Develop Reference

JFrame issue (close focus)

I have a very basic experience with java and have 2 questions.
Question 1: I have a button that opens a new JFrame, which works
perfectly. On the second iJFrame I have a button which -should- make
the app hide (lose focus).
I have looked around and found that this is easily done with JFrameName".setFocusableWindowState(false
The problem is I can't seem to be able to name the current jframe JFrame I'm in, so I can't call the function. I usually call the JFrame I've made into view with this in the public main of my starting code :
JFrameName newframe = new JFrameName();
newframe.setVisible(true);
Where exactly do I declare the name of the JFrameName instance I've made in my JFrame class so iI can call the setFocusableWindowState function?
Question 2: The above question is done because I want to link a
keyboard shortcut to a button. this keyboard shortcut should then be
used - within another window, not the java application. my question:
can iI manually define keyboard shortcuts (for example
control+alt+delete) or (control+f1) within java so my program will
execute the button hits for me?

I'm not sure I understand the question wholly. But maybe this will help.
Instead of making a JFrame, since it is not a "final" class, you also have the option of creating a new class that extends JFrame. The new class can have additional methods. One of those methods could be one to allow you to tell the new JFrame the name of the JFrame that you want to return focus to.
As far as I know, it's possible to create a KeyListener that can tell if a shift or alt or control key are pressed. I'd have to research the details to know for sure. A good starting point should be the tutorial How to Write a Key Listener.

I have a button which -should- make the app hide (lose focus).
If you want the window to hide then normally you would use:
window.setVisible( false ).
This is the opposite of showing the window.
The setWindowFocusableState(false) will still keep the window visible, you just won't be able to make any component on the window have focus.
The problem is I can't seem to be able to name the current jframe JFrame I'm in
That information can be found by coding the following in the ActionListener of your button:
JButton button = (JButton)e.getSource();
Window window = SwingUtilities.windowForComponent( button );
window.setVisible( false );

Switch between multiple JFrames

I'm relatively new to Java and I'm trying to make some kind of quiz. I created 3 JFrames, all in the same package. On my main frame, there are two buttons (one for the english version and the other one for the german version). I want to switch JFrames after pressing these buttons (so that I can, by pressing "English", see and interact with my english quiz frame). Looking it up didn't help me the slightest, because I'm not really experienced with it. Is it even possible to do it like this? If not, how could I do it?

The standard approach is to use the Card Layout, which allows you to use the same JFrame as you populate it with different things at different points in your application. So initially, your JFrame would show the loading screen, then the user presses a button and you load a new set of components without discarding the current JFrame you have. In some cases, you might also need to make some size adjustments.
It is difficult to say without seeing any code, but usually, what is done is that you do something like so:
new Frame(args);
this.dispose();
The code above assumes that the constructor of Frame takes care of launching and making the components visible. The this.dispose(); disposes of the current JFrame (assuming your class extends JFrame).

You have two buttons in your frame 1 right? So first, double click the button which says "English". Lets say the variable name for that button is jButton1. Inside that button type this.
private void jButton1ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
this.dispose();
EnglishFrame eng = new EnglishFrame();
eng.setVisible(true);
}
Then double click the other button which says "German" (jButton2). Inside that type this.
private void jButton2ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
this.dispose();
GermanFrame german = new GermanFrame();
german.setVisible(true);
}
this.dispose() - This will cause the jFrame window to close
Then you create an object of the other two forms. (In your case the form for English and Germany)
.setVisible(true) - This will show you the form.

Create a single Jframe window. After that create JPanels with all the compenents such as buttons, textfields and labels you want. Make sure the panel is the same size as your Jframe. Panel's work about the same as JFrame's, code wise.
This code will stitch everything together for you:
panel.setSize(Jframe.getSize()) //That wont
panel.add(button); //Just remember you need to add more code to position the buttons correctly.
//If you using netbeans builder:
//You just have to use this one line in the constructor/intialiser method
frame.add(panel); //This will add the panel to the Jframe/Window
//No need to add extra code for positioning.
If you want to swap between the panels. In the button press method, use this
frame.setContentPane(panel); //panel = panel you want to change too.
frame.repaint(); //Ensures that the frame swaps to the next panel and doesn't get stuck.
frame.revalidate(); //Ensures that the frame swaps to the next panel and doesn't get stuck.
When you first start the java application you have to set the content pane or else it will appear as a blank window.
frame.setContentPane(panel); //Starting Panel
frame.setVisible(true); //Make the frame visible
Sorry if the explanation is bad, I don't have enough time to explain it fully.

