Make a textfield visible on itemStatechanged event of a checkbox

Question

How to make a text field visible on itemStatechanged event of a check box in Swing?

I am trying to create a frame with a check box and a text field. I want the text field to be displayed only when the check box is selected. So when I initialize the components, I have set the textfield.setvisible to false and for the check box added a addItemListener and call the itemStateChanged event and there is the check box is selected, I set the setVisible method to true.

My SSCCE looks like:

package ui;
public class Evaluator extends javax.swing.JFrame {
public Evaluator() {
    initComponents();
}
private void initComponents() {

    jCheckBox1 = new javax.swing.JCheckBox();
    jTextField1 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
    jTextField1.setVisible(false);
    setDefaultCloseOperation(javax.swing.WindowConstants.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    setPreferredSize(new java.awt.Dimension(800, 800));
    jCheckBox1.setFont(new java.awt.Font("Tahoma", 0, 14));
    jCheckBox1.setText("Properties");
    jCheckBox1.addItemListener(new java.awt.event.ItemListener() {
        public void itemStateChanged(java.awt.event.ItemEvent evt) {
            jCheckBox1ItemStateChanged(evt);
        }
    });
    jTextField1.setFont(new java.awt.Font("Tahoma", 0, 14));
    javax.swing.GroupLayout layout = new javax.swing.GroupLayout(getContentPane());
    getContentPane().setLayout(layout);
    layout.setHorizontalGroup(
        layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addContainerGap()
            .addComponent(jCheckBox1)
            .addGap(41, 41, 41)
            .addComponent(jTextField1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 109, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
            .addContainerGap(155, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );
    layout.setVerticalGroup(
        layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.TRAILING, layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addContainerGap(229, Short.MAX_VALUE)
            .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.BASELINE)
                .addComponent(jCheckBox1)
                .addComponent(jTextField1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 37, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE))
            .addGap(34, 34, 34))
    );
    pack();
}
private void jCheckBox1ItemStateChanged(java.awt.event.ItemEvent evt) {                                            
    // TODO add your handling code here:
     if(evt.getStateChange()== java.awt.event.ItemEvent.SELECTED){
        jTextField1.setVisible(true);

   }
}                                           
public static void main(String args[]) {

    try {
        for (javax.swing.UIManager.LookAndFeelInfo info : javax.swing.UIManager.getInstalledLookAndFeels()) {
            if ("Nimbus".equals(info.getName())) {
                javax.swing.UIManager.setLookAndFeel(info.getClassName());
                break;
            }
        }
    } catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
        java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(Evaluator.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    } catch (InstantiationException ex) {
        java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(Evaluator.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    } catch (IllegalAccessException ex) {
        java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(Evaluator.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    } catch (javax.swing.UnsupportedLookAndFeelException ex) {
        java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(Evaluator.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    }
    java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
        public void run() {
            new Evaluator().setVisible(true);
        }
    });
}
private javax.swing.JCheckBox jCheckBox1;
private javax.swing.JTextField jTextField1;                
}

1) For this case, use a [`CardLayout`](http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/awt/CardLayout.html) as see in this [short example](http://stackoverflow.com/a/5786005/418556). Put a `JPanel` with nothing in the first card, and the `JTextField` in the second card. 2) For better help sooner, post an [SSCCE](http://sscce.org/). — Andrew Thompson, Jun 11 '13 at 07:15
I don't know exactly, but have you tried to validate() and repaint() the Panel/Frame? — marc3l, Jun 11 '13 at 07:16

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 11 '13 at 07:16

Basically, you need to invalidate the frame (or parent container) to force it be re-layout

private void jCheckBox2ItemStateChanged(java.awt.event.ItemEvent evt) {
    jTextField1.setVisible(jCheckBox2.isSelected());
    invalidate();
    validate();
}

Updated

I'd also suggest that you avoid adding your entire UI onto a top level container, instead use a JPanel as you base component and build you UI's around them. When you're ready, simply add the base panel to what ever top level container you need.

score 3 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:53

For many components in one space, use a CardLayout as see in this short example.

Here is a more specific example:

enter image description here

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;

class CardLayoutDemo {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        Runnable r = new Runnable () {
            public void run() {
                final JCheckBox show = new JCheckBox("Have Text", false);
                JPanel ui = new JPanel(new
                    FlowLayout(FlowLayout.CENTER, 5, 5));
                ui.add( show );

                final CardLayout cl = new CardLayout();
                final JPanel cards = new JPanel(cl);
                ui.add(cards);
                cards.add(new JPanel(), "notext");
                cards.add(new JTextField(8), "text");

                ItemListener al = new ItemListener(){
                    public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent ie) {
                        if (show.isSelected()) {
                            cl.show(cards, "text");
                        } else {
                            cl.show(cards, "notext");
                        }
                    }
                };
                show.addItemListener(al);

                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, ui);
            }
        };
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(r);
    }
}

@mKorbel Huh? At that link I see a revamped (have not visited OTN in a while) page listing OTN threads. Was there something specific you intended me to see? — Andrew Thompson, Jun 11 '13 at 08:07

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 11 '13 at 07:36

great lesson, how the LayoutManager works, only GridLayout can do that without any issue, but this is its property
last JComponent in the row or column (part of then is about) can't be invisible, then container is shrinked
easiest work_around is to display container, then to call setVisible(false) wrapped into invokeLater

enter image description here ... ....

import java.awt.event.ItemEvent;
import javax.swing.JCheckBox;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JTextField;

public class Evaluator {

    private JFrame frame = new JFrame();
    private JPanel panel = new JPanel();
    private JCheckBox checkBox = new JCheckBox();
    private JTextField textField = new JTextField(10);

    public Evaluator() {
        checkBox.setText("Properties");
        checkBox.addItemListener(new java.awt.event.ItemListener() {
            @Override
            public void itemStateChanged(java.awt.event.ItemEvent evt) {
                if (evt.getStateChange() == ItemEvent.SELECTED) {
                    textField.setVisible(true);
                } else {
                    textField.setVisible(false);
                }
            }
        });
        //panel.setLayout(new GridLayout());
        //panel.setLayout(new SpringLayout());
        //panel.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        //panel.setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
        //panel.setLayout(new BoxLayout(panel, BoxLayout.LINE_AXIS));
        panel.add(checkBox/*, BorderLayout.NORTH*/);
        panel.add(textField/*, BorderLayout.SOUTH*/);
        //panel.doLayout();
        //textField.setVisible(false);
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.add(panel);
        frame.pack();
        frame.setVisible(true);
        java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                textField.setVisible(false);
            }
        });
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                Evaluator evaluator = new Evaluator();
            }
        });
    }
}

Make a textfield visible on itemStatechanged event of a checkbox

3 Answers3