RequestFocus doesn't work?

[Zee Ho]

Hi ranchers, I want to let second component of the JFrame to be focused, but seems the requestFocus didn't work, my first component is the combobox, it gains the focus automatically, why I can not move the focus to the specific component

[Barry Andrews]

What kind of Component is it? By default, some Components are not focusable, like labels, panes, etc. starting with Java 1.4. Also if the Component is not displayable, enabled, etc. it will not be focusable. If this does not help, try posting a snippet of code.

[Zee Ho]

 private void initNorthLayout() {
        JPanel searchPanel = new JPanel();
        searchPanel.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        searchPanel.setBorder(new TitledBorder(
                Constants.LABEL_SEARCHCRITERIA));
 
        JPanel relationalOperator = new JPanel();
        GridLayout gLayout = new GridLayout(2, 5,2,2);
        gLayout.setHgap(20);
        relationalOperator.setLayout(gLayout);
        //create the Combobox
        operatorBox = new JComboBox(new String[] {"AND", "OR"});
        operatorBox.setForeground(Color.black);
        operatorBox.setBackground(Color.white);
        operatorBox.setToolTipText("Select relational operator");
        operatorBox.setSelectedItem("And");
        relationalOperator.add(
                UIUtils.createJLabel(Constants.LABEL_RELATIONALOPERATOR,
                        UIUtils.DIMENSION_TEXT, false));
        relationalOperator.add(operatorBox);
        relationalOperator.add(new JLabel());
        relationalOperator.add(new JLabel());
        relationalOperator.add(new JLabel());
        relationalOperator.add(UIUtils.createJLabel(Constants.LABEL_NAME,
                UIUtils.DIMENSION_TEXT,false));
        //create the JTextField
        JTextField criteria_name = UIUtils.createJTextField(true, null, Constants.LABEL_NAME);
        JTextField criteria_location = UIUtils.createJTextField(true, null, Constants.LABEL_LOCATION);
 
        relationalOperator.add(criteria_name);
        relationalOperator.add(UIUtils.createJLabel (Constants.LABEL_LOCATION,
                UIUtils.DIMENSION_TEXT,false));
        relationalOperator.add(criteria_location);
        relationalOperator.add(new JLabel());
 
        JPanel buttonPanel = new JPanel();
        FlowLayout fLayout = new FlowLayout();
        fLayout.setAlignment(FlowLayout.TRAILING);
        buttonPanel.setLayout(fLayout);
 
        buttonPanel.add(searchButton);
        buttonPanel.add(clearButton);
 
        searchPanel.add(relationalOperator, BorderLayout.NORTH);
        searchPanel.add(buttonPanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        // first text field reqest the focus
        criteria_name.requestFocus(); 
        relationalOperator.setOpaque(true);
        buttonPanel.setOpaque(true);
        searchPanel.setOpaque(true);
 
        this.getContentPane().add(searchPanel, BorderLayout.NORTH);
    }
 

In the UIUtils I just do very simple things to set some attribute to the
JTextField

    /**
     * Create JTextField with the editable tag and content which specified
     * by user
     * @param isEditable indicates whether the JTextField can response to
     * the user's input action or not.
     * @param text the default content of the text field
     * @return JTextField object with all attributes initialized
     * @see javax.swing.JTextField
     */
    public static JTextField createJTextField(
                final boolean isEditable, final String text,
                final String name) {
        JTextField jTextField = new JTextField();
        jTextField.setOpaque(true);
        jTextField.setText(Utility.defaultString(text));
        jTextField.setEditable(isEditable);
        jTextField.setName(name);
        jTextField.setHorizontalAlignment(JTextField.LEFT);
        jTextField.setCaretPosition(0);
        return jTextField;
    }

[ April 09, 2005: Message edited by: Zee Ho ]

[Zee Ho]

I request the focus on criteria_name which is a JTextField, but weird. it never gain it.

[Michael Dunn]

you were given the answer here
>Also if the Component is not displayable, enabled, etc. it will not be focusable.

here's a compilable version of your code, to demonstrate

import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
class Testing extends JFrame
{
  JTextField criteria_name;
  public Testing()
  {
    setLocation(100,300);
    setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    initNorthLayout();
    pack();
    setVisible(true);//<------------------------
    criteria_name.requestFocus();//<------------------------
  }
 
  private void initNorthLayout()
  {
    JPanel searchPanel = new JPanel();
    searchPanel.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
    JPanel relationalOperator = new JPanel();
    GridLayout gLayout = new GridLayout(2, 5,2,2);
    gLayout.setHgap(20);
    relationalOperator.setLayout(gLayout);
    JComboBox operatorBox = new JComboBox(new String[] {"AND", "OR"});
    operatorBox.setForeground(Color.black);
    operatorBox.setBackground(Color.white);
    operatorBox.setToolTipText("Select relational operator");
    operatorBox.setSelectedItem("And");
    relationalOperator.add(new JLabel("Label1"));
    relationalOperator.add(operatorBox);
    relationalOperator.add(new JLabel());
    relationalOperator.add(new JLabel());
    relationalOperator.add(new JLabel());
    relationalOperator.add(new JLabel("Label2"));
    criteria_name = new JTextField("Focus here",10);
    JTextField criteria_location = new JTextField(10);
    relationalOperator.add(criteria_name);
    relationalOperator.add(new JLabel("Label2"));
    relationalOperator.add(criteria_location);
    relationalOperator.add(new JLabel());
    JPanel buttonPanel = new JPanel();
    FlowLayout fLayout = new FlowLayout();
    fLayout.setAlignment(FlowLayout.TRAILING);
    buttonPanel.setLayout(fLayout);
    buttonPanel.add(new JButton("Search"));
    buttonPanel.add(new JButton("Clear"));
    searchPanel.add(relationalOperator, BorderLayout.NORTH);
    searchPanel.add(buttonPanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
    relationalOperator.setOpaque(true);
    buttonPanel.setOpaque(true);
    searchPanel.setOpaque(true);
    this.getContentPane().add(searchPanel, BorderLayout.NORTH);
  }
  public static void main(String[] args){new Testing().setVisible(true);}
}

[Zee Ho]

reslovced, thx