Question from NickyEng

[Nicky Eng]

hi all...

i'm new to Swing ...

i have a simple project of creating a simple application of bankAccounting.

i dont know which software to use to create a user friently interfrace. so far i have NetBeans installed in my laptop and is it suitable for using that?

and could anyone here tell me which book or which website appropriate to learn JFC???

the project require me to do it using Swing Components.

thanks in advance.

[Stuart Gray]

The Java Tutorial (http://java.sun.com/tutorial) is quite good, although it can sometimes be a behind with some of the more recent changes to the Swing classes.

[Nicky Eng]

thanks.

[Nicky Eng]

JFrame problem

why i must put JLayeredPane on JFrame, then only can freely drag the button or any GUI items on NetBeans 4.0?

if i dont put it on JFrame, then no way i can drag the items freely on the design stage.

anyone may help?

[Tad Dicks]

I wouldn't recommend using any "gui-builders" just do the code by hand. It might seem tedious but you will learn more and you'll be able to understand/interact with the gui code better.

-Tad

[Nicky Eng]

yeah....you're right. i quit using netbeans, and code it with notepad....

i have a problem with a frame,and then menubar +menu.

i want something like, when i click on the menu item, then the container of frame will display the details.

sample:

Under "File" menu, has a menu item called "Create Account". when i click on the "create account", then a form will display on the frame , just under the menubar there.

what i should use ? JPanel? when i lick on the "Create account", i called addActionListener to perform the coding. and then create another class for displaying the form on the container of that frame? meaning everytime i click on menu item, i should create a new JPanel for each menu item and then add JPanel into the Container???

[Tad Dicks]

Now I didn't say stop using an IDE (though if your just starting out coding, I wouldn't use an IDE). If your doing a marginally complex task the IDE can be useful, just when you start using a gui to build the gui... I find it frustrating to get it to behave how you want.

-Tad

[Nicky Eng]

i know i very dump at this.

could you help me, Tad?

i have the 2 file here, but i just cannot link them together.
when i click on the "Create" menu item under "Account" menu, it shows nothing on the container....i hope someone could help, because i tried whole day at home even try to find in java.sun.com/tutorial. i just can't figure it out.

i hope you guys can help me out, why can't display the stuff on container there...
p/s: if you edit the coding, please use comment line to state what you editted. thanks.

i will do my best to figure it out as i'm still newbie to Swing.

 
//  BankFrame.java
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.event.*;
 
class BankFrame extends JFrame{
public BankFrame(){
setTitle("BankingAccount");
setSize(DEFAULT_WIDTH, DEFAULT_HEIGHT);}

        public JMenuBar createMenuBar(){
// create a menuBar on top of the frame
JMenuBar menuBar= new JMenuBar();
menuBar.setBackground(Color.red);
menuBar.setBorderPainted(false);

                // first menu = new account
JMenu accMenu = new JMenu("Account");
accMenu.setForeground(Color.blue);
accMenu.setBackground(Color.yellow);
 
accMenu.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_A);
               accMenu.getAccessibleContext().setAccessibleDescription("Create Delete Account");
menuBar.add(accMenu);
 
// create menuitems in "Account"
JMenuItem createItem = new JMenuItem("Create New");
JMenuItem deleteItem=new JMenuItem("Delete");
JMenuItem exitItem=new JMenuItem("Exit");
 
// demonstrate accelerator for "Create" menu item inside the Menu of "New account"
 
// add menu items into the  ACCOUNT menu
accMenu.add(createItem);
accMenu.add(deleteItem);
                accMenu.addSeparator();
accMenu.add(exitItem);           
                
// actionEvent when click on Create New
ActionListener action4Create =new ActionListener(){
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent a){
 
Container contentpane= getContentPane();
NewAccount accountNew= new NewAccount();
contentpane.add(accountNew);
}
};
createItem.addActionListener(action4Create);
 
                // actionEvent when click on Exit menuItem.
                ActionListener action4Exit = new ActionListener(){
                    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae){
                        System.exit(0);
                    }
                };
                exitItem.addActionListener(action4Exit);
                
