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Programming with Swing

GUI Look & Feel

Look And Feel is very important, it defines how components look and act (feel) . For instance, what you've been seeing when you have been putting components on a JPanel is the Java Look And Feel. The JButtons don't look normal, do they? Nope. Just like how Windows program looks different from a Java or Mac program, that's look and feel. A Java program typically can have one of the 5 or so possible LAFs(Look And Feels) :

  • Use the current OS's Look and Feel.
  • Use the Java (a.k.a Metal) Look and Feel.
  • Use the Motif (UNIX) Look and Feel.
  • Use the Windows LAF (only on windows).
  • Use the Mac LAF (only on mac).

To set the look and feel BEFORE constructing any components, use the UIManager class. It contains the setLookAndFeel(String classname) method that (as shown) takes a string that is the class name of the LAF that you want to use for your program.

Here's the code to use the Motif LAF:

Try {
    UIManager.setLookAndFeel("com.sun.java.swing.motif.MotifLookAndFeel");
}
catch(ClassNotFoundException e) {}

Here's the code to use the current OS's LAF:

Try {
    UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
}
catch(ClassNotFoundException e) {}

The Windows LAF Class Name is com.sun.java.swing.windows.WindowsLookAndFeel
The Mac LAF Class Name is com.sun.java.swing.mac.MacLookAndFeel
The Java LAF Class Name is com.sun.java.swing.plaf.metal.MetalLookAndFeel
To use the Java LAF (even though it IS the default) use the method UIManager.getCrossPlatformLookAndFeelClassName()

That's it for Look and Feel. If you manage to find other LAFs on the web. They are used in the same way, just find out its class name!

Comments

  1. 14 Nov 2005 at 15:01

    Hello,
     I want to add a closing button to the internal frame. I am not able to do it. Plz help.javascript:smilie('')
    confused

  2. 28 Oct 2004 at 07:05

    Hi.


    I have an ChildFrame inside of an DesktopFrame. I want to insert a JButton into the ChildFrame. But this JButton turns out to be very  tiny in that child frame. If I maximize the child frame, the button does not change size.
    I used this a source for my codings:


    http://www.rz.fhtw-berlin.de/hjp3/k100230.html


    I only added a JButton into my chid frame, I used a GridBagLayout. button.setSize() does  not seem to work in  that child frame.


    Would be very thankful, if anybody could help.


    Burkhardt


  3. 13 Sep 2004 at 04:21

    jho....


    just call your child frames as follows


    public class MainFrame extends JFrame
    {
     ChildFrame1 child1;
    public MainFrame()
    {
     final JDesktopPane desktop = new JDesktopPane();
     getContentPane().add(desktop);
     
     JMenuBar bar = new JMenuBar();
    JMenu show = new JMenu("Show");
    JMenuItem showchild1 = new JMenuItem("Show Child1");
    //*******
    // here this represents the MainFrame which can be passes as a message to the child frame.
             child1 = new ChildFrame1(this);
    //
    *******
    desktop.add(child1);
    child1.setVisible(true);
     
    bar.add(show);
    show.add(showchild1);
    }
    }



    and in ChildFrame set the constructor as


    MainFrame  mainFrame;
    ChildFrame(MainFrame  mainFrame)
    {
    this.mainFrame = mainFrame;
    }


    actionPerformed in ChildFrame1()  {
     if(button clicked) {
        ChilFrame2 childFrame2 = new ChildFrame2();
         mainFrame.desktop.add(childFrame2);
         this.dispose(); // or this.hide();
     }
    }


    hope this code helps!


  4. 05 Aug 2004 at 01:44

    i have a JFrame named MainFrame which also uses JDesktoPane. I created 2 JInternalFrame class named ChildFrame1 and ChildFrame2. When I can click the menu on the mainframe, it shows the childframe1. I must load the Childframe2 on the desktopPane on the mainFrame by clicking a button inside the childframe1. How can I do this??? My problem is that the desktopPane becomes foreign to childFrame2 since it is another class. here is the sample prog...


    public class MainFrame extends JFrame
    {
      ChildFrame1 child1 = new ChildFrame1();
    public MainFrame()
    {
      final JDesktopPane desktop = new JDesktopPane();
      getContentPane().add(desktop);
     
      JMenuBar bar = new JMenuBar();
     JMenu show = new JMenu("Show");
     JMenuItem showchild1 = new JMenuItem("Show Child1");
     desktop.add(child1);
     child1.setVisible(true);
     
    bar.add(show);
    show.add(showchild1);



    }


    }


    i still have another JInternalFrame class named childFrame2 but it will only be visible when i click a button in childFrame1 (child1).


    how can i do this?????


    i cannot use the jDESKTOPANE "desktop" because that class does not recognize the "desktop"



    PLEASE HELP ME!!! I WILL DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP! THANKS A LOT!!!

  5. 01 Jan 1999 at 00:00

    This thread is for discussions of Programming with Swing.

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