FEN IntroJava2006 AAU1 GUI: Graphical User Interface AWT/SWING: Components Drag and Drop in NetBeans Events Listeners

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU2 Components GUIs are build using standard components, for instance: –Windows (Frames in Java) –Menu bars –Text fields –List boxes –Buttons –Etc.

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU3 Java.awt and javax.swing

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU4 Some AWT and Swing Classes java.lang.Objectjava.awt.Component java.awt.Container javax.swing.JComponent java.awt.Window java.awt.Frame javax.swing.JFrame javax.swing.JLabel javax.swing.JToolbar javax.swing.JPopupMenu javax.swing.JFileChooser javax.swing.JPanel Note the use of inheritance

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU5 Graphical User Interfaces A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is created with at least three kinds of objects –components –events –Listeners Java standard class library provides these objects for us

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU6 Components and Containers A GUI component defines a screen element to display information or allow the user to interact with the program –buttons, text fields, labels, menus, etc. A container is a special component that holds and organizes other components –dialog boxes, applets, frames, panels, etc.

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU7 Hello World Example import javax.swing.*; public class HelloWorldSwing { public static void main(String[] args) { JFrame frame = new JFrame("HelloWorldSwing"); JLabel label = new JLabel("Hello World"); frame.getContentPane().add(label); frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE); frame.setSize(200,200); frame.setVisible(true); }

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU8 Frame The main component is a frame. Frame is the Java term for what is generally called a ‘window’. In Swing frames are realised by the class JFrame A frame is a rectangular area: –title bar at the top –The title bar contains buttons for closing, maximizing and minimizing of the frame –Below the title bare is an area at which further graphical components can be placed –This area is divided into two parts: space for a menu bar at the upper edge content pane below

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU9 Elements of a JFrame Title Menu bar Content pane Window controls

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU10 import java.awt.*; import javax.swing.*; public class FirstFrame extends JFrame { public FirstFrame() { super("My First Frame"); setSize(200,200); setVisible(true); } Import libraries Inherit JFrame

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU11 import java.awt.*; import javax.swing.*; public class SecondFrame extends JFrame{ //Components neede to build the menubar private JMenuBar menuBar; private JMenu fileMenu, editMenu; private JMenuItem openItem, quitItem; public SecondFrame() { super("My Second Frame"); buildMenu(); setSize(200,200); setVisible(true); } private void buildMenu(){ menuBar = new JMenuBar(); fileMenu = new JMenu("File"); editMenu = new JMenu("Edit"); menuBar.add(fileMenu); menuBar.add(editMenu); openItem = new JMenuItem("Open"); quitItem = new JMenuItem("Quit"); fileMenu.add(openItem); fileMenu.add(quitItem); this.setJMenuBar(menuBar); }

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU12 private void buildInputpart(){ panelIO = new JPanel(); panelIO.setLayout(null); labFirstName = new JLabel("First Name:"); labLastName = new JLabel("Last Name: "); txtFirstName = new JTextField(); txtFirstName.setToolTipText("Input first name"); txtLastName = new JTextField(); txtLastName.setToolTipText("Input last name"); addComponent(panelIO, labFirstName, 20,20,70,20); addComponent(panelIO, txtFirstName, 100,20,150,20); addComponent(panelIO, labLastName, 20,45,70,20); addComponent(panelIO, txtLastName, 100,45,150,20); this.add(panelIO); } private void buildButtonpart(){ panelButton = new JPanel(); panelButton.setLayout(null); submitBut = new JButton("Submit"); clearBut = new JButton("Clear"); addComponent(panelButton, submitBut, 20,80, 100,20); addComponent(panelButton, clearBut, 130,80, 100,20); this.add(panelButton); } private void addComponent(Container container, Component c,int x,int y,int width,int height){ c.setBounds(x,y,width, height); container.add(c); }

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU13 This is unbearable! Instead an IDE supporting Drag and Drop For instance NetBeans: GUI Building in NetBeans IDE 5.0 or

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU14 Creating a GUI Project 1.Choose File > New Project. Alternately, you can click the New Project icon in the IDE toolbar. 2.In the Categories pane, select the General node and in the Projects pane, choose Java Application. Click Next. 3.Enter ContactEditor in the Project Name field and specify the project location. 4.Ensure that the Set as Main Project checkbox is selected and deselect Create Main Class if it is selected. 5.Click Finish. The IDE creates the ContactEditor folder on your system in the designated location. This folder contains all of the project's associated files, including its Ant script, folders for storing sources and tests, and a folder for project- specific metadata. To view the project structure, use the IDE's Files window.

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU15 Adding a Main Component To create a JFrame container: 1.In the Projects window, right-click the ContactEditor node and choose New > JFrame Form. 2.Enter ContactEditorUI as the Class Name. 3.Enter my.contacteditor as the package. 4.Click Finish. The IDE creates the ContactEditorUI form and the ContactEditorUI class within the ContactEditorUI.java application and opens the ContactEditorUI form in the GUI Builder. Notice that the my.contacteditor package replaces the default package.

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU16 Event Driven Programs with graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are event driven: –the program reacts to actions of the user –these actions generate (‘fire’) events –examples of events are: pressing a key moving the mouse clicking on a button selecting a menu item –Components that reacts to events are called Listeners

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU17 Eventhandling User interface GUI Components fires the event in response to being clicked Listener React to the events Java code Components

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU18 Hello World – now with buttons! private void jButton1ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) { jTextField1.setText("Hello World!"); } private void jButton2ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) { System.exit(0); } jButton1.setText("Say Hello"); jButton1.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() { public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) { jButton1ActionPerformed(evt); } }); Listener generated by NetBeans Called when the event occurs We write the body of the event handler

FEN IntroJava2006 AAU19 Do it! The tutorial: Adding Functionality to Buttons: A Beginners GuideAdding Functionality to Buttons: A Beginners Guide