>> I have a simple java gui that I wrote which adds 3 buttons and some
>> text. ...
...
>At times I use:
> Dimension dim = new Dimension(( 90,26 );
> yellowButton.setPreferredSize( dim );
> yellowButton.setMaximumSize( dim );
> yellowButton.setMinimumSize( dim );
I am going to assume that is a dramatic over-simplification
of what you actually use, or that these are for some trivial
type of button with no text. Otherwise, that code (in its
simplest form as expresed above) effectively takes all
the clever engineering Sun has done to ensure we can
make X-plat, X-PLAF, resizable GUI's - and throws it
out the window.
The most specific problem with it is the hard coded
dimensions that seem not to account for default font
size, borders or margins.
>And yes use a layout manager.
Now you're talkin' my language.

Signature
Andrew Thompson
http://www.athompson.info/andrew/