Java Swing: Resizing component in JFrame without affecting other components -

i have simple game i'm creating novice project. it's based on online card game called "castlewars". there 2 players, each tower affected cards , opponent play. @ moment have basic framework of collections , classes need make game operate @ simple level, i'm having problems displaying these effects user. have following code, should update, amongst other things, 2 jlabels on jframe gui (constructed in netbeans 7.4) represent player's towers:

private void adjustscreen(){     system.out.println (integer.tostring(jlabel1.getsize().height));     jlabel1.setsize(100, (playerred.gettower().currentheight() * 2));     system.out.println(integer.tostring(playerred.gettower().currentheight() * 2));     system.out.println (integer.tostring(jlabel1.getsize().height));     jlabel2.setsize(100, (playerblue.gettower().currentheight() * 2));     jlabel5.settext(integer.tostring(playerblue.gettower().currentheight()));     jlabel6.settext(integer.tostring(playerblue.getgold()));     jlabel9.settext(integer.tostring(playerred.gettower().currentheight()));     jlabel10.settext(integer.tostring(playerred.getgold()));     if (turnblue){         jpanel21.setbackground(inplay);         jpanel10.setbackground(outplay);     }else{         jpanel10.setbackground(inplay);         jpanel21.setbackground(outplay);     } } 

when run it, following output:

1. (initial label height) - 200
2. (adjusted tower().height) - 100
3. (adjusted label height) - 100

which suggests i'm trying working on level, actual labels visually stay same size.

at start (the initiation of game should have set labels half visible size): after couple of plays - blue's new tower height shown in top left

i've played around enabling , disabling resize property, both on label , on frame, , did once manage resize, shifted other components of frame in unfortunate way. can see, "cards" @ bottom seem resize themselves, although not explicitly instructing them (maybe effect of text length in "cards"?) doing wrong?

after re-reading question realized answer not answer question more of list of suggestions. rather deleting it, i'll leave in case can gain :-)

"what doing wrong?"

welcome world of "why should use layout managers"

there's ocean of problems may arise null layouts , trying set size , location everything. swing made used layout managers.

• some layout managers respect preferred sizes , wont.

  

• use correct layout manager , make use of nested jpanel different layout managers desired result

  

• make use of emptyborder , vgap , hgap empty space.

• don't set size or location anything. let layout managers take care of you.

• go on laying out components withing container learn different layout managers.

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edit

if you're using netbeans gui builder take @ this answer how use different layout managers using design tool.