Pattern for swing information exchange between two JFrames

Question

How they design i.e. JFileChooser?

JFileChooser chooser = new JFileChooser();
int returnVal = chooser.showOpenDialog(this);
if(returnVal == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION) {
  System.out.println("You chose to open this file: " +
                chooser.getSelectedFile().getName());

How can I design such a frame with information exhange. For example, I have Frame1 and Frame2. Frame1 opens Frame2. Frame2 have a JTextArea where I will set some text and edit it. After pressing the ok button in frame2, it is closed and I want the text in a variable in Frame1.

Or say if I want to make a font chooser dialog.

JOptionPane is not a option for me. In frame2 I shall have a HTML editor. In frame1 I have JTable. Click a row on the table will open up the frame2 with HTML editor. I am using SHEF for this purpose. When I close the frame2 pressing OK/Save button, I want the html text String in frame1. And set the row content accordingly. But frame2 can be a modal dialog.

score 4 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:30

Start by having a read through The Use of Multiple JFrames: Good or Bad Practice?

Then have a read of How to make dialogs.

JFileChooser is a component that has a method that also displays a dialog. Your needs might be different, but it's not a bad pattern as it doesn't look your component into begin need to be always displayed on a dialog

Updated

You could use a JOptionPane

enter image description here

import java.awt.EventQueue;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
import javax.swing.UIManager;
import javax.swing.UnsupportedLookAndFeelException;

public class TestOptionPane12 {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        new TestOptionPane12();
    }

    public TestOptionPane12() {
        EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                try {
                    UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
                } catch (ClassNotFoundException | InstantiationException | IllegalAccessException | UnsupportedLookAndFeelException ex) {
                }

                JTextField field = new JTextField();
                int option = JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(null, field, "Fill it out", JOptionPane.OK_CANCEL_OPTION, JOptionPane.QUESTION_MESSAGE);
                switch (option) {
                    case JOptionPane.OK_OPTION:
                        System.out.println("You entered " + field.getText());
                        break;
                }

            }

        });
    }

}

Or you could create a more custom solution...

enter image description here

import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Component;
import java.awt.EventQueue;
import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
import java.awt.Window;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JDialog;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
import javax.swing.SwingUtilities;
import javax.swing.UIManager;
import javax.swing.UnsupportedLookAndFeelException;

public class TestOptionPane12 {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        new TestOptionPane12();
    }

    public TestOptionPane12() {
        EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                try {
                    UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
                } catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
                } catch (InstantiationException ex) {
                } catch (IllegalAccessException ex) {
                } catch (UnsupportedLookAndFeelException ex) {
                }

                FieldsPane pane = new FieldsPane();
                switch (pane.showDialog(null)) {
                    case JOptionPane.OK_OPTION:
                        String text = pane.getText();
                        System.out.println("You entered: " + text);
                        break;
                }                
            }
        });    
    }

    protected class FieldsPane extends JPanel {

        private JTextField field;
        private int state = JOptionPane.CANCEL_OPTION;

        public FieldsPane() {
            setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
            field = new JTextField(10);
            add(field);
        }

        public String getText() {
            return field.getText();
        }

        public int showDialog(Component parent) {

            JButton btnOkay = new JButton("Ok");
            JButton btnCancel = new JButton("Cancel");
            JPanel buttons = new JPanel();
            buttons.add(btnOkay);
            buttons.add(btnCancel);

            btnOkay.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
                @Override
                public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                    state = JOptionPane.OK_OPTION;
                    Window win = SwingUtilities.getWindowAncestor((Component)e.getSource());
                    win.dispose();
                }
            });
            btnCancel.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
                @Override
                public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                    state = JOptionPane.CANCEL_OPTION;
                    Window win = SwingUtilities.getWindowAncestor((Component)e.getSource());
                    win.dispose();
                }
            });

