Threads with A GUI

[Sean Magee]

Hey there Ranchers!

I am completely new to threads, and do not really understand it completely.

Here is my code

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

public class com implements ActionListener {
 

 
        JButton button;
JPanel second;
boolean tog = false;
JFrame f = new JFrame ("Clock");
 

 
  public void makeFrame(){
 
          Container c = f.getContentPane();
      c.setLayout (new FlowLayout() );
 
 JPanel hour= new JPanel(new GridLayout(4, 6 ));
 JPanel minute_ten = new JPanel(new GridLayout(3, 2));
     JPanel minute = new JPanel(new GridLayout(3, 1));
     second  = new JPanel(new GridLayout(15, 10));
     JPanel toggle = new JPanel(new GridLayout(1, 1));
 
     JButton remove_seconds = new JButton (" Toggle Seconds");
 
           c.add(toggle);
           toggle.add(remove_seconds);
 
     c.add(hour);
     c.add (minute_ten);
     c.add(minute);
     c.add(second);
 
     JLabel hours = new JLabel (" Hour ");
     JLabel minute_tenint = new JLabel (" Minutes ");
     JLabel seconds = new JLabel (" Seconds ");
 
           hour.add(hours);
       minute_ten.add(minute_tenint);
           second.add(seconds);
 
          remove_seconds.addActionListener(this);
 
  for (int i = 0; i < 12; i++)
  {
  int y = i + 1;
 
  new JButton();
  hour.add (button = new JButton( y+":") );
  button.setBackground(Color.BLUE);
 

  }
 
  for (int x = 0; x< 6; x++)
  {
  new JButton();
    minute_ten.add (button = new JButton( ""+x) );
    button.setBackground(Color.RED);
  }
  for (int x = 0; x< 10; x++)
    {
    new JButton();
      minute.add (button = new JButton(  x+":") );
      button.setBackground(Color.GREEN);
  }
  for (int x = 0; x< 60; x++)
    {  new JButton();
      second.add (button = new JButton( ""+ x) );
      button.setBackground(Color.YELLOW);
  }
 

  f.setSize(700, 550);
  f.show();
      f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
  }
 
  public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
        if (tog == false){
                 second.setVisible(false);
                  tog = true;
                  f.setSize(700, 150);
                  }
          else if (tog == true ){
       second.setVisible(true);
                   tog = false;
                   f.setSize(700, 550);}
  }
} 

I know this code isn't the nicest thing in the world, I don't mess around with GUI stuff that much. Its going to be some sort of art deco clock, I know the code will eventually need a complete overhaul.

However, could someone put me in the right direction so that the program checks itself frequetnly, lets say every second, so it updates it and changes the color of the buttons, thus displaying the time.

I cannot implment two things within the class, so here is what i started in another class, but I dont think I am going about it in the right way.

mport java.util.Calendar;
 

public class threader implements Runnable{
 
boolean threadSuspended;
Thread t;
int time_hour;
        int time_minute;
        int time_second;
 

 
public void start()
    {
        if ( t == null )
        {
            t = new Thread( this );
            t.setPriority( Thread.MIN_PRIORITY );
            threadSuspended = false;
            t.start();
        }
        else
        {
            if ( threadSuspended )
            {
                threadSuspended = false;
                synchronized( this )
                {
                    notify();
                }
            }
        }
    }
 
    public void stop()
    {
        threadSuspended = true;
    }
 
    public void run()
    {
        try
        {
            while (true)
            {
 
                Calendar calendar = Calendar.getInstance();
                time_hour=calendar.get(Calendar.SECOND);
                time_second=calendar.get(Calendar.MINUTE);
                time_minute=calendar.get(Calendar.HOUR);
 

 
                if ( threadSuspended )
                {
                    synchronized( this )
                    {
                        while ( threadSuspended )
                        {
                            wait();
                        }
                    }
                }
 
                t.sleep( 1000 );
 
            }
        }
        catch (InterruptedException e)
        {
        }
    }
 

}  

Can someone please boost me in the right direction?
Threads sound like a great concept that can let you do lots of cool things, but I do not think I am implmeneting it correctly. I mainly copied the code above to try to learn from it, and the java.sun docs can be confusing sometimes.

Thanks for any help n advance!

-Sean

[Michael Dunn]

try this

import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.util.Calendar;
 
class Com extends JFrame implements Runnable
{
  HourPanel hp = new HourPanel();
  MinuteSecondPanel mp = new MinuteSecondPanel("Minutes:",Color.RED);
  MinuteSecondPanel sp = new MinuteSecondPanel("Seconds:",Color.GREEN);
  public Com()
  {
    super("Clock");
    setLocation(200,100);
    setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    getContentPane().setLayout(new GridLayout(1,3));
    getContentPane().add(hp);
    getContentPane().add(mp);
    getContentPane().add(sp);
    pack();
    Thread t = new Thread(this);
    t.start();
  }
  public void run()
  {
    try
    {
       while (true)
       {
         Calendar calendar = Calendar.getInstance();
         sp.minuteSecond = calendar.get(Calendar.SECOND);
         mp.minuteSecond = calendar.get(Calendar.MINUTE);
         hp.hour = calendar.get(Calendar.HOUR)-1;
         repaint();
         Thread.sleep(1000);
       }
    }
    catch (InterruptedException e){}
  }
  public static void main(String[] args){new Com().setVisible(true);}
}
class HourPanel extends JPanel
{
  int hour;
  JButton[] btn = new JButton[12];
  public HourPanel()
  {
    setLayout(new BorderLayout());
    add(new JLabel("Hours:",JLabel.RIGHT),BorderLayout.NORTH);
    JPanel jp = new JPanel(new GridLayout(12,2));
    for(int x = 0; x < btn.length; x++)
    {
      String btnText = ""+(x+1);
      if(x < 10-1) btnText = "0"+btnText;
      btn[x] = new JButton(btnText);
      jp.add(new JLabel());
      jp.add(btn[x]);
    }
    add(jp,BorderLayout.CENTER);
  }
  public void paintComponent(Graphics g)
  {
    super.paintComponent(g);
    for(int x = 0; x < btn.length; x++)
    {
      btn[x].setBackground(Color.BLUE);
    }
    btn[hour].setBackground(Color.WHITE);
  }
}
class MinuteSecondPanel extends JPanel
{
  int minuteSecond;
  Color color;
  String title;
  JButton[] btnTens = new JButton[6];
  JButton[] btnUnits = new JButton[10];
  public MinuteSecondPanel(String t,Color c)
  {
    title = t;
    color = c;
    setLayout(new BorderLayout());
    add(new JLabel(title,JLabel.CENTER),BorderLayout.NORTH);
    JPanel jp = new JPanel(new GridLayout(12,2));
    for(int x = 0; x < btnUnits.length; x++)
    {
      if(x < btnTens.length)
      {
        btnTens[x] = new JButton(""+x);
        jp.add(btnTens[x]);
      }
      else jp.add(new JLabel());
      btnUnits[x] = new JButton(""+x);
      jp.add(btnUnits[x]);
    }
    add(jp,BorderLayout.CENTER);
  }
  public void paintComponent(Graphics g)
  {
    super.paintComponent(g);
    for(int x = 0; x < btnUnits.length; x++)
    {
      if(x < btnTens.length) btnTens[x].setBackground(color);
      btnUnits[x].setBackground(color);
    }
    btnTens[minuteSecond/10].setBackground(Color.WHITE);
    btnUnits[minuteSecond%10].setBackground(Color.WHITE);
  }
}

[Sean Magee]

wow, thats much nicer than mine. thanks Micheal for the help.