I am trying to make a personality quiz in java using the swing library. There are 5 questions that each have 3 possible answers. Right now I'm building the interface but I'm struggling to add multiple groups of buttons to my createComponents method.
So for the sake of clarity and making it easier to read, I made a separate method for my first question text. That has been added no problem. But I run into issues with the button groups. I didn't want to load up my createComponents method with multiple lines and lines and lines of repetitive add Buttongroups stuff because I read that excluding comments, methods should be 15 lines long max. or at least for a beginner.
So I made a separate method for my button groups which I then tried to add to the createComponents method. this gave me an error saying there is no suitable method to add a button group to my container.
Right now I am writing multiple lines of code in my createComponent method so that I can 'correctly' add my radio buttons. I'm only on the first question and already have 16 lines in my method. there's a better, more efficient way right?
private void createComponents(Container container){
BoxLayout layout = new BoxLayout(container, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS);
container.setLayout(layout);
JLabel text = new JLabel("this is the intro text");
container.add((text), BorderLayout.NORTH);
container.add(QuizIntro());
container.add(QuestionOne());
container.add(QuestionOneGroup());
// this throws an error
JRadioButton int1 = new JRadioButton("This is answer choice 1");
JRadioButton ent1 = new JRadioButton("This is answer choice 2");
JRadioButton jb1 = new JRadioButton("This is answer choice 3");
ButtonGroup group = new ButtonGroup();
group.add(int1);
group.add(ent1);
group.add(jb1);
container.add(int1);
container.add(ent1);
container.add(jb1);
// this is the 'correct' way I've been doing it.
}
public ButtonGroup QuestionOneGroup(){
JRadioButton int1 = new JRadioButton("This is answer choice 1");
JRadioButton ent1 = new JRadioButton("This is answer choice 2");
JRadioButton jb1 = new JRadioButton("This is answer choice 3");
ButtonGroup group = new ButtonGroup();
group.add(int1);
group.add(ent1);
group.add(jb1);
return group;
// this is the method I made to add a buttongroup and make my createComponent easier to read.
}
So my expected output is just a barebones window with the question and the 3 possible answer choices but I get an error telling me no suitable method. it says "argument mismatch buttongroup cannot be converted to popup menu or component".
You can only add Components to a Container.
A ButtonGroup is NOT a Component.
A ButtonGroup is used to indicate which component of a group of components has been selected. You still need to add each individual radio button to a panel.
Your code should be something like:
//public ButtonGroup QuestionOneGroup()
public JPanel questionOneGroup()
{
JRadioButton int1 = new JRadioButton("This is answer choice 1");
JRadioButton ent1 = new JRadioButton("This is answer choice 2");
JRadioButton jb1 = new JRadioButton("This is answer choice 3");
ButtonGroup group = new ButtonGroup();
group.add(int1);
group.add(ent1);
group.add(jb1);
//return group;
JPanel panel = new JPanel();
panel.add( int1 );
panel.add( ent1 );
panel.add( jb1 );
return panel;
}
Read the section from the Swing tutorial on How to Use Radio Buttons for more information and working examples.
Related
I have three JRadioButtons added to a JPanel. However, when I select one, I can select another one and the previous one selected stays selected. How can I make sure that only one is selected at a time?
My JPanel class, which is added by my main JFrame:
public class MainPanel extends JPanel {
private static JRadioButton addHouse, addRoad, calculateDist;
static {
addHouse = new JRadioButton("Add House");
addRoad = new JRadioButton("Add Road");
calculateDist = new JRadioButton("Calculate Distance");
}
MainPanel() {
setBackground(Color.WHITE);
addHouse.setBounds(50, 50, 100, 50);
addRoad.setBounds(50, 150, 100, 50);
addHouse.setBounds(50, 250, 100, 50);
addHouse.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
addRoad.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
calculateDist.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
add(addHouse);
add(addRoad);
add(calculateDist);
}
}
As you didn't share the complete code i can't tell how to do it in your case but in general
It can be done like that
ButtonGroup buttonGroup = new ButtonGroup() // create a button group , buttons in a button group knows how to behave together
JRadioButton radioButton1 = new JRadioButton("R1"); // create your buttons
JRadioButton radioButton2 = new JRadioButton("R2"); // as many you want
buttonGroup.add(radioButton1); // make them part of group
buttonGroup.add(radioButton2);
myJFrame.setLayout(new FlowLayout()); // or any layout you want
myJFrame.add(radioButton1); // add buttons to jframe
myJFrame.add(radioButton1);
when buttons were added to JFrame (or any other container) they were part of a group , so group handles the communications between them, now you can check only one at a time,
try commenting buttonGroup.add(); you will loose that behaveiour .