            JDialog dialog = new JDialog(parent == null ? (Window)null : SwingUtilities.getWindowAncestor(parent), "Fill it out");
            dialog.setModal(true);
            dialog.add(this);
            dialog.add(buttons, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
            dialog.pack();
            dialog.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
            dialog.setVisible(true);

            return state;            
        }        
    }    
}

Updated with JOptionPane and JEditorPane example

enter image description here

import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Component;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.EventQueue;
import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
import java.awt.Window;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JDialog;
import javax.swing.JEditorPane;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
import javax.swing.SwingUtilities;
import javax.swing.UIManager;
import javax.swing.UnsupportedLookAndFeelException;

public class TestOptionPane12 {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        new TestOptionPane12();
    }

    public TestOptionPane12() {
        EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                try {
                    UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
                } catch (ClassNotFoundException | InstantiationException | IllegalAccessException | UnsupportedLookAndFeelException ex) {
                }

                JEditorPane editorPane = new JEditorPane("text/html", null);
                JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(editorPane);
                scrollPane.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(200, 200));
                int option = JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(null, scrollPane, "Fill it out", JOptionPane.OK_CANCEL_OPTION, -1);
                switch (option) {
                    case JOptionPane.OK_OPTION:
                        System.out.println("You entered " + editorPane.getText());
                        break;
                }

            }

        });
    }
}

Also consider the observer pattern in a modeless dialog, seen [here](http://stackoverflow.com/a/11832979/230513). — trashgod, Jun 25 '13 at 08:55
I'll like to have JDialog. But still I need a pattern to handle the OK, Cancel or other events and get the text or other more objects in my Frame1 class. — karim, Jun 25 '13 at 09:03
Start by creating component, maybe using `JPanel`, add you textfield to it. Provide a getter method to get the text. Create a method to create a dialog — MadProgrammer, Jun 25 '13 at 10:14
Gotta love down votes with out comments. Help us out, leave a comment so we can discuss approach to fixing the problems — MadProgrammer, Jun 25 '13 at 10:53
JOptionPane is not a option for me. I have added a bit more description of the issue in my question. — karim, Jun 25 '13 at 10:57
Why is `JOptionPane` not a good option for you? The `message` parameter can take a `Component` which will be displayed in place of, what is normally, a `String`, for [example](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12702689/joptionpane-displaying-html-problems-in-java/12702858#12702858) or [example](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16450293/how-do-i-make-the-output-come-in-different-columns/16450826#16450826) — MadProgrammer, Jun 25 '13 at 11:21
I think OP wants a general answer how to manage communication between different ui components. In this case, I would advocate my answer with "Event Driven Programming", but also the answer with mediator pattern is an good approach. — mrak, Jun 25 '13 at 12:07

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 25 '13 at 08:52

0

You can create special class that will hold result. Something like:

public class Result {
    private String result;

    public void setResult(String result) { ... }

    public String getResult() { ... }
}

Create instance of this class in first frame and pass it to second frame. Upon closing second frame sets result and then first frame can get it.

answered Jun 25 '13 at 08:52

Mikita Belahlazau

15,326
2
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That I understand. But JFileChooser approach seems much cleaner and easier to me. – karim Jun 25 '13 at 08:57

Oliver Watkins · Answer 3 · 2013-06-25T09:13:57.050

0

Make it multiple dialogs instead of frames, and then read up about the mediator pattern :

http://blue-walrus.com/2013/06/mediator-pattern-in-swing/

Your basic problem is that you have a hierarchy of components, and a component on one branch wants to communicate with a component on another far away branch. You need some kind of mediator object to communicate between these far away branches.

edited Jun 25 '13 at 09:13

answered Jun 25 '13 at 09:06

Oliver Watkins

12,575
33
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mrak · Answer 4 · 2013-06-25T12:10:52.287

0

Have a look at "Event Driven Programming": Instead of tight coupling between components (every component must know every other component), you can send events and the components can respond to them.

edited Jun 25 '13 at 12:10

answered Jun 25 '13 at 09:25

mrak

2,826
21
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Pattern for swing information exchange between two JFrames

4 Answers4