JOptionPane Timeout

[Adam Richards]

Can anyone provide a code snippet showing how to have a JOptionPane timeout if the user doesn't respond after a specified period? I assume this would be done via a thread or timer, but can't figure out how to make it work.

[Ko Wey]

Hi,

I like to work with home-made JDialog classes instead of the JOptionPane things. Needs more work of course but also more freedom. Here is a modal
JDialog that asks YES or NO and you have 30 seconds time to make up your mind:

 
 
//file CustomDialog.java  
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
 
class CustomDialog extends JDialog implements ActionListener,Runnable{
 
private JButton jButton_Yes = null;
private JButton jButton_NO = null;
private boolean OK = false;
private Thread thread = null;
private int seconds = 0;
private final int max = 30;//max number of seconds 
 
public CustomDialog(Frame frame){
super(frame,true);//modal
setDefaultCloseOperation(WindowConstants.DO_NOTHING_ON_CLOSE);
 
Box hBox = Box.createHorizontalBox();
 
jButton_Yes = new JButton("Yes");
jButton_Yes.addActionListener(this);
 
jButton_NO = new JButton("NO");
jButton_NO.addActionListener(this);
 
JLabel jLabel = new JLabel("How are you?");
 
Container cont = getContentPane();
cont.setLayout(new BoxLayout(cont,BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
cont.add(jLabel);
hBox.add(Box.createGlue());
hBox.add(jButton_Yes);
hBox.add(jButton_NO);
cont.add(hBox);
 
pack();
thread = new Thread(this);
thread.start();
setVisible(true);
}
 
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
if (e.getSource()==jButton_Yes)
OK = true;
if (e.getSource()==jButton_NO)
OK = false;
setVisible(false);
}
 
public void run(){
while(seconds < max){
seconds++;
setTitle("OK? "+seconds);
try{
Thread.sleep(1000);
}catch (InterruptedException exc){
};
}
setVisible(false);
}
 
public boolean isOk(){return OK;}
 
public static void main(String[] args){//testing
CustomDialog cd = new CustomDialog(new JFrame());
System.out.println(cd.isOk());
cd = null;
System.exit(0);
}
 
}//end
 

[Rob Spoor]

To close / hide a dialog through code you have to have a reference to it. Unfortunately, the static methods of JOptionPane do not give you the dialog itself.

Now you can create your own dialog like Ko Wey did, or you can create a JOptionPane, use that to call createDialog, and use that reference to close / hide after 30 seconds. Ko Wey's code shows you how to.

One thing to think about: what do you do when the user closes the dialog manually? Is there a way to cancel the thread / timer? Or is it not important because you might only close the already closed dialog?
And what will be your return value (if any) from the JOptionPane dialog?
(Probably the answers will be quite simple, but just think about it for a while )