Develop Reference

caretPositionChanged() method not reacting

Hi take a look on this fragment of code. My aim is to make my app reacting when i will type in a textarea one of words listed in slowa[]. As u can see i created inputMethodListner however when i type whatever word it is working at all. i tryied to put a debug prints to see what is going on and i see that neither method inputMethodTextChanged() nor inputMethodTextChanged() is called even once:( what im doing wrong?
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.InputMethodEvent;
import java.awt.event.InputMethodListener;
import javax.swing.*;
public class BrzydkieSlowa extends JFrame {
static String[] slowa = {"shit", "fuck"};
private BrzydkieSlowa(){
//Create and set up the window.
JFrame frame = new JFrame("Brzydkie slowa");
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
final JTextArea textArea1 = new JTextArea(10,10);
textArea1.addInputMethodListener(new InputMethodListener() {
#Override
public void caretPositionChanged(InputMethodEvent arg0) {
int brzydkie = 0;
int i = 0;
while(brzydkie == 1 || i > 1){
if(textArea1.getText().compareTo(slowa[i])== 0)
brzydkie = 0;
i++;
}
if(brzydkie == 1)
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "brzydkie slowo");
}
#Override
public void inputMethodTextChanged(InputMethodEvent event) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
}
});
frame.getContentPane().add(textArea1, BorderLayout.CENTER);
//Display the window.
frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
frame.pack();
frame.setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
new BrzydkieSlowa();
}
}

You should use DocumentListener instead.
Try
textArea1.getDocument().addDocumentListener(new DocumentListener() {
#Override
public void insertUpdate(DocumentEvent e) {
String text = textArea1.getText();
int firstOccurence = StringUtils.indexOfAny(text, slowa);
if (firstOccurence > -1) {
/* do something */
}
}
#Override
public void removeUpdate(DocumentEvent e) {/* do nothing */ }
#Override
public void changedUpdate(DocumentEvent e) { /* do nothing */ }
});
Please notify that How to "Write a Document Listener" warns against modifying text:
Document listeners should not modify the contents of the document; The change is already complete by the time the listener is notified of the change. Instead, write a custom document that overrides the insertString() or remove() methods, or both.
There are some examples for a Document model which might help you. They included approaches for filter and undo changes.

Run and pause a GUI background thread by clicking a button

I need to run a background thread in my Java GUI that only runs when I click a button and pauses when I click that button again. I am not exactly sure how to set this up, but I have placed a thread in my constructor and the while loop within is set to go through when I set a specific boolean to TRUE. One button switches from setting this boolean TRUE or FALSE.
Everything else I have in this GUI works fine. When I tried debugging the thread, it actually works as I step through the thread but nothing when I try running the GUI completely. The GUI is rather large so I'm gonna put up a portion of the constructor and the action listener of the button. The rest of the code is unnecessary since it works just fine. I need to know what I am doing wrong here:
public BasketballGUI() {
// certain labels and buttons
Thread runningSim = new Thread() {
public void run() {
while(simRun) {
// do stuff here
}
}
};
runningSim.start();
}
// other GUI stuff
// actionListener that should run the thread.
class SimButtonListener implements ActionListener {
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0) {
if(!simRun) {
simRun = true;
sim.setText("Pause Simulator");
}
else if(simRun) {
simRun = false;
sim.setText("Run Simulator");
}
// other stuff in this actionListener
}
}

Establish a Swing based Timer with an ActionListener that will be called repeatedly.
In the actionPerformed(ActionEvent) method call repaint().
Start the timer (Timer.start()) when the user clicks Start
Stop the timer (Timer.stop()) when the user clicks Stop
If you cannot get it working from that description, I suggest you post an SSCCE of your best attempt.
I thought I had one 'lying around'.. Try this working SSCCE which uses images created in this SSCCE.

I could see this background thread useful for a Java GUI when handling button events to affect something like a text area or progress bar.
For the sake of argument, I will build you a tiny GUI that affects a Text Area. I hope this helps you.
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
import javax.swing.*;
public class TestClass extends JPanel {
super("TestClass - Title");
private AtomicBoolean paused;
private JTextArea jta;
private JButton btn;
private Thread thread;
public TestClass() {
paused = new AtomicBoolean(false);
jta = new JTextArea(100, 100);
btn = new JButton();
initialize();
}
public void initialize() {
jta.setLineWrap(true);
jta.setWrapStyleWord(true);
add(new JScrollPane(jta));
btn.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(100, 100));
btn.setText("Pause");
btn.addActionListener(new ButtonListener());
add(btn);
Runnable runnable = new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
while(true) {
for(int i = 0; i < Integer.MAX_VALUE; i++) {
if(paused.get()) {
synchronized(thread) {
try {
thread.wait();
} catch(InterruptedException e) {
}
}
}
}
jta.append(Integer.toString(i) + ", ");
try {
Thread.sleep(500);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
}
}
}
};
thread = new Thread(runnable);
thread.start();
}
#Override
public Dimension getPreferredSize() {
return new Dimension(100, 30);
}
class ButtonListener implements ActionListener {
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event) {
if(!paused.get()) {
btn.setText("Start");
paused.set(true);
} else {
btn.setText("Pause");
paused.set(false);
synchronized(thread) {
thread.notify();
}
}
}
}
}
Main class to call everything.
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.SwingUtilities;
public class MainClass {
public static void main(final String[] arg) {
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
JFrame frame = new JFrame();
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.add(new TestClass());
frame.pack();
frame.setVisible(true);
frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
}
});
}
}
I did not test this code to see if it works exactly, Its main goal is to break you through your coders block and use my components to fix your issue. Hope this helped. Need anything else Email me at DesignatedSoftware#gmail.com

