User_guide |

## 1.1: Layout basics

To see how layouts work, let's use the most basic layout, a horizontal list (or box). We first create a window:

    f = figure();

Now let's create the horizontal layout and add it to the figure. Note that in common with other MATLAB graphics objects, one object is added to another by setting the `Parent` property - this will automatically adjust the list of `Children` in the parent object. The job of a horizontal box layout is to arrange its contents in a horizontal line, setting the position of each element to best fill the space:

    layout = uix.HBox( 'Parent', f );

Nothing's changed! That's because the layout is for arranging other user-interface components - it doesn't draw anything itself. Let's add some buttons. Note how after creating each button the existing contents of the box make room for the new addition; we don't need to set the position of any user-interface component!

    uicontrol( 'String', 'Button 1', 'Parent', layout );
    uicontrol( 'String', 'Button 2', 'Parent', layout );
    uicontrol( 'String', 'Button 3', 'Parent', layout );

..

Other layouts work in exactly the same way, although visually the end-result is quite different:

    f = figure();
    layout = uix.VBox( 'Parent', f );
    uicontrol( 'String', 'Button 1', 'Parent', layout );
    uicontrol( 'String', 'Button 2', 'Parent', layout );
    uicontrol( 'String', 'Button 3', 'Parent', layout );

    f = figure();
    layout = uix.TabPanel( 'Parent', f );
    uicontrol( 'String', 'Button 1', 'Parent', layout );
    uicontrol( 'String', 'Button 2', 'Parent', layout );
    uicontrol( 'String', 'Button 3', 'Parent', layout );

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