Swing - Menu With Open Windows

Question

For user convenience, and after reading user interface guidelines, I would like a JMenu with Items as open Windows in my program, e.g. different (non-modal) dialogs/frames.

The menu lists the windows, and focuses them when clicked (Mentioned in Mac Human Interface Guidelines). They are common in most programs.

How could I do this? So far I think using a HashMap and WindowAdapters, that add and remove when windows appear, but I can't work out how to implement this.

Note - I have a main frame, and dialogs that are called in separate classes from the main frame which would have the menu. Sorry, no especially relevant code that helps explain. I am aware of Window.getWindows() but unsure how this would be used.

Start by having a look at [`Window#getWindows`](http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/awt/Window.html#getWindows()) — MadProgrammer, Dec 21 '15 at 23:16
See [The Use of Multiple JFrames, Good/Bad Practice?](http://stackoverflow.com/q/9554636/418556) — Andrew Thompson, Dec 22 '15 at 01:25

score 2 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:30

How to Use Actions is a good choice "if you have two or more components that perform the same function." Compete examples include these:

FileMenu, which illustrates a menu of files.
ImageApp, which opens images from a menu bar or a context menu.

InternalFrameFocus, a JInternalFrame example cited there shows how to use setSelected() in a menu's Action.

Action action = new AbstractAction(name) {
    @Override
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
        try {
            MyFrame.this.setSelected(true);
        } catch (PropertyVetoException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
};

Swing - Menu With Open Windows

1 Answers1