see #7561 comment 24

slightly modified 7561_storeHeight.patch, 

1a) When JOSM is closed or all layers are removed so that the "splash screen" is showed, the current height of each dialog is stored in the preferences file. The values are stored in preferencePrefix+".lastHeight".
1b) When JOSM is started or a first layer is opened, the previously stored values are restored.
2) The hard coded preferredHeight values are now also stored in preferencePrefix+".preferredHeight". The expert can change that value to a higher or lower value. When the sizes are refreshed because a dialog is added, removed or minimized the modified value is taken into account. With the current implementation the change is only taken into account when JOSM is stopped/started.

git-svn-id: https://josm.openstreetmap.de/svn/trunk@14425 0c6e7542-c601-0410-84e7-c038aed88b3b

src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/dialogs/DialogsPanel.java

@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public void initialize(List<ToggleDialog> pAllDialogs) {
         }
 
         this.add(mSpltPane);
-        reconstruct(Action.ELEMENT_SHRINKS, null);
+        reconstruct(Action.RESTORE_SAVED, null);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -126,6 +126,10 @@ public enum Action {
          * The panel was collapsed by the user.
          */
         COLLAPSED_TO_DEFAULT,
+        /**
+         * Restore saved heights.
+         */
+        RESTORE_SAVED,
         /*  INVISIBLE_TO_COLLAPSED,    does not happen */
         /**
          * else. (Remaining elements have more space.)
@@ -186,7 +190,17 @@ public void reconstruct(Action action, ToggleDialog triggeredBy) {
         /**
          * Determine the panel geometry
          */
-        if (action == Action.ELEMENT_SHRINKS) {
+        if (action == Action.RESTORE_SAVED) {
+            for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
+                final ToggleDialog dlg = allDialogs.get(i);
+                if (dlg.isDialogInDefaultView()) {
+                    final int ph = dlg.getLastHeight();
+                    final int ah = dlg.getSize().height;
+                    dlg.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(Integer.MAX_VALUE, ah < 20 ? ph : ah));
+                }
+            }
+
+        } else if (action == Action.ELEMENT_SHRINKS) {
             for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
                 final ToggleDialog dlg = allDialogs.get(i);
                 if (dlg.isDialogInDefaultView()) {
@@ -236,7 +250,7 @@ public void reconstruct(Action action, ToggleDialog triggeredBy) {
             final int hnTrig = hpTrig * s2 / (hpTrig + sumP);
             triggeredBy.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(Integer.MAX_VALUE, hnTrig));
 
-            /** This is remainig for the other default view dialogs */
+            /** This is remaining for the other default view dialogs */
             final int r = s2 - hnTrig;
 
             /**

src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/dialogs/ToggleDialog.java

@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ public ToggleDialog(String name, String iconName, String tooltip, Shortcut short
         setPreferredSize(new Dimension(0, preferredHeight));
         /** Override any minimum sizes of child elements so the user can resize freely */
         setMinimumSize(new Dimension(0, 0));
-        this.preferredHeight = preferredHeight;
+        this.preferredHeight = Config.getPref().getInt(preferencePrefix+".preferredHeight", preferredHeight);
         toggleAction = new ToggleDialogAction(name, "dialogs/"+iconName, tooltip, shortcut, helpTopic());
 
         isShowing = Config.getPref().getBoolean(preferencePrefix+".visible", defShow);
@@ -456,6 +456,7 @@ protected void setContentVisible(boolean visible) {
 
     @Override
     public void destroy() {
+        rememberHeight();
         closeDetachedDialog();
         if (isShowing) {
             hideNotify();
@@ -996,4 +997,19 @@ private void refreshHidingButtons() {
         }
         stateChanged();
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @return the last used height stored in preferences or preferredHeight
+     */
+    public int getLastHeight() {
+        return Config.getPref().getInt(preferencePrefix+".lastHeight", preferredHeight);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Store the current height in preferences so that we can restore it.
+     */
+    public void rememberHeight() {
+        int h = getHeight();
+        Config.getPref().put(preferencePrefix+".lastHeight", Integer.toString(h));
+    }
 }