How to allow 'Select none' in a JComboBox or JList

[Hernan Acosta]

Hello,

I need to add an option 'Select none' in a JCombobox. It's a very common issue.

In code, I can use:

myJCmbBox.setSelectedIndex(-1);

But, ¿how can I add that option to the jCmbBox, so the user can 'Select none', without adding that option to the jCmbBox model?.

I need this:

-None selected-
Chevrolet
Fiat
Ford
Mercedes Benz
Nissan
Peugeot
Toyota

Thanks in advance (and excuse me because of my english)

[Edwin Torres]

What's wrong with adding a NONE option as your first item in the ComboBox? In the code, you can act accordingly when the user selects none.

[Hernan Acosta]

Thanks Edwin for your answer.

I can't figure out how to do it. This is my code:

Patient[] myPatients = GestorConsultas.listarPacientes();//I get my data, from the database, in an array of Objects.
jCmbPaciente.setModel(new javax.swing.DefaultComboBoxModel(myPatients));
jCmbPaciente.setSelectedIndex(-1); //The default value is NULL. But if the user selects something by mistake, then he can't selects NULL value again.

¿How can I add the NONE option?
If the user selects NONE, the selected value has to be NULL. I don't want to add that option to my model, because I don't want to complicate it.

[Edwin Torres]

Hernan Acosta wrote:
I can't figure out how to do it. ...
¿How can I add the NONE option?
If the user selects NONE, the selected value has to be NULL. I don't want to add that option to my model, because I don't want to complicate it.

Just create your ComboBox this way:

    JComboBox comboBox = new JComboBox();
    comboBox.setModel(new DefaultComboBoxModel(new String[] {"- none -", "first", "second", "third"}));

The first element in your myPatients array should be something like "- none -". If it isn't, create a new array that has "- none -" as the first element, then fill in the rest of the elements with your myPatients array.

You don't have to call setSelectedIndex() when you are creating your ComboBox.

[Darryl Burke]

Another approach could be to place a JCheckBox to the left of the JComboBox that would both setSelectedIndex(-1) and disable the JComboBox when unchecked.

   _               ____________________ _  
  |_| Select car: |____________________|_| 
 

Whether you initially check the box and enable the combo, or uncheck the box and disable the combo, is up to you. You could also cache the last selected value in an instance field so that if the used accidentally unselects the checkbox, the selection can be restored by checking it again.

[Hernan Acosta]

Edwin,
I can't figure out how to combine that string "None" with my Patients array(). Maybe concatenating in an Object[] array, but I don't know how.
I also tried using:

((DefaultComboBoxModel)jCmbPaciente.getModel()).addElement("Ninguno");

But doing this the element is added at the end of the list, instead of the beginning.

I use:

jCmbBox.setSelectedItem(-1) 

because I don't want any element being selected by default. If I don't use this line, the selected item is the first item of the model.

[Hernan Acosta]

Darryl, thank you for your response.

That approach is interesting. In some cases, in my application, it would be useful. But I have a large panel with many swing components. And the people using this application doesn't have much experience with computers, so I want to have a more intuitive UI.

[Edwin Torres]

Hernan Acosta wrote:Edwin,
I can't figure out how to combine that string "None" with my Patients array(). Maybe concatenating in an Object[] array, but I don't know how.
I also tried using:

Sorry, but I didn't realize that your array had Patient objects. I thought you were using Strings. In any case, here's how you can combine a String to an existing String array:

		
                String[] myPatients = { "Tom", "Dick", "Harry" };
		String[] myPatientsCombined = new String[myPatients.length+1];
		myPatientsCombined[0] = "-none-";
		for (int i=1; i < myPatientsCombined.length; i++) {
			myPatientsCombined[i] = myPatients[i-1];
		}
		System.out.println(Arrays.toString(myPatientsCombined));

You could do the same with your Patients array, but you'd have to come up with the notion of a "blank" Patient object for your first element. Sorry, if I confused the issue.

[Darryl Burke]

But doing this the element is added at the end of the list, instead of the beginning.

Take another look at the API for DefaultComboBoxModel. There's a method that Adds an item at a specific index.

[Darryl Burke]

If the user selects NONE, the selected value has to be NULL. I don't want to add that option to my model, because I don't want to complicate it.

You can sill have a model that contains a null (not NULL) and a custom renderer that displays an appropriate String like " --- None --- "
http://download.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/components/combobox.html#renderer

If you choose to go that route, I would suggest extending DefaultListCellRenderer

[Hernan Acosta]

Edwin, Darryl, thank you very much for you time.

I will try it with a combination of your approaches (CombinedArrays + Renderer). It gave me more ideas to resolve it.

I thought too, that there's addElement(object, index) method, but, oddly, there isn't.

Thank you again for your responses.

[Darryl Burke]

Hernan Acosta wrote:I thought too, that there's addElement(object, index) method, but, oddly, there isn't.

Aw, c'mon! There are only 10 methods declared in DefaultComboListModel. How long can it possibly take to go through all of them (not that you'll need to, once you read the API).

[Hernan Acosta]

Oh, how embarrasing! I really looked into the API, I don't know what hapenned to my.


So, the simplest way to resolve my issue is doing:

((DefaultComboBoxModel)jCmbPatients.getModel()).insertElementAt("--None--",0);

Then, when the user selects an element, if the selected index == '0', I would set null value, else I would set the selected Patient object.

Thank you very much. I Appreciate your help.