public   class  StatusBar  extends  JPanel {
     public  StatusBar() {
        setLayout( new  GridBagLayout());
        setBorder(BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder(EtchedBorder.LOWERED));
    }
     public  StatusBar( int  fields) {
         this ();
        GridBagConstraints gbc =  new  GridBagConstraints();
        gbc.weightx =  1 . 0 ;
         for ( int  i =  0 ;i < fields;i++) {
            //gbc.weightx = (long) i;
            add( new  JLabel("Field " + i), gbc, i);
        }
        setText( 0 , "Ready.");
        gbc =  new  GridBagConstraints();
        gbc.fill = GridBagConstraints.HORIZONTAL;
        gbc.weightx =  10 . 0 ;
        setConstraints( 0 , gbc);
    }
     public   void  setConstraints( int  index, GridBagConstraints gbc) {
        Component c = getComponent(index);
        //overwrite
        add(c, gbc, index);
    }
 public   void  setText( int  index, String msg) {
         try  {
            Component c = getComponent(index);
             if (c  instanceof  JLabel) {
                ((JLabel) c).setText(msg);
            }  else  {
                c =  new  JLabel(msg);
                add(c, index);
            }
        }  catch (ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e) {
            System.err.println("INDEX OUT OF FIELD BOUNDS: " + index + " <> " + getComponentCount());
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
     public   static   void  main(String[] args) {
        JFrame frame =  new  JFrame("Status test");
        frame.setLocation( 10 ,  10 );
        frame.setSize( 300 ,  300 );
        frame.getContentPane().add( new  JLabel("Main area"), BorderLayout.CENTER);
        frame.getContentPane().add( new  StatusBar( 4 ), BorderLayout.SOUTH);
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }
}