Same thing can be achieved manually , it that case you will track all other radio buttons
at every selection to check if others are already check and then uncheck them which is tedious so better use ButtonGroup class of swing
You can add the JRadioButtons in a ButtonGroup instance first. Here is a simple example:
// configure buttons bounds, background etc.
ButtonGroup buttonGroup= new ButtonGroup();
buttonGroup.add(addHouse);
buttonGroup.add(addRoad);
buttonGroup.add(calculateDist);
// add the buttons to the panel too.
I'm trying to have painted into a JPanel (which is inside a ScrollPane), a bunch of labels and RadioButtons, dynamically. I receive an ArrayList with "Advice" objects, and I want to iterate over them to represent them in a way I have a label that describes them, and then, two radio buttons (to choose "Yes" or "No").
But at the moment, with this code at the JFrame's constructor, it's not properly working:
// My constructor
public CoachingFrame(AdvicesManager am) {
initComponents();
this.am = am;
// I set the layout for the inner panel (since ScrollPane doesn't allow BoxLayout)
JPanel panel = new JPanel();
panel.setLayout(new BoxLayout(panel, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
// Iterate over the arraylist
for(int i=0;i<am.advices.size();i++){
//Add elements to the panel
panel.add(new JLabel( am.advices.get(i).getQuestion()));
ButtonGroup group = new ButtonGroup();
// Group the RadioButtons inside another panel, so I can use FlowLayout
JPanel buttonsPanel = new JPanel();
buttonsPanel.setLayout(new FlowLayout());
JRadioButton rad1 = new JRadioButton();
JRadioButton rad2 = new JRadioButton();
group.add(rad1);
group.add(rad2);
buttonsPanel.add(rad1);
buttonsPanel.add(rad2);
// Add the radiobuttons' panel to the main one, and revalidate
panel.add(buttonsPanel);
panel.revalidate();
}
// Finally, add the panel to the ScrollPane.
questions.add(panel);
}
I receive the arraylist correctly; I already checked that. The problem seems to be when painting the components.
Since I always use the NetBeans GUI creator, I'm not very used to add components via code. Can someone help me? I guess I'm missing something here.
edit: Note that "questions" is the ScrollPane object!
edit 2: This "questions" panel should have all those components painted: http://i.imgur.com/tXxROfn.png
As Kiheru said, ScrollPane doesn't allow views (like my JPanel) to be added with .add(), instead, I had to use .setViewportView(Component). Now it's working perfectly, thank you!
This is my code:
frame2 = new JFrame("Confirmation");
frame2.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
JRadioButton y,n,c;
panel = new JPanel();
ButtonGroup buttonGroup = new ButtonGroup();
y = new JRadioButton("Add");
buttonGroup.add(y);
panel.add(y);
n = new JRadioButton("Update");
buttonGroup.add(n);
panel.add(n);
c = new JRadioButton("Delete");
buttonGroup.add(c);
panel.add(c);
y.setSelected(true);
b1=new JButton();
b1.setBounds(300,100,2,2);
b1.setIcon(new ImageIcon(searchresult.class.getResource("/images/yes.png")));
b2=new JButton();
b2.setBounds(100,10,2,2);
b2.setIcon(new ImageIcon(searchresult.class.getResource("/images/no.png")));
panel.add(b1);
panel.add(b2);
frame2.add(panel);
frame2.setSize(182,150);
frame2.setVisible(true);
Right now this gives me the following output
whereas I want this
with an increased width but I am not able to do it..Could anyone provide me with further details that could help me
JPanel uses a FlowLayout by default, which, as the name suggests, layouts out components one after the after, in a flow...
Two choices. Use a compound layout, using BorderLayout as the base, create JPanel that uses a GridLayout for the radio buttons (using 0 rows and 1 column), add this to the CENTER position of the base panel.
Create a second JPanel using a FlowLayout and your buttons to it. Add this to the SOUTH position of the base pane.
Second choice is to use a GridBagLayout
Take a look at Laying out Components within a Container for more details
JPanel.add(ButtonGroup);
Is not working. I MUST add it to a JPanel because I am using tabs.
This is getting really frustrating.I hace not found a way yet
As ButtonGroup is not a component, you cannot add your ButtonGroup to a JPanel. Instead add your buttons to your JPanel, e.g:
JPanel jPanel = new JPanel();
ButtonGroup group = new ButtonGroup();
btn1 = new JRadioButton("btn1 ");btn1.setSelected(true);
btn2 = new JRadioButton("btn2 ");
group.add(btn1 );
group.add(btn2 );
jPanel.add(btn1);
jPanel.add(btn2).
Hope it will be useful.
