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Guide to Object-oriented Programming With Java (University at Buffalo Version)


Chapter 17: Using WindowBuilder to Create GUI Applications

Using WindowBuilder to create a GUI application

There are many different controls that can be added to a frame or panel, including labels, textboxes, buttons, drop-down selectors, check boxes, radio buttons, and sliders, just to list a few.

This next figure shows the code for a ColorPicker program that allows the user to use sliders to determine the RGB (Red/Green/Blue) values for a color.

package buffalo.edu.fa23.put-your-username-here;
  
/**
 * File: ColorPicker.java
 *
 * Description: This app illustrates the use of the
 * java.awt.Color class. It lets the user type red, green and
 * blue (RGB) values into text fields, and displays the resulting
 * color both as a font color and as a colored rectangle.
 * This version of ColorPicker uses programmer defined IntFields
 * which throw an out-of-range exception if the values input are
 * not between 0 and 255. The only changes required occur in the
 * declarations for the IntFields, in the init() method where the
 * IntFields are instantiated, and in the actionPerformed() method
 * the the getInt() method is used to retrieve their data.
 *
 * Assignment:
 *   1) Run this program to see how it works
 *   2) Modify this program so that it uses JSliders to
 *      select the range of colors. Arrange the JSliders
 *      so they are oriented horizontally and stacked using
 *      a grid layout:
 *
 *      |-------- slider1 ----------|
 *      |-------- slider2 ----------|
 *      |-------- slider3 ----------|
 *
 * - See the example below (SliderExample) to get started
 */

/** 
 * 
 * @author Jim Gerland 
 * 
 */
 
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.event.*;

public class ColorPicker extends JFrame implements ChangeListener {
  
  private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
  private int redIn, greenIn, blueIn;
  // create the red slider
  private final JSlider Red_slider = new JSlider(SwingConstants.HORIZONTAL,0,255,128); 
  // create the green slider
  private final JSlider Green_slider = new JSlider(SwingConstants.HORIZONTAL,0,255,128);
  // create the blue slider
  private final JSlider Blue_slider = new JSlider(SwingConstants.HORIZONTAL,0,255,128);
  private JPanel controls = new JPanel();
  private Canvas canvas = new Canvas();

 /**
  * init() sets up the app's interface. A (default) border layout 
  * is used, with the controls at the north and the drawing canvas 
  * in the center. 
  */
    public ColorPicker() {
        initControls();

        getContentPane().add(controls, BorderLayout.NORTH);
        canvas.setForeground(Color.LIGHT_GRAY);
        getContentPane().add(canvas, "Center");
        
        canvas.setBorder(BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("The Color Display"));
        
        getContentPane().setBackground(Color.white);
        setSize(300,250);
        // register 'Exit upon closing' as a default close operation
        setDefaultCloseOperation( EXIT_ON_CLOSE );
    } // end ColorPicker()

    /** 
     * initControls() arranges the app's control components in a separate 
     * JPanel, which is placed at the north border. The controls consist of 
     * three JTextFields into which the user can type RGB values. 
     */
    private void initControls() {
      // HINT create 3 sliders instead of IntFields
      controls.setLayout(new GridLayout(0,2));
      
      JLabel R = new JLabel("Red:"); // adds the red slider label to the panel
      R.setFont(new Font("Tahoma", Font.BOLD, 14));
      R.setForeground(new Color(0, 0, 0));
      R.setBackground(Color.BLUE);
    R.setHorizontalAlignment(SwingConstants.RIGHT);
    controls.add(R);
    controls.add(Red_slider);//adds the red slider to the panel

    JLabel G = new JLabel("Green:"); // adds the green slider label to the panel
    G.setFont(new Font("Tahoma", Font.BOLD, 14));
    G.setHorizontalAlignment(SwingConstants.RIGHT);
    controls.add(G);
    controls.add(Green_slider); // adds the green slider to the panel

    JLabel B = new JLabel("Blue:"); // adds the blue slider label to the panel
    B.setFont(new Font("Tahoma", Font.BOLD, 14));
    B.setHorizontalAlignment(SwingConstants.RIGHT);
    controls.add(B);
    controls.add(Blue_slider);// adds the blue slider to the panel

    redIn   = Red_slider.getValue();
    greenIn = Green_slider.getValue();
    blueIn  = Blue_slider.getValue();
   
    Red_slider.addChangeListener(this);
    Green_slider.addChangeListener(this);
    Blue_slider.addChangeListener(this);
    } // end initControls()

    public void stateChanged(ChangeEvent e) {
    JSlider value = (JSlider)e.getSource();
    if (value == Red_slider) {
      redIn = value.getValue();
      canvas.setColor(new Color(redIn,greenIn,blueIn));
    } else if(value == Green_slider) {
      greenIn = value.getValue();
      canvas.setColor(new Color(redIn,greenIn,blueIn));
    } else if(value == Blue_slider) {
      blueIn = value.getValue();
      canvas.setColor(new Color(redIn,greenIn,blueIn));
    }
    canvas.repaint();
    } // end stateChanaged()
  
    public static void main(String args[]) {
        ColorPicker c = new ColorPicker();
        c.setVisible(true);
    } // end main() 
} // end ColorPicker
Figure 17-1: Sample ColorPicker.java Code
ColorPicker GUI

Figure 17-2: Sample ColorPicker.java Application

Let's get started with a Conversion program

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Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Copyright © 2016-2024 Jim Gerland