Making multiple frames in a single program

I always wondered on how can I make a program with multiple JFrames. I mean I just want one class to handle all the GUIs and stuff but how can I effectively do this? A lot of tutorials say that we make JFrame by inheriting from JFrame. But what If I want many frames?
Ex:
Title of Application in one frame with some options
Menu is one frame
Main working application is one frame
Like in a game.
But I am not sure if I am pertaining to JPanel? I am completely puzzled with the 2. I just want one un-moving frame but basically the content of the frame is changing.
When I click START for example, it will change to the gaming style of frame.

you are looking for a JFrame with a CardLayout. Some background:
A JFrame is the physical window. It comes with a title bar and three buttons: minimize, maximize, and close. Think of this as a picture frame.
A JPanel is a "content holder" of sorts. Typically, you put your other components (buttons, animations, whatever) on a JPanel, and then slap that JPanel into a JFrame. Using our picture frame example, a JPanel would be the photo paper you put in the picture frame. The other components would then be the actual contents of the picture itself, and what you have at the end is a nice picture...or in your case, an application.
Setting the JFrame to utilize a CardLayout essentially lets you have multiple JPanels inside the same JFrame at once, while still only showing one at a time. So for your application, you would have (at least) two JPanels: one for the menu, and one for the game. When the app starts, you show the MenuPanel. When the user clicks "start", you switch to the GamePanel. The MenuPanel will be put in the background and will be inaccessible until you call it to the foreground again.
If, on the other hand, you create multiple JFrames, you will have two or more physically separate windows that can be dealt with individually. This can actually be kind of cool for game development. Although it takes more time to build and link the GUI for the second window, you can then have that window affect game settings in realtime (rate of fire, bullet strength, player speed, etc.)

I think that what you are after is the Card Layout:
A CardLayout object is a layout manager for a container. It treats
each component in the container as a card. Only one card is visible at
a time, and the container acts as a stack of cards. The first
component added to a CardLayout object is the visible component when
the container is first displayed.
You can see how it is used here.
This layout manager allows you to manage situations where your frame needs to be shared across various functions. In your case for instance, you could have a functionality to handle the settings section of the game and another one to handle the actual game itself.
You could then use the manager to switch between these particular items.

you can also use Desktopane() and InternalFrame() for multiple frame.
Internalframe quite similar to Jframe but it need to setVisible(true) or show() everytime.

Which ever IDE you are using, you can create multiple JFrames in the same package, and have separate codes for each of them.
If you want to link each frame, you will have to create instances from each JFrame. for example, if when the button is pressed, we need to invoke a new Frame (that we have already created)
NewJFrame1 frame1=new NewJFrame1();
frame1.setVisible(true);
then you can decide what to with your current JFrame.
eg : (Hide, Close)

Java: create second frame while clicking on button of first frame

In my application one frame is there on which one button is there. If this button is clicked then second frame will open and it will take some data from the client. And after submitting (Submit Button on Second frame) these data, frame will close.I use JFrame for first frame.
Now what I use for the second frame.
These type of question previously asked on this site but lot of people say that use JDesktopPane, JDialog and other things. I am confused so please clearly specify what is the right way. currently I am using JFrame for first and second frame. But I know this is bad idea to use two Jframe in one application and second frame also not work in that way which I want.
If your answer is to use JDialog then please mention how I customize this.
I am attaching the look of second frame which help you guy to understand what I want in my application.

Use JDialog and make it modal. So when you call it you can process all the results just after cloging it in the same method.

If you are using two frames then in the second frame use setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE); instead of setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

Netbeans GUI builder - to show a panel over another panel [duplicate]

This question already has an answer here:
Closed 11 years ago.
Possible Duplicate:
How can I stack/overlay jPanels in Java?
I want to create a panel over another so that after clicking next button from first panel second panel gets open above it in same frame.
How can I do this using Netbeans GUI builder?

What you really want is a CardLayout , Have a look at this : How to Use CardLayout.

If you are using the Matisse feature of Netbeans, which uses GroupLayout, you may have to write some code to overcome your problem.
While creating your GUI keep both the panels on top of each other, keep the default visibility of your 2nd panel as false. Then when the button is clicked, set the 1st panel's visibility to false and change the 2nd panel's visibility to true.