Java Applet Text highlights on rollover

I'm trying to figure out how to make non-editable text (not a JTextField) whose background color changes when the mouse rolls over it. I tried using JButton implementing ActionListener and hiding elements to make the button appear to be just text, but it only allows me to change icons on rollover and detect when the button is clicked. Another thought was to use MouseListener and declare the specific coordinates of a rectangle around the text, where upon mouseMoved it could initiate the highlight. But w/ that there's a problem for varying string lengths and word wrap etc. What is the best object, and listener combo to achieve the effect of a highlighted text field on mouse rollover?

Hmm maybe use a foucs listener and when the field gains foucs select all the text?
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class TextField extends JTextField {
public TextField(String text) {
super(text);
addFocusListener(new FocusAdapter() {
#Override
public void focusGained(FocusEvent fe) {
selectAll();
}
});
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
JFrame f = new JFrame();
f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
JTextField tf = new JTextField("normal field");
f.add(tf, BorderLayout.CENTER);
TextField ftf =
new TextField("funny text field");
f.add(ftf, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
f.pack();
f.setVisible(true);
}
});
}
}
EDIT:
Hmmm actually found an even better way with the above method you'd have to click on the textfield to gain focus, now i've used a thread to check when the mouse is over the components co-ordinates and then to highlight the field, I used a boolean to control the highlighting as constant highlighting throws an error. Hope this is what you want:
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class TextFieldHighlight extends JTextField {
static JTextField ftf;
public static void main(String[] args) {
EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
JFrame f = new JFrame();
f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
ftf = new JTextField("Highlight");
ftf.setEditable(false);
f.add(ftf, BorderLayout.CENTER);
f.pack();
f.setVisible(true);
Thread thread = new Thread(new Runnable() {
boolean focused = false;
#Override
public void run() {
while (true) {
if (mouseIsOverDisplayPanel()) {
if (ftf.hasFocus() && focused == false) {
ftf.selectAll();
focused = true;
} else if (!ftf.hasFocus()) {
focused = false;
}
}
}
}
});
thread.start();
}
});
}
private static boolean mouseIsOverDisplayPanel() {
if (MouseInfo.getPointerInfo().getLocation().x >= ftf.getLocationOnScreen().x
&& MouseInfo.getPointerInfo().getLocation().x <= ftf.getLocationOnScreen().x + ftf.getWidth()
&& MouseInfo.getPointerInfo().getLocation().y >= ftf.getLocationOnScreen().y
&& MouseInfo.getPointerInfo().getLocation().y <= ftf.getLocationOnScreen().y + ftf.getHeight()) {
return true;
} else {
return false;
}
}
}

