jTextfields and JButtons

[Dalton Paleo]

Hello I am working on a Payroll application and I am using the palette to design my GUI. I have four jTextFields which are labeled as Employee Name, Hours worked, and PayRate. Three Jbuttons which are calculate, clear, and exit. I have the exit button and the clear jButtons functioning as they should. My question is how do I calculate (hours worked* payrate) JTextField2 and jTextField3 to be displayed in the jTextField4 box once I have pressed the calculate button? any help is appreciated. The main reason for using the palette is I am not good at coding.

/*
 * To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
 * and open the template in the editor.
 */

/**
 *
 * @author Danny Laptop
 */
public class GUI extends javax.swing.JFrame {

    /**
     * Creates new form GUI
     */
    public GUI() {
        initComponents();
    }

    /**
     * This method is called from within the constructor to initialize the form.
     * WARNING: Do NOT modify this code. The content of this method is always
     * regenerated by the Form Editor.
     */
    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    // <editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc="Generated Code">                          
    private void initComponents() {

        jLabel1 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        jTextField1 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
        jLabel2 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        jTextField2 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
        jLabel3 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        jTextField3 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
        jLabel4 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        jTextField4 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
        jLabel5 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
        jComboBox1 = new javax.swing.JComboBox();
        jSeparator1 = new javax.swing.JSeparator();
        jButton1 = new javax.swing.JButton();
        jButton2 = new javax.swing.JButton();
        jButton3 = new javax.swing.JButton();

        setDefaultCloseOperation(javax.swing.WindowConstants.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

        jLabel1.setText("Employee Name");

        jLabel2.setText("Hours worked");

        jLabel3.setText("Pay Rate");

        jLabel4.setText("Gross Pay");

        jLabel5.setText("Department");

        jComboBox1.setModel(new javax.swing.DefaultComboBoxModel(new String[] { "Item 1", "Item 2", "Item 3", "Item 4" }));

        jButton1.setText("Calculate");

        jButton2.setText("Clear");
        jButton2.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
            public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
                jButton2ActionPerformed(evt);
            }
        });

        jButton3.setText("Exit ");
        jButton3.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
            public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
                jButton3ActionPerformed(evt);
            }
        });

        javax.swing.GroupLayout layout = new javax.swing.GroupLayout(getContentPane());
        getContentPane().setLayout(layout);
        layout.setHorizontalGroup(
            layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
            .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
                .addComponent(jLabel1)
                .addGap(18, 18, 18)
                .addComponent(jTextField1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 75, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addGap(18, 18, 18)
                .addComponent(jLabel5, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 75, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addGap(18, 18, 18)
                .addComponent(jComboBox1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addGap(18, 18, 18)
                .addComponent(jLabel2)
                .addGap(18, 18, 18)
                .addComponent(jTextField2, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 75, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addGap(18, 18, 18)
                .addComponent(jLabel3)
                .addGap(18, 18, 18)
                .addComponent(jTextField3, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 75, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addGap(18, 18, 18)
                .addComponent(jLabel4)
                .addGap(18, 18, 18)
                .addComponent(jTextField4, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 76, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addContainerGap(32, Short.MAX_VALUE))
            .addComponent(jSeparator1)
            .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
                .addComponent(jButton1)
                .addGap(18, 18, 18)
                .addComponent(jButton2)
                .addGap(18, 18, 18)
                .addComponent(jButton3)
                .addGap(0, 0, Short.MAX_VALUE))
        );
        layout.setVerticalGroup(
            layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
            .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
                .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.BASELINE)
                    .addComponent(jLabel1)
                    .addComponent(jTextField1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                    .addComponent(jLabel2)
                    .addComponent(jTextField2, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                    .addComponent(jLabel3)
                    .addComponent(jTextField3, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                    .addComponent(jLabel4)
                    .addComponent(jTextField4, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                    .addComponent(jLabel5)
                    .addComponent(jComboBox1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE))
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addComponent(jSeparator1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
                .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.BASELINE)
                    .addComponent(jButton1)
                    .addComponent(jButton2)
                    .addComponent(jButton3))
                .addGap(0, 437, Short.MAX_VALUE))
        );

        pack();
    }// </editor-fold>                        

    private void jButton3ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {                                         
        System.exit(0);//exits the GUI
    }                                        

    private void jButton2ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {                                         
        jTextField1.setText("");
    jTextField2.setText("");
    jTextField3.setText("");
    }                                        

