diff --git a/src/tests/libs/alm/ComplexButtons.cpp b/src/tests/libs/alm/ComplexButtons.cpp
index fcd0977435..4fe739348e 100644
--- a/src/tests/libs/alm/ComplexButtons.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/libs/alm/ComplexButtons.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 // include this for ALM
 #include "ALMLayout.h"
+#include "ALMLayoutBuilder.h"
 
 
 class ComplexButtonsWindow : public BWindow {
@@ -55,6 +56,17 @@ public:
 		button5->SetExplicitMaxSize(BSize(500, 500));
 		button5->SetExplicitPreferredSize(BSize(30 + kOffset, B_SIZE_UNSET));
 
+		BALMLayout* fLayout = new BALMLayout(10, 10);
+		BALM::BALMLayoutBuilder(this, fLayout)
+			.Add(button1, fLayout->Left(), fLayout->Top())
+			.StartingAt(button1)
+				.AddToRight(button2)
+				.AddToRight(button3, fLayout->Right())
+			.AddBelow(button4, fLayout->Bottom(), fLayout->Left(),
+				fLayout->AddXTab())
+			.AddToRight(button5, fLayout->Right());
+				
+		/*
 		// create a new BALMLayout and use  it for this window
 		fLayout = new BALMLayout();
 		SetLayout(fLayout);
@@ -66,6 +78,7 @@ public:
 		fLayout->AddView(button4, fLayout->Left(), fLayout->BottomOf(button1),
 			NULL, fLayout->Bottom());
 		fLayout->AddViewToRight(button5, fLayout->Right());
+		*/
 
 		// test size limits
 		BSize min = fLayout->MinSize();
diff --git a/src/tests/libs/alm/Pinwheel.cpp b/src/tests/libs/alm/Pinwheel.cpp
index 24a3401c66..cdea90ade3 100644
--- a/src/tests/libs/alm/Pinwheel.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/libs/alm/Pinwheel.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 
 // include this for ALM
 #include "ALMLayout.h"
+#include "ALMLayoutBuilder.h"
 
 
 class PinwheelWindow : public BWindow {
@@ -34,7 +35,24 @@ public:
 		button4->SetExplicitMaxSize(BSize(B_SIZE_UNLIMITED, B_SIZE_UNLIMITED));
 
 		// create a new BALMLayout and use  it for this window
-		BALMLayout* layout = new BALMLayout(10.);
+		BALMLayout* layout = new BALMLayout(10, 10);
+
+		BReference<XTab> xTabs[2];
+		BReference<YTab> yTabs[2];
+		layout->AddXTabs(xTabs, 2);
+		layout->AddYTabs(yTabs, 2);
+
+		BALM::BALMLayoutBuilder(this, layout)
+			.SetInsets(5)
+			.Add(textView1, xTabs[0], yTabs[0], xTabs[1], yTabs[1])
+			.StartingAt(textView1)
+				.AddAbove(button1, layout->Top(), layout->Left())
+				.AddToRight(button2, layout->Right(), NULL, yTabs[1])
+				.AddBelow(button3, layout->Bottom(), xTabs[0])
+				.AddToLeft(button4, layout->Left(),  yTabs[0]);
+
+		// alternative setup
+		/*
 		SetLayout(layout);
 
 		layout->SetInsets(5.);
@@ -52,6 +70,7 @@ public:
 			layout->Bottom());
 		layout->AddView(button4, layout->Left(), y1, x1, layout->Bottom());
 		layout->AddView(textView1, x1, y1, x2, y2);
+		*/
 
 		// alternative setup
 		/* 
diff --git a/src/tests/libs/alm/ThreeButtons.cpp b/src/tests/libs/alm/ThreeButtons.cpp
index 834e7241bf..f119ae1659 100644
--- a/src/tests/libs/alm/ThreeButtons.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/libs/alm/ThreeButtons.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 // include this for ALM
 #include "ALMLayout.h"
+#include "ALMLayoutBuilder.h"
 
 
 class ThreeButtonsWindow : public BWindow {
@@ -37,6 +38,14 @@ public:
 			B_ALIGN_USE_FULL_HEIGHT));
 		button3->SetExplicitMaxSize(BSize(500, 500));
 
+		fLayout = new BALMLayout(0, 0);
+		BALM::BALMLayoutBuilder(this, fLayout)
+			.Add(button1, fLayout->Left(), fLayout->Top(), fLayout->Right())
+			.StartingAt(button1)
+				.AddBelow(button2)
+				.AddBelow(button3, fLayout->Bottom());
+
+		/*
 		// create a new BALMLayout and use  it for this window
 		fLayout = new BALMLayout();
 		SetLayout(fLayout);
@@ -45,6 +54,7 @@ public:
 			fLayout->Right(), NULL);
 		fLayout->AddViewToBottom(button2);
 		fLayout->AddViewToBottom(button3, fLayout->Bottom());
+		*/
 
 		// test size limits
 		BSize min = fLayout->MinSize();
diff --git a/src/tests/libs/alm/Views.cpp b/src/tests/libs/alm/Views.cpp
index 5de238a642..97ffe49d9c 100644
--- a/src/tests/libs/alm/Views.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/libs/alm/Views.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <Window.h>
 
 #include "ALMLayout.h"
+#include "ALMLayoutBuilder.h"
 
 
 using namespace LinearProgramming;
@@ -53,6 +54,31 @@ public:
 		menu->AddItem(new BPopUpMenu("Menu 2"));
 		BStringView* stringView2 = new BStringView("string 2", "string 2");
 
+		BALM::BALMLayout* layout = new BALMLayout(10, 10);
+		BALM::BALMLayoutBuilder(this, layout)
+			.SetInsets(10)
+			.Add(button1, layout->Left(), layout->Top())
+			.StartingAt(button1)
+				.AddToRight(radioButton)
+				.AddToRight(BSpaceLayoutItem::CreateGlue())
+				.AddToRight(button3)
+			.StartingAt(radioButton)
+				.AddBelow(textView1, NULL, NULL, layout->RightOf(button3))
+				.AddBelow(button4)
+				.AddToRight(button5, layout->Right())
+				.AddBelow(button6)
+				.AddBelow(menu1, layout->AddYTab(), layout->Left(),
+					layout->AddXTab())
+				.AddToRight(stringView1)
+				.AddToRight(BSpaceLayoutItem::CreateGlue(), layout->Right())
+				.AddBelow(statusBar, NULL, layout->Left(), layout->Right())
+			.StartingAt(statusBar)
+				.AddBelow(menu2, layout->Bottom(), layout->Left(),
+					layout->RightOf(menu1))
+				.AddToRight(stringView2)
+				.AddToRight(BSpaceLayoutItem::CreateGlue(), layout->Right());
+
+		/*
 		// create a new BALMLayout and use  it for this window
 		BALMLayout* layout = new BALMLayout(10);
 		SetLayout(layout);
@@ -79,6 +105,7 @@ public:
 			layout->RightOf(menu1), layout->Bottom());
 		layout->AddViewToRight(stringView2);
 		layout->AddItemToRight(BSpaceLayoutItem::CreateGlue(), layout->Right());
+		*/
 
 		layout->Solver()->AddConstraint(2, layout->TopOf(menu1), -1,
 			layout->Bottom(), OperatorType(kEQ), 0);