add space between jtextareas

I have an array of textareas and they are all clumped together. I was wondering if anyone knew a way to put spaces in between them. Now, I have to use the gridlayout, and I had to use Jtextareas because I don't know how to set multiline on the textfields. Here is the code:

Code:

---

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class CheckerBoard extends JFrame
{
JButton btnGo;
JTextArea[] txtAreas;
JTextField[] txtFields;

public CheckerBoard()
{
JPanel upperPanel= new JPanel();
upperPanel.setLayout(new GridLayout(4,4));
txtAreas = new JTextArea[16];
for (int i=0; i<txtAreas.length; i++)
{
txtAreas = new JTextArea(i+"",4,4);
upperPanel.add(txtAreas);
}

JPanel inputRow = new JPanel();
inputRow.setLayout(new GridLayout(1,3));
txtFields = new JTextField[3];
for (int c=0; c<txtFields.length; c++)
{
txtFields[c] = new JTextField(8);
inputRow.add(txtFields[c]);
}

JPanel labelRow = new JPanel();
labelRow.setLayout(new GridLayout(1,3));
JLabel[] lbl = new JLabel[3];
for (int a=0; a<lbl.length; a++)
{
lbl[a] = new JLabel("");
labelRow.add(lbl[a]);
}
lbl[0].setText(" Start ");
lbl[1].setText(" Stop ");
lbl[2].setText(" Step ");


JPanel bRow = new JPanel();
btnGo = new JButton(" GO! ");
bRow.add(btnGo);

Container pane = getContentPane();
pane.setLayout(new FlowLayout());
pane.add(upperPanel);
pane.add(inputRow);
pane.add(labelRow);
pane.add(bRow);

setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
setContentPane(pane);
setSize(370,400);
setTitle("CheckerBoard");
setVisible(true);
}

public static void main(String[] args)
{
CheckerBoard cb = new CheckerBoard();
}
}

---

<Moderator added green checkmark on the first thread>

Never mind. Gridlayout has veritical and horizontal space as some of it's parameters.

Usually when i need to space things out i use the invisible separator components that are found in the Box class.

Code:

---

// imports.........
 Containter row1 = new JPanel();
 row1.setLayoutManager(new BoxLayout(BoxLayout.X_AXIS));
 row1.add(new JLabel("Label 1));
 row1.add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(5));
 row1.add(new JLabel("Label "));

---

you could always add an empty border to the component your adding therefore forcing white space without messing around with the layout manager?!

GridLayout has some kind of space thing in it's constructor that's pretty cool:

Code:

---

Container pane = getContentPane();
pane.setLayout(new GridLayout(4,4,8,8));

---