    /**
     * @param args the command line arguments
     */
    public static void main(String args[]) {
        /* Set the Nimbus look and feel */
        //<editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc=" Look and feel setting code (optional) ">
        /* If Nimbus (introduced in Java SE 6) is not available, stay with the default look and feel.
         * For details see http://download.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/lookandfeel/plaf.html 
         */
        try {
            for (javax.swing.UIManager.LookAndFeelInfo info : javax.swing.UIManager.getInstalledLookAndFeels()) {
                if ("Nimbus".equals(info.getName())) {
                    javax.swing.UIManager.setLookAndFeel(info.getClassName());
                    break;
                }
            }
        } catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
            java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(GUI.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        } catch (InstantiationException ex) {
            java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(GUI.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        } catch (IllegalAccessException ex) {
            java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(GUI.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        } catch (javax.swing.UnsupportedLookAndFeelException ex) {
            java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(GUI.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }
        //</editor-fold>

        /* Create and display the form */
        java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            public void run() {
                new GUI().setVisible(true);
            }
        });
    }
    // Variables declaration - do not modify                     
    private javax.swing.JButton jButton1;
    private javax.swing.JButton jButton2;
    private javax.swing.JButton jButton3;
    private javax.swing.JComboBox jComboBox1;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel1;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel2;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel3;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel4;
    private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel5;
    private javax.swing.JSeparator jSeparator1;
    private javax.swing.JTextField jTextField1;
    private javax.swing.JTextField jTextField2;
    private javax.swing.JTextField jTextField3;
    private javax.swing.JTextField jTextField4;
    // End of variables declaration                   
}

[Piet Souris]

Hi Dalton,

you can get the text from a JTextField with: String s = jtf.getText().

Then, you can get its value by using: value = Double.parseDouble(s), although you should be aware of the possible errors that may be thrown. See the Java API's for this.

Put the calculation code in the actionlistener of the "Calculate" button.

Succes!

Piet

[Ranganathan Kaliyur Mannar]

Hi Dalton,
Welcome to the Ranch!

You need to add actionListeners to buttons to perform actions when button is clicked. You have already added such listeners for the 'Exit' button. You need to do similarly for the 'Calculate' button.
You can read more about event handlers here

Also, provide meaningful names to the variables. For example, instead of jTextField1, you can have txtHoursWorked. Likewise, jButton1, you can have btnCalculate. This provides handy information on the component name and the functionality side too.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Names like textField1 are usualy supplied automatically by the IDE. It is probably a good idea to stop using NetBeans. For one thing you won’t have all that illegible group layout code with the long lines.

[Piet Souris]

Opinions on whether or not to use programs like NetBeans or Eclipse tend to be very mixed. In my view, the advantages they offer are invaluable: syntax checking, doing the correct imports, and running and jarring the program at the click of a button, to name just a few. True, it takes some time to be able to use these programs (they never stop to look daunting), but for me, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. I certainly would advise any beginner to use them.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Piet Souris wrote: . . . NetBeans or Eclipse . . . I certainly would advise any beginner to use them.

I would certainly warn any beginner against going anywhere near them. They have a steep learning curve, which will cause information overload when you need to learn programming. They hide the basic operations from the user, preventing one from understanding the instructions sent to the OS (command line).

Nobody who has not got enough experience to know what jarring is (I presume you mean creating .jar files; I have never seen that word used like that before) should go anywhere near an IDE.