When you create a new layout for your RAD project, the layout's default state does not contain any user interface components. You use the Component Catalog window or the Component Palette to place user interface components in the layout. As you build the application's interface, the RAD tools automatically generate source code to create that interface at runtime.

Each RAD design can have several layouts. However, to maintain peak performance, you should limit the number of layouts you use in a single project. If your project includes more than 30 layouts, you should consider other ways to organize those layouts. Many of the suggestions in "Strategy for Creating Complex Projects" apply when creating multiple layouts for a single RAD project.

If you want to add a new layout to an open project in the IDE, choose New from the File menu. In the New window, click the Object tab to display a list of object wizards, as shown in Figure 13.1.

Choose a wizard that corresponds to the layout you wish to create:

• Java Frame Wizard-helps you create a new layout frame for a Java RAD project. The wizard asks for information about the frame's class, package, and location.

When you click OK, the wizard guides you through the layout-creation process. After you configure the new layout's settings in the wizard, click Finish to add the layout to the project and open a new layout window. For detailed information about the available layout wizards, see "Layout Wizards".