how to add JButtons to an array

[mike ryan]

Hi ,

I have a GUI i have created a gui qith 16 JButtons

example of how i created them

 D3 = new JButton("");
        D3.addMouseListener(mylistener);
        D3.setName("D3");
        gbs.weightx = 0.02;
        gbs.gridx = 2;
        gbs.gridy = 3;
        gamePanel.add(D3, gbs);

        D4 = new JButton("");
        D4.addMouseListener(mylistener);
        D4.setName("D4");
        gbs.weightx = 0.02;
        gbs.gridx = 3;
        gbs.gridy = 3;
        gamePanel.add(D4, gbs);

they go from A1-A4 to D1-D4 ,four rows.
I would like to add the JButtons to an array, how should i go about it? i am guessing it is possible but maybe i am wrong?

i would like to make something like JButton[] rowA = JButton{A1,A2,A3,A4}; -----> i am really terrible whith Arrays!!

Thanks
Mike

[Campbell Ritchie]

Suggest you get yourself a factory method.

public final class MySwingUtilities
{
   private MySwingUtilities()
   {
      // empty
   }

   public JButton createButton(String title, char nmemonic, String toolTipText, ActionListener listener)
   {
      JButton button = new JButton(title);
      button.setMnemonic(mnemonic);
      button.setToolTipText(toolTipText);
      button.addActionListener(listener);
      return button;
   }
}

You would have to check the syntax, and that I have got the names of all the methods right. You can overload that method to your heart’s content. You can use Actions instead of Listeners.

JButton[] buttons = { MySwingUtilities.createButton(...), MySwingUtilities.createButton(...), MySwingUtilities.createButton(...), /* etc */}; 

[mike ryan]

Hello Campbell,

Thanks for your response, that would be a good way to create the buttons, but i have already created them and want to have them in a list of rows.Maybe you missunderstood my question OR i don't understand your reply <--- (which is possible ;) ).

I am currently trying this with ArrayList

public static void rowCheck(){
      ArrayList<JButton> rowA = new ArrayList<JButton>();
      
      rowA.add(MyGUI.A1);
      rowA.add(MyGUI.A2);
      rowA.add(MyGUI.A3);
      rowA.add(MyGUI.A4);
     
      
      System.out.println(rowA.get(0).getText()+""+rowA.get(1).getText()+""+rowA.get(2).getText()+""+rowA.get(3).getText());
      
ArrayList<JButton> rowB = new ArrayList<JButton>();
      
      rowB.add(MyGUI.B1);
      rowB.add(MyGUI.B2);
      rowB.add(MyGUI.B3);
      rowB.add(MyGUI.B4);
      
      System.out.println(rowB.get(0).getText()+""+rowB.get(1).getText()+""+rowB.get(2).getText()+""+rowB.get(3).getText());
      
      for(int i =0;i<4;i++){
     
        if(rowB.get(i).getText().equals(rowA.get(i).getText())){
            
            System.out.println("true");
        }
        
        else{
            System.out.println("false");
        }
      }
      }
          

i will eventually need to test quite a few things in each row like if rowA doesn't equal an even number it will be false as well as if there are more than three of the same numbers beside eachother it will be false and so on,
i am thinking this will get really long with all the checks, maybe there is a better solution?

Thanks
Mike