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Trail: Creating a GUI with JFC/Swing
Lesson: Using Swing Components
Section: How to Use Various Components
Using Swing Components
A Visual Index to the Swing Components
Using HTML in Swing Components
Using Top-Level Containers
Using Models
The JComponent Class
Using Text Components
Text Component Features
The Text Component API
How to Use Various Components
How to Make Applets
How to Use Buttons, Check Boxes, and Radio Buttons
How to Use Color Choosers
How to Use Combo Boxes
How to Make Dialogs
How to Use Editor Panes and Text Panes
How to Use File Choosers
How to Use Formatted Text Fields
How to Make Frames (Main Windows)
How to Use Internal Frames
How to Use Labels
How to Use Layered Panes
How to Use Lists
How to Use Menus
How to Use Panels
How to Use Password Fields
How to Use Progress Bars
How to Use Root Panes
How to Use Scroll Panes
How to Use Separators
How to Use Sliders
How to Use Spinners
How to Use Split Panes
How to Use Tabbed Panes
How to Use Tables
How to Use Text Areas
How to Use Text Fields
How to Use Tool Bars
How to Use Tool Tips
How to Use Trees
How to Use Icons
How to Use Borders
Solving Common Component Problems
Home Page > Creating a GUI with JFC/Swing > Using Swing Components
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How to Use Text Fields

> A text field is a basic text control that lets the user enter a small amount of text. When the user indicates that text entry is complete (usually by pressing Enter), the text field fires an action event. If you need to obtain more than one line of input from the user, you should use a text area instead.

> The Swing API provides several classes for components that are either varieties of text fields or that include text fields.

> `JTextField` | What this section covers: basic text fields.
> `JFormattedTextField` | A `JTextField` subclass that allows you to specify the legal set of characters the user can enter. See How to Use Formatted Text Fields.
> `JPasswordField` | A `JTextField` subclass that doesn't show the characters the user types. See How to Use Password Fields.
> `JComboBox` | Can be editable, and provides a menu of strings to choose from. See How to Use Combo Boxes.
> `JSpinner` | Combines a formatted text field with a couple of small buttons that let the user choose the previous or next available value. See How to Use Spinners.

> The following example displays a basic text field and a text area. The text field is editable; the text area isn't. When the user presses Enter in the text field, the program copies the text field's contents to the text area, and then selects all the text in the text field.

> You can run TextDemo (it requires release 6) using JavaTM Web Start. The source code is in `TextDemo.java`. Here's the code that creates and sets up the text field:

> >     textField = new JTextField(20);
> >     textField.addActionListener(this);

> The integer argument passed to the `JTextField` constructor, `20` in the example, indicates the number of columns in the field. This number is used along with metrics provided by the field's current font to calculate the field's preferred width. It does not limit the number of characters the user can enter. To do that, you can either use a formatted text field or a document listener, as described in Text Component Features.

> > Note: We encourage you to specify the number of columns for each text field. If you don't specify the number of columns or a preferred size, then the field's preferred size changes whenever the text changes, which can result in unwanted layout updates.

> The next line of code registers a `TextDemo` object as an action listener for the text field. Here's the `actionPerformed` method that handles action events from the text field:

> >     private final static String newline = "\n";
> >     ...
> >     public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent evt) {
> >         String text = textField.getText();
> >         textArea.append(text + newline);
> >         textField.selectAll();
> >     }

> Notice the use of `JTextField`'s `getText` method to retrieve the text currently contained by the text field. The text returned by this method does not include a newline character for the Enter key that fired the action event.

> You've seen how a basic text field can be used. Because `JTextField` inherits from `JTextComponent`, it's very flexible and can be customized almost any way you like. For example, you can add a document listener or document filter to be notified when the text changes and (in the filter case) modify the text field accordingly. Information on text components is in Text Component Features Before customizing a `JTextField`, however, make sure that one of the other components based on text fields won't do the job for you.

> Often, text fields are paired with labels that describe the text fields. See Examples that Use Text Fields for pointers to examples of creating these pairs.

### The Text Field API

> The following tables list the commonly used `JTextField` constructors and methods. Other methods you are likely to call are defined in `JTextComponent`. Refer to The Text Component API.

> You might also invoke methods on a text field that it inherits from its other ancestors, such as `setPreferredSize`, `setForeground`, `setBackground`, `setFont`, and so on. See The JComponent Class for tables of commonly used inherited methods.

> The API for using text fields falls into these categories:

> - Setting or Getting the Field's Contents
> - Fine Tuning the Field's Appearance
> - Implementing the Field's Functionality

> Setting or Getting the Field's Contents
> Method or Constructor | Purpose
> --- | ---
> JTextField() JTextField(String) JTextField(String, int) JTextField(int) | Create a text field. When present, the `int` argument specifies the desired width in columns. The `String` argument contains the field's initial text.
> void setText(String) String getText() (defined in `JTextComponent`) | Set or get the text displayed by the text field.

> Fine Tuning the Field's Appearance
> Method | Purpose
> --- | ---
> void setEditable(boolean) boolean isEditable() (defined in `JTextComponent`) | Set or get whether the user can edit the text in the text field.
> void setColumns(int); int getColumns() | Set or get the number of columns displayed by the text field. This is really just a hint for computing the field's preferred width.
> void setHorizontalAlignment(int); int getHorizontalAlignment() | Set or get how the text is aligned horizontally within its area. You can use `JTextField.LEADING`, `JTextField.CENTER`, and `JTextField.TRAILING` for arguments.

> Implementing the Field's Functionality
> Method | Purpose
> --- | ---
> void addActionListener(ActionListener) void removeActionListener(ActionListener) | Add or remove an action listener.
> void selectAll() (defined in `JTextComponent`) | Select all characters in the text field.

### Examples that Use Text Fields

> This table shows a few of the examples that use `JTextField` and where those examples are described. For examples of code that's similar among all varieties of text fields, such as dealing with layout, also look at the example lists for related components such as formatted text fields and spinners.

> Example | Where Described | Notes
> --- | --- | ---
> TextDemo | This section | An application that uses a basic text field with an action listener.
> DialogDemo | How to Make Dialogs | `CustomDialog.java` includes a text field whose value is checked. You can bring up the dialog by clicking the More Dialogs tab, selecting the Input-validating dialog radio button, and then clicking the Show it! buton.
> TextSamplerDemo | Using Text Components | Lays out label-text field pairs using a `GridBagLayout` and a convenience method:
>     addLabelTextRows(JLabel[] labels,
>     		 JTextField[] textFields,
>     		 GridBagLayout gridbag,
>     		 Container container)
> TextInputDemo | How to Use Formatted Text Fields | Lays out label-text field pairs using a `SpringLayout` and a `SpringUtilities` convenience method:
>     makeCompactGrid(Container parent,
>                     int rows, int cols,
>                     int initialX, int initialY,
>                     int xPad, int yPad)

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