Disable JButton, while background job, to avoid multiple clicks

I need to stop user making multiple clicks on a JButton while the first click still execute.
I was able to came with a solution for this issue but I do not completelly understand why it's working.
Bellow I posted the code (trimmed to a minimum) that works and the one that does not work.
In first example (good) if you run it and click the button multiple times only one action is considered as for the second example (bad) if you click the mouse multiple times you get action executed at least twice.
The second (bad) example simply does not use invokeLater() method.
Where the difference in behaviour cames from?
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.util.logging.Level;
import java.util.logging.Logger;
import javax.swing.*;
public class TestButtonTask {
public static void main(String[] args) {
final JFrame frame = new JFrame("Test");
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(WindowConstants.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
final JButton task = new JButton("Test");
task.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
long t = System.currentTimeMillis();
System.out.println("Action received");
task.setText("Working...");
task.setEnabled(false);
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Thread() {
#Override
public void run() {
try {
sleep(2 * 1000);
} catch (InterruptedException ex) {
Logger.getLogger(TestButtonTask.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
}
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
task.setEnabled(true);
task.setText("Test");
}
});
}
});
}
});
frame.add(task);
frame.pack();
frame.setVisible(true);
} //end main
} //end class
And now the "wrong" code
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.util.logging.Level;
import java.util.logging.Logger;
import javax.swing.*;
public class TestButtonTask {
public static void main(String[] args) {
final JFrame frame = new JFrame("Test");
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(WindowConstants.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
final JButton task = new JButton("Test");
task.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
long t = System.currentTimeMillis();
System.out.println("Action received");
task.setText("Working...");
task.setEnabled(false);
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Thread() {
#Override
public void run() {
try {
sleep(2 * 1000);
} catch (InterruptedException ex) {
Logger.getLogger(TestButtonTask.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
}
//SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
//public void run() {
task.setEnabled(true);
task.setText("Test");
//}
//});
}
});
}
});
frame.add(task);
frame.pack();
frame.setVisible(true);
} //end main
} //end class
After info provided by #kleopatra and #Boris Pavlović here is the code I created that seems to work pretty decent.
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.beans.PropertyChangeEvent;
import java.beans.PropertyChangeListener;
import java.util.logging.Level;
import java.util.logging.Logger;
import javax.swing.*;
public class TestButtonTask {
public static void main(String[] args) {
final JFrame frame = new JFrame("Test");
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(WindowConstants.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
final JButton task = new JButton("Test");
task.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
task.setText("Working...");
task.setEnabled(false);
SwingWorker worker = new SwingWorker<Void, Void>() {
#Override
protected Void doInBackground() throws Exception {
try {
Thread.sleep(3 * 1000);
} catch (InterruptedException ex) {
Logger.getLogger(TestButtonTask.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
}
return null;
}
};
worker.addPropertyChangeListener(new PropertyChangeListener() {
#Override
public void propertyChange(PropertyChangeEvent evt) {
System.out.println("Event " + evt + " name" + evt.getPropertyName() + " value " + evt.getNewValue());
if ("DONE".equals(evt.getNewValue().toString())) {
task.setEnabled(true);
task.setText("Test");
}
}
});
worker.execute();
}
});
frame.add(task);
frame.pack();
frame.setVisible(true);
} //end main
} //end class

you have two choises
1) JButton#setMultiClickThreshhold
2) you have to split this idea to the two separated actions inside actionListener or Action
1st. step, JButton#setEnabeld(false);
2nd. step, then call rest of code wrapped to the javax.swing.Action (from and dealyed by javax.swing.Timer), SwingWorker or Runnable#Thread

Okay, here's a code snippet using an Action
it disable's itself on performed
it spawns a task, at the end of which is enables itself again. Note: for simplicity here the task is simulated by a Timer, real-world would spawn a SwingWorker to do the background work, listening to its property changes and enable itself on receiving a done
set as the button's action
The code:
Action taskAction = new AbstractAction("Test") {
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
System.out.println("Action received ");
setEnabled(false);
putValue(NAME, "Working...");
startTask();
}
// simulate starting a task - here we simply use a Timer
// real-world code would spawn a SwingWorker
private void startTask() {
ActionListener l = new ActionListener() {
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
putValue(NAME, "Test");
setEnabled(true);
}
};
Timer timer = new Timer(2000, l);
timer.setRepeats(false);
timer.start();
}};
JButton task = new JButton(taskAction);

There are two more ways.
You can define a flag. Set it when action start and reset back after the end. Check the flags in the actionPerformed. If inProgress==true just do nothing.
Another way is to remove the listener and assign it back after the action ends.

The right way is using a SwingWorker. When user click the button before submmiting a job to the SwingWorker the state of the button should be changed to disabled JButton#setEnabled(false). After the SwingWorker finished the job state of the button should be reset to enabled. Here's Oracle's tutorial on SwingWorker

