Loading Excel data into and out of Yoplet applet

[Michael William]

I am looking for some simple coding help with java and jquery, does anyone know both of these coding languages?

[Paul Clapham]

Yes, there are quite a few people (including some people who post here regularly) who know both of those languages. So if you're looking for coding help, this would be a good forum to post your questions in.

[Michael William]

Ok so I am i am trying to create an application that reads/writes and modifies an excel file via clientside.

I am using jquery tablesorter and jquery datatables. Not using them together however, I am just troubleshooting which will work best.

My first big hurdle with this is how I need to load the info from Excel and then write back to it as well.

I have heard of java web start/ javasheet and Yoplet found here code.google.com/p/yoplet/

please help me fix this issue !

[Bear Bibeault]

Nit: jQuery is a JavaScript library, not a language.

[Steve Luke]

Michael William wrote:please help me fix this issue !

It isn't clear what issue there is to fix. What problem are you having?

[Bear Bibeault]

As pointed out, jQuery is a JavaScript library and as such, doesn't have much at all to do with Java.

Before talking tools, have done any research at all on dealing with Excel files? It seems to me you may be picking tools prematurely. What have you discovered that leads you to think either of those jQuery plugins will be of assistance?

[Michael William]

I am currently using jquery tablesorter and jquery datatables (not together). however, I am unable to read an excel file and write back to it. I found an application called yoplet, its free. and its java. I am curious how I can get this to work.

[Bear Bibeault]

You haven't really answered the questeon: does either of these jQuery plugins profess to supporting Excel?

[Michael William]

yoplet is not designed for use with jquery so it needs to be modded in, thats what I dont know how to do, and need help with its not specifically for excel its for any file stored locally. I am hoping this works great since i cant use a web server

[Bear Bibeault]

Without a server, I assume that the applet can somehow be loaded from the local system?

This is really going to all about the applet until you can solve how to get the applet loaded locally, and get the Excel data into and out of the applet, so any discussion of jQuery or JavaScript is premature at this point.

I've moved this topic to the Applets forum, and with a suitable change of subject, to get that aspect concentrated on.

[Ulf Dittmer]

code.google.com/p/yoplet/

Looking at the description, I'm lost. Can you describe what the underlying problem is that you're trying to solve, and how this applet, and either of the jQuery plugins you mentioned figure into it?

If this is all on the client side, my first advice would be not to use web technologies. A Java desktop app would be easier to develop, and be more flexible, than an applet (no worrying about permissions).

If you need to manipulate Excel files, then Apache POI is the library of choice.

[Michael William]

thanks for the quick response, are you aware of any sample java desktop applications that allow an excel file to be opened and then saved locally?

Also, the bulk of the project I have built is made around using jquery tablesorter and I found yoplet and it appears to work well with jquery.

My goal is to build something that allwos multiple users to check rows off of a "datatable" or spreadsheet derived from excel and then save those results (rows checked and unchecked_ back to excel.

[Ulf Dittmer]

So this application should load Excel files from the local file system, present them to the user in a tabular format, allow the user to select entire rows, and then save the selected rows to a new Excel file?

If so, then a desktop app using a Swing JTable and Apache POI might work. Personally, I might just use Excel/OpenOffice/LibreOffice to select the rows in question and copy them to a new spreadsheet.

[Michael William]

I have it right now so it imports a CSV file that I got from resaving the excel file as CSV. It uploads into jquery tablesorter with checkboxes on the 1st column, when a user clicks that they dissappear, however if the first column header is clicked, it shows all checked rows. The problem is where it doesnt write back.

What is this Excel/openoffice/Libreoffice you speak of? I have heard of openoffice.org

I thought Swing Jtable required a web server

[Michael William]

As i eagerly await the response I provided prior, I would like some understanding as to if ...
http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorialJWS/uiswing/components/ex6/TableSortDemo.jnlp requires a web server Thanks!

[Ulf Dittmer]

Swing is the standard Java GUI toolkit; none of its components require a web server. If you want to serve the app via JavaWebStart (a.k.a. JNLP), then, yes, a web server would be required. But that's just a distribution mechanism. It has nothing to do with the app per se.

Excel, OpenOffice and LibreOffice are applications that allow you to manipulate spreadsheets by hand - which is, I take it, basically what this app should do.

[Michael William]

Ah ok perfect. I guess the only question that remains is what route to take with this. #1. use jquery tablesorter to read/write the excel files is this possible using the yoplet or using jtable within IE? or #2. Use this sample which i believe is jTable and make something from it http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorialJWS/uiswing/components/ex6/TableSortDemo.jnlp Or #3 is there an better option? I think Jtable may have the options I am looking for but I have put so much time into the look and layout in HTML per the jquery Tablesorter work. thank you

[Ulf Dittmer]

I'd go with #2, mostly because it sounds to me as if this is a desktop solution, so applying web technologies seems a stretch to me. And, of course, JavaScript (and thus jQuery) have no way of storing anything in a local file.

[Michael William]

So at this point I would like to start working with JTable but do they have an official website? More importantly, is there a simple example that I can modify? I found a few but they are all referencing external files. I am familiar with html and php so this shouldnt be too hard.

I found this link, but I am not sure how to create the files locally.

http://www.java2s.com/Tutorial/Java/0240__Swing/CreatingaJTable.htm

[Michael William]

Just as a further example, I went to http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/examples/components/

and downloaded the Simple Table Demo Project and also the viewed the SimpleTableDemo.java
but there is no launchable file within this zipped folder, no jlnp file, altho i see the link for it is here http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorialJWS/uiswing/components/ex6/SimpleTableDemo.jnlp

I want to create it locally

[Ulf Dittmer]

Any class with a main method -like SimpleTableDemo- can be launched from the command line via "java SimpleTableDemo". Note that you may need to account for package names. Have you created Java desktop apps before? If so, the process should be familiar.