Thanks
The ButtonGroup class creates only a logical radio button selection group, not a physical one, and is responsible for ensuring that only one button is selected (by deselecting others in the group).
I am trying to create a simple GUI that simulates a record store. I am still in the beginning stages.
I am running into trouble when I try to add text to describe what the user is expected to enter in the text field.
In addition, I am also having trouble positioning every textfield on its own line. In other words if there is space for two textfields in one line, then it displays in one line, and I am trying to display every text field on its own line.
This is what I tried so far:
item2 = new JTextField("sample text");
However the code above just adds default text within the text field, which is not what I need :/
I appreciate all the help in advance.
public class MyClass extends JFrame{
private JTextField item1;
private JTextField item2;
public MyClass(){
super("Matt's World of Music");
setLayout(new FlowLayout());
item1 = new JTextField();
item2 = new JTextField();
add(item1);
add(item2);
thehandler handler = new thehandler();
item1.addActionListener(handler);
item2.addActionListener(handler);
}
}
For your first problem, you need to use a JLabel to display your text. The constructor is like this:
JLabel label = new JLabel("Your text here");
Works really well in GUI.
As for getting things on their own lines, I recommend a GridLayout. Easy to use.
In your constructor, before adding anything, you do:
setLayout(new GridLayout(rows,columns,x_spacing,y_spacing));
x_spacing and y_spacing are both integers that determine the space between elements horizontally and vertically.
Then add like you have done. Fiddle around with it and you'll get it worked out.
So your final would look like:
setLayout(new GridLayout(2,2,10,10));
add(new JLabel("Text 1"));
add(text1);
add(new JLabel("text 2"));
add(text2);
You could just use a JLabel to label your textfields.
JLabel label1 = new JLabel("Item 1: ");
add(label1);
add(item1);
If you really want text inside the fields, you could set the text in the field with the constructor, and then add a MouseListener to clear the text on click:
item1 = new JTextField("Text");
item1.addMouseListener(new MouseAdapter() {
public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e) {
if (item1.getText().equals("Text")) // User has not entered text yet
item1.setText("");
}
});
Or, (probably better) use a FocusListener:
item1 = new JTextField("Text");
item1.addFocusListener(new FocusListener() {
public void focusGained(FocusEvent e) {
if (item1.getText().equals("Text")) // User has not entered text yet
item1.setText("");
}
public void focusLost(FocusEvent e) {
if (item1.getText().equals("")) // User did not enter text
item1.setText("Text");
}
});
As for layout, to force a separate line, you use use a Box.
Box itemBox = Box.createVerticalBox();
itemBox.add(item1);
itemBox.add(item2);
add(itemBox);
Make:
item1 = new JTextField(10);
item2 = new JTextField(10);
that should solve problem with width of JTextField.
For beginning use GridLayout to display JTextField in one line. After that I strongly recomend using of MIG Layout http://www.migcalendar.com/miglayout/whitepaper.html.
put JLabel next to JTextField to describe what the user is expected to enter in the text field.
JLabel lbl = new JLabel("Description");
or you could also consider using of toolTipText:
item1.setToolTipText("This is description");
For making a form in Java Swing, I always recommend the FormLayout of JGoodies, which is designed to ... create forms. The links contains an example code snippet, which I just copy-pasted here to illustrate how easy it is:
public JComponent buildContent() {
FormLayout layout = new FormLayout(
"$label, $label-component-gap, [100dlu, pref]",
"p, $lg, p, $lg, p");
PanelBuilder builder = new PanelBuilder(layout);
builder.addLabel("&Title:", CC.xy(1, 1));
builder.add(titleField, CC.xy(3, 1));
builder.addLabel("&Author:", CC.xy(1, 3));
builder.add(auhtorField, CC.xy(3, 3));
builder.addLabel("&Price:", CC.xy(1, 5));
builder.add(priceField, CC.xy(3, 5));
return builder.getPanel();
}
Now for the description:
Use a label in front of the textfield to give a very short description
You can put a longer description in the textfield as suggested by #Alden. However, if the textfield is for short input, nobody will be able to read the description
You can use a tooltip (JComponent#setTooltipText) to put a longer description. Those tooltips also accept basic html which allows some formatting. Drawback of the tooltips is that the user of your application has to 'discover' that feature as there is no clear indication those are available
You can put a "help-icon" (like e.g. a question mark) after each text field (use a JButton with only an icon) where on click you show a dialog with a description (e.g. by using the JOptionPane class)
You can put one "help-icon" on each form which shows a dialog with a description for all fields.
Note for the dialog suggestion: I wouldn't make it a model one, allowing users to open the dialog and leave it open until they are finished filling in the form