After years of dealing with the frustration of this problem, I've implemented a solution that I think is the best.
First, why nothing else works:
JButton::setMutliclickThreshold() is not really an optimal solution, because (as you said) there is no way to know how long to set the threshold. This is only good to guard against double-click happy end-users because you have to set an arbitrary threshold.
JButton::setEnabled() is an obviously fragile solution that will only make life much more difficult.
So, I've created the SingletonSwingWorker. Now, Singletons are called anti-patterns, but if implemented properly, they can be a very powerful. Here is the code:
public abstract class SingletonSwingWorker extends SwingWorker {
abstract void initAndGo();
private static HashMap<Class, SingletonSwingWorker> workers;
public static void runWorker(SingletonSwingWorker newInstance) {
if(workers == null) {
workers = new HashMap<>();
}
if(!workers.containsKey(newInstance.getClass()) || workers.get(newInstance.getClass()).isDone()) {
workers.put(newInstance.getClass(), newInstance);
newInstance.initAndGo();
}
}
}
This will enable you to create classes which extend SingletonSwingWorker and guarantee only one instance of that class will be executable at one time. Here is an example implementation:
public static void main(String[] args) {
final JFrame frame = new JFrame();
JButton button = new JButton("Click");
button.setMultiClickThreshhold(5);
button.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
DisplayText_Task.runWorker(new DisplayText_Task(frame));
}
});
JPanel panel = new JPanel();
panel.add(button);
frame.add(panel);
frame.pack();
frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
frame.setVisible(true);
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
}
static class DisplayText_Task extends SingletonSwingWorker {
JFrame dialogOwner;
public DisplayText_Task(JFrame dialogOwner) {
this.dialogOwner = dialogOwner;
}
JDialog loadingDialog;
#Override
void initAndGo() {
loadingDialog = new JDialog(dialogOwner);
JProgressBar jpb = new JProgressBar();
jpb.setIndeterminate(true);
loadingDialog.add(jpb);
loadingDialog.pack();
loadingDialog.setVisible(true);
execute(); // This must be put in the initAndGo() method or no-workie
}
#Override
protected Object doInBackground() throws Exception {
for(int i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
System.out.println(i);
Thread.sleep(200);
}
return null;
}
#Override
protected void done() {
if(!isCancelled()) {
try {
get();
} catch (ExecutionException | InterruptedException e) {
loadingDialog.dispose();
e.printStackTrace();
return;
}
loadingDialog.dispose();
} else
loadingDialog.dispose();
}
}
In my SwingWorker implementations, I like to load a JProgressBar, so I always do that before running doInBackground(). With this implementation, I load the JProgressBar inside the initAndGo() method and I also call execute(), which must be placed in the initAndGo() method or the class will not work.
Anyways, I think this is a good solution and it shouldn't be that hard to refactor code to refit your applications with it.
Very interested in feedback on this solution.

Note that when you are modifying anything in GUI your code must run on Event Dispatch thread using invokeLater or invokeAndWait if you are in another thread. So second example is incorrect as you are trying to modify enabled state from another thread and it can cause unpredictable bugs.

Removing new line function when enter button is pressed Java

I have a text area that I would like to become blank when the enter button is pressed. I know this would normally be done with a setText method. However when I do this, the text is removed but the new line function created by the return key being pressed. My question is, is the anyway of stopping this default action from happening?
thanks

Are you listening for the ENTER key on the text area and then clearing it? The following works for me:
final JTextArea ta = new JTextArea();
ta.addKeyListener(new KeyListener() {
#Override
public void keyTyped(KeyEvent e) {
}
#Override
public void keyReleased(KeyEvent e) {
if(e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_ENTER){
ta.setText("");
}
}
#Override
public void keyPressed(KeyEvent e) {
}
});

Hi
I have a text area that I would like to become blank when the enter button is pressed.
This, I understand. Here's how you can do that:
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[]args) {
final JFrame frame = new JFrame();
final JTextArea area = new JTextArea();
area.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(200, 200));
area.addKeyListener(new KeyAdapter(){
#Override
public void keyReleased(KeyEvent e) {
if(e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_ENTER) {
area.setText("");
}
}
});
frame.add(area);
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.pack();
frame.setVisible(true);
}
}
I know this would normally be done with a setText method. However when I do this, the text is removed but the new line function created by the return key being pressed. My question is, is the anyway of stopping this default action from happening?
That, I don't understand.

The problem is probably that you are not consuming the keystroke event, and although the text area is cleared, the normal processing of the keystroke ends up inserting a newline.
Rather than trapping the keystroke event (which isn't necessarily portable) I would recommend using a DocumentFilter. There is a tutorial here that shows you how to write one. Implement the filter so that when there is a 'newline' in the insert or replace string, replace the entire contents of the document with "".
However this approach can't tell the difference between a newline typed at the keyboard and one pasted into the text area.

Before you clear the text you need to remove the new line code the return button left. You do that with the consume() method.
So to clear your text:
yourkeyevent.consume();
yourTextObject.setText("");

Instead, you can also use:
yourTextarea.setText(null);
yourTextarea.setCaretPosition(-1);

I solved your problem overriding the code in the method "public void keyTyped(KeyEvent e)" instead of "public void keyPressed(KeyEvent e)" and it works.
Here the code:
package versione1;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
public class WhiteEnter {
final JFrame frame = new JFrame();
private JTextArea area = new JTextArea();
public static void main(String[]args) {
WhiteEnter prova = new WhiteEnter();
prova.run();
}
public void run(){
area.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(200, 200));
area.addKeyListener(new PressEnterKeyListener());
frame.add(area);
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.pack();
frame.setVisible(true);
}
public class PressEnterKeyListener implements KeyListener{
#Override
public void keyPressed(KeyEvent e) {
}
#Override
public void keyReleased(KeyEvent e) {
}
#Override
public void keyTyped(KeyEvent e) {
if (e.getKeyChar() == (KeyEvent.VK_ENTER)){
try{
area.setText(null);
area.setCaretPosition(0);
} catch(Exception ex){
ex.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}
}