[Michael William]

I have not created any java apps before but I am a quick learner. I know it can be launched in that manner but how can I sync up the jnlp file with the java file. It doesnt even appear they reference each other. Just looking to start somewhere

[Ulf Dittmer]

If there's no web server involved, then there's no point in having a JNLP file. That's for JavaWebStart apps.

[Michael William]

Ah. I guess I am slightly confused. Right now i have the zip file for the SimpleTable Demo but I want to see what I am doing. Thus I am looking for the JNLP file. I know you said to use the run command but that didnt work for me. if possible I would like to have a file that loads what I have done automatically, just like the JNLP file does. So if I wanted to show it to someone on the intranet level I could. Thanks!

[Michael William]

Do I need to download Netbeans IDE?

This is the code for simpletabledemo

/*
 * Copyright (c) 1995, 2008, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 *
 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
 * are met:
 *
 *   - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
 *     notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
 *
 *   - Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
 *     notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
 *     documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
 *
 *   - Neither the name of Oracle or the names of its
 *     contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived
 *     from this software without specific prior written permission.
 *
 * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS
 * IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
 * THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
 * PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR
 * CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL,
 * EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
 * PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR
 * PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF
 * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING
 * NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
 * SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 */ 

package components;

/*
 * SimpleTableDemo.java requires no other files.
 */

import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import javax.swing.JTable;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.GridLayout;
import java.awt.event.MouseAdapter;
import java.awt.event.MouseEvent;

public class SimpleTableDemo extends JPanel {
    private boolean DEBUG = false;

    public SimpleTableDemo() {
        super(new GridLayout(1,0));

        String[] columnNames = {"First Name",
                                "Last Name",
                                "Sport",
                                "# of Years",
                                "Vegetarian"};

        Object[][] data = {
	    {"Kathy", "Smith",
	     "Snowboarding", new Integer(5), new Boolean(false)},
	    {"John", "Doe",
	     "Rowing", new Integer(3), new Boolean(true)},
	    {"Sue", "Black",
	     "Knitting", new Integer(2), new Boolean(false)},
	    {"Jane", "White",
	     "Speed reading", new Integer(20), new Boolean(true)},
	    {"Joe", "Brown",
	     "Pool", new Integer(10), new Boolean(false)}
        };

        final JTable table = new JTable(data, columnNames);
        table.setPreferredScrollableViewportSize(new Dimension(500, 70));
        table.setFillsViewportHeight(true);

        if (DEBUG) {
            table.addMouseListener(new MouseAdapter() {
                public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e) {
                    printDebugData(table);
                }
            });
        }

        //Create the scroll pane and add the table to it.
        JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(table);

        //Add the scroll pane to this panel.
        add(scrollPane);
    }

    private void printDebugData(JTable table) {
        int numRows = table.getRowCount();
        int numCols = table.getColumnCount();
        javax.swing.table.TableModel model = table.getModel();

        System.out.println("Value of data: ");
        for (int i=0; i < numRows; i++) {
            System.out.print("    row " + i + ":");
            for (int j=0; j < numCols; j++) {
                System.out.print("  " + model.getValueAt(i, j));
            }
            System.out.println();
        }
        System.out.println("--------------------------");
    }

    /**
     * Create the GUI and show it.  For thread safety,
     * this method should be invoked from the
     * event-dispatching thread.
     */
    private static void createAndShowGUI() {
        //Create and set up the window.
        JFrame frame = new JFrame("SimpleTableDemo");
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

        //Create and set up the content pane.
        SimpleTableDemo newContentPane = new SimpleTableDemo();
        newContentPane.setOpaque(true); //content panes must be opaque
        frame.setContentPane(newContentPane);

        //Display the window.
        frame.pack();
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        //Schedule a job for the event-dispatching thread:
        //creating and showing this application's GUI.
        javax.swing.SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            public void run() {
                createAndShowGUI();
            }
        });
    }
}

Can this truly be run locally (clientside)

[Ulf Dittmer]

Yes, it can. What happened when you tried? An IDE is not needed.

Please forget all about JNLP files right now. You're just getting yourself more confused. I said nothing about a "run" command, I said to run it from the command line via the "java" command.

Oh, and you need to make up your mind whether you want to run it off a web server or not. Either it is a JavaWebStart app, or it isn't. I suggest you start out with it not being a JavaWebStart app, and add that later. It's not a big deal, but it's better to take the hurdles one at a time.

[Michael William]

understood.

I downloaded the Simple Table Demo Project and it only has a .java file in it along with other items, but I cant RUN it like i can a jnlp file. Sorry im still learning.

[Ulf Dittmer]

Java source files need to be compiled using the "javac" command, and then you can run them using the "java" command (provided they have a main method).

You can make it easier on yourself by removing the libe "package components;" from the source.

[Michael William]

I am still a bit confused so I think the best way for me to understand is to use a metaphor. If I want to edit HTML code I simply edit an html file in notepad. If I want to edit the java code found on this page http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/examples/components/, the simpletabledemo, how do I edit it? Pardon my stupidity or slowness to learn. Please help me get from point A to point B. Thanks!

[Ulf Dittmer]

Any text editor will do, Notepad included. Notepad++ has the benefit of syntax coloring.

[Ulf Dittmer]

I see you've also asked this question in this topic. Let's use that topic for questions about editing source code, and not mix subjects in this one any further.