
   import javafx.scene.control.*;
   
   public class TabPane_1 extends Application {
   
       // launch the application
       public void start(Stage stage)
       {
   
           // set title for the stage
           stage.setTitle("Creating Tab");
   
           // create a tabpane
           TabPane tabpane = new TabPane();
   
           // create multiple tabs
           for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
   
               // create Tab
               Tab tab = new Tab("Tab_" + (int)(i + 1));
   
               // create a label
               Label label = new Label("This is Tab: " + (int)(i + 1));
   
               // add label to the tab
               tab.setContent(label);
   
               // add tab
               tabpane.getTabs().add(tab);
           }
   
           // create a scene
           Scene scene = new Scene(tabpane, 600, 500);
   
           // set the scene
           stage.setScene(scene);
   
           stage.show();
       }
   
       // Main Method
       public static void main(String args[])
       {
   
           // launch the application
           launch(args);
       }
   }

   Output:
2. Java program to create multiple tabs and add it to the TabPane and also create a tab which on selected will create new tabs: In this program we will create a Tabpane named tabpane. We will add multiple tabs to the tabpane. To add multiple tabs we will use a for loop. We will create a Tab named tab. Now create a Label named label. We will add a label to the tab by using the function setContent(). We will also create a tab named newtab. When it is selected then it will create a new tab. Add event handler to the tab by using setOnSelectionChanged() function. The event handler will create a new tab and add it before the new tab in tabpane using getTabs().add() function and select the last tab using the getSelectionModel().select() function. The title of the tab will be passed as arguments. We will create a TabPane named tabpane and add the tab to the tabpane and add the tabpane to the scene and scene to the stage. Display the stage using the show() function.

   // Java program to create multiple tabs and
   // add it to the tabPane and also create a
   // tab which on selected will create new tabs
   import javafx.application.Application;
   import javafx.scene.Scene;
   import javafx.scene.layout.*;
   import javafx.stage.Stage;
   import javafx.scene.Group;
   import javafx.scene.control.*;
   import javafx.event.Event;
   import javafx.event.EventHandler;
   
   public class TabPane_2 extends Application {
   
   // counter of tabs
   int counter = 0;
   
   // launch the application
   public void start(Stage stage)
   {
   
       // set title for the stage
       stage.setTitle("Creating Tab");
   
       // create a tabpane
       TabPane tabpane = new TabPane();
   
       for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
   
           // create Tab
           Tab tab = new Tab("Tab_" + (int)(counter + 1));
   
           // create a label
           Label label = new Label("This is Tab: "
                           + (int)(counter + 1));
   
           counter++;
   
           // add label to the tab
           tab.setContent(label);
   
           // add tab
           tabpane.getTabs().add(tab);
       }
   
       // create a tab which
       // when pressed creates a new tab
       Tab newtab = new Tab();
   
       // action event
       EventHandler<Event> event =
       new EventHandler<Event>() {
   
           public void handle(Event e)
           {
               if (newtab.isSelected())
               {
   
                   // create Tab
                   Tab tab = new Tab("Tab_" + (int)(counter + 1));
   
                   // create a label
                   Label label = new Label("This is Tab: "
                                    + (int)(counter + 1));
   
                   counter++;
   
                   // add label to the tab
                   tab.setContent(label);
   
                   // add tab
                   tabpane.getTabs().add(
                           tabpane.getTabs().size() - 1, tab);
   
                   // select the last tab
                   tabpane.getSelectionModel().select(
                           tabpane.getTabs().size() - 2);
               }
           }
       };
   
       // set event handler to the tab
       newtab.setOnSelectionChanged(event);
   
       // add newtab
       tabpane.getTabs().add(newtab);
   
       // create a scene
       Scene scene = new Scene(tabpane, 600, 500);
   
       // set the scene
       stage.setScene(scene);
   
       stage.show();
   }
   
   // Main Method
   public static void main(String args[])
   {
   
       // launch the application
       launch(args);
   }
   }

   Output:

Note: The above programs might not run in an online IDE. Please use an offline compiler.

Reference: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/javafx/api/javafx/scene/control/TabPane.html