public static void makeGrid(Container parent,
                                int rows, int cols,
                                int initialX, int initialY,
                                int xPad, int yPad) {
        SpringLayout layout;
        try {
            layout = (SpringLayout) parent.getLayout();
        } catch (ClassCastException exc) {
            System.err.println("The first argument to makeGrid must use SpringLayout.");
            return;
        }

        Spring xPadSpring = Spring.constant(xPad);
        Spring yPadSpring = Spring.constant(yPad);
        Spring initialXSpring = Spring.constant(initialX);
        Spring initialYSpring = Spring.constant(initialY);
        int max = rows * cols;

        //Calculate Springs that are the max of the width/height so that all
        //cells have the same size.
        Spring maxWidthSpring = layout.getConstraints(parent.getComponent(0)).
                                    getWidth();
        Spring maxHeightSpring = layout.getConstraints(parent.getComponent(0)).
                                    getHeight();
        for (int i = 1; i < max; i++) {
            SpringLayout.Constraints cons = layout.getConstraints(
                                            parent.getComponent(i));

            maxWidthSpring = Spring.max(maxWidthSpring, cons.getWidth());
            maxHeightSpring = Spring.max(maxHeightSpring, cons.getHeight());
        }

        //Apply the new width/height Spring. This forces all the
        //components to have the same size.
        for (int i = 0; i < max; i++) {
            SpringLayout.Constraints cons = layout.getConstraints(
                                            parent.getComponent(i));

            cons.setWidth(maxWidthSpring);
            cons.setHeight(maxHeightSpring);
        }

        //Then adjust the x/y constraints of all the cells so that they
        //are aligned in a grid.
        SpringLayout.Constraints lastCons = null;
        SpringLayout.Constraints lastRowCons = null;
        for (int i = 0; i < max; i++) {
            SpringLayout.Constraints cons = layout.getConstraints(
                                                 parent.getComponent(i));
            if (i % cols == 0) { //start of new row
                lastRowCons = lastCons;
                cons.setX(initialXSpring);
            } else { //x position depends on previous component
                cons.setX(Spring.sum(lastCons.getConstraint(SpringLayout.EAST),
                                     xPadSpring));
            }

            if (i / cols == 0) { //first row
                cons.setY(initialYSpring);
            } else { //y position depends on previous row
                cons.setY(Spring.sum(lastRowCons.getConstraint(SpringLayout.SOUTH),
                                     yPadSpring));
            }
            lastCons = cons;
        }

        //Set the parent's size.
        SpringLayout.Constraints pCons = layout.getConstraints(parent);
        pCons.setConstraint(SpringLayout.SOUTH,
                            Spring.sum(
                                Spring.constant(yPad),
                                lastCons.getConstraint(SpringLayout.SOUTH)));
        pCons.setConstraint(SpringLayout.EAST,
                            Spring.sum(
                                Spring.constant(xPad),
                                lastCons.getConstraint(SpringLayout.EAST)));
    }