// another Menu Object of "Transaction"
JMenu transMenu = new JMenu("Transaction");
transMenu.setForeground(Color.blue);
transMenu.setBackground(Color.yellow);
 
transMenu.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_T);
transMenu.getAccessibleContext().setAccessibleDescription("Do Transaction");
menuBar.add(transMenu);
 
JMenuItem withItem= new JMenuItem("Withdrawal");
JMenuItem depItem = new JMenuItem("Deposit");
JMenuItem balaItem = new JMenuItem("Balance Requiry");

//  add menu items into the TRANSACTION menu
transMenu.add(withItem);
transMenu.add(depItem);
transMenu.add(balaItem);
 
// Menu for "HELP"
JMenu helpMenu= new JMenu("Help");
helpMenu.setForeground(Color.blue);
helpMenu.setBackground(Color.yellow);
 
helpMenu.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_H);
helpMenu.getAccessibleContext().setAccessibleDescription("Get Help");
menuBar.add(helpMenu);
 
JMenuItem readMeItem= new JMenuItem("Read Me");
JMenuItem aboutItem = new JMenuItem("About");
 
// add menu items into HELP menu
helpMenu.add(readMeItem);
helpMenu.add(aboutItem);

return menuBar;
}
public static final int DEFAULT_WIDTH=450;
public static final int DEFAULT_HEIGHT=500;
 
public static void main(String[] args)
{
JFrame.setDefaultLookAndFeelDecorated(true);
//JFrame frame=new JFrame("BankingAccount");

BankFrame bank = new BankFrame();
bank.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
bank.setResizable(false);
bank.setJMenuBar(bank.createMenuBar());
bank.show();
}
}

 
//    NewAccount.java
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.event.*;
 
class NewAccount extends JPanel{
public NewAccount(){
setLayout(new BorderLayout());
JPanel buttonPanel=new JPanel();
 
JButton ok=new JButton("OK");
buttonPanel.add(ok);

JButton cancel=new JButton("Cancel");
buttonPanel.add(cancel);

add(buttonPanel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
 
JPanel pane= new JPanel();
pane.setLayout(new GridLayout(3,3));

// for the first row
JLabel firstName=new JLabel("First Name  :");
pane.add(firstName);
 
JTextField field4firstName = new JTextField("", 8);
pane.add(field4firstName);
 
JLabel empty1= new JLabel();
pane.add(empty1);

//for the 2nd row.
JLabel lastName = new JLabel("Last Name  :");
pane.add(lastName);

JTextField field4lastName = new JTextField("", 8);
pane.add(field4lastName);
 
JLabel empty2= new JLabel();
pane.add(empty2);

//for 3rd row
JLabel initialB=new JLabel("Initial Balance  :");
pane.add(initialB);
 
JTextField bal = new JTextField("", 8);
pane.add(bal);
 
JLabel empty3= new JLabel();
pane.add(empty3);
 
add(pane, BorderLayout.CENTER);
}
}

[Nicky Eng]

i have fixed the problem with click and drag ...

actually set the Layout to null, then i can drap freely.

how stupid i was b4...

----

now left the problem with calling another class inside the actionPerformed method.....given 2 files above there, hope any one could help me...

---------------------------------------------------
morning about 2am ---> i finally can display the components of NewAccount.java in the container of BankFrame when i click on menu item called "Create New". probably its not a good practice but i finally figure it out on my own...since no one here to help me...

i put the doLayout() under the actionListenter method for action4Create....when i click on the "Create New"...i have to wait for 2 seconds, then only the components display on the container....i wonder why i have to wait for 2 seconds..

I dont create many posts in this section because i believe create for one post is enough and can continue with my doubtly question that i want to ask here....but i guess most of members here like to create a post with a question..and then have another question, create another post again....

me nothing against, but i'm just try to make the post that been created being used again with different questions and problem, so that the post in each section would be more less and more manageable???!?!?!?

guys, feel free to reply me .....thanks...

[ July 09, 2005: Message edited by: Nicky Eng ]
[ July 09, 2005: Message edited by: Nicky Eng ]