constructors

[Randall Twede]

my main class implements ActionListener. in the constructor i have the following code:

        fontType.addActionListener(this);
		fontType.setSelectedItem("Times New Roman");

fontType is a JComboBox. in actionPerformed() i have this code:

            name = (String)fontType.getSelectedItem();   
            Action action = new StyledEditorKit.FontFamilyAction(null, name);  
            action.actionPerformed(null);

when the frame is displayed "Times New Roman" is the selected item, but the font type is not"Times New Roman"
if i open the combo box and click "Times New Roman", then the font changes to "Times New Roman"
it is my understanding that setSelectedItem() fires an action event.
is that correct?
is the problem that i am calling it from the constructor?
any ideas on how to solve this?

[Rob Camick]

it is my understanding that setSelectedItem() fires an action event.

Add a System.out.println(...) statement to your ActionListener to see if it gets executed.

That is why you create a SSCCE. To test your assumptions. If it works the way you expect then great. If not then you have code do post on the forum

What part about posting a SSCCE do you not understand???

[Randall Twede]

well, this seems pretty strange to me. actionPerformed() IS getting called from the constructor but it doesn't change the font. it gets called again when i click on "Times New Roman" and then it changes the font.

[Rob Camick]

well, this seems pretty strange to me. actionPerformed() IS getting called from the constructor but it doesn't change the font

Makes sense to me.

So where is your SSCCE? We can't tell what you are doing based on 5 lines of code, since the problem isn't with the code you posted, but the code you didn't post.

[Andrea Binello]

Randall Twede wrote:when the frame is displayed "Times New Roman" is the selected item, but the font type is not"Times New Roman"
if i open the combo box and click "Times New Roman", then the font changes to "Times New Roman"
it is my understanding that setSelectedItem() fires an action event.
is that correct?
is the problem that i am calling it from the constructor?
any ideas on how to solve this?

The following is a small example, developed by me few minutes ago, for a minimal but effective "styled" editor where the user can change font name/size. Try to select something and change font name/size or, without selection, change name/size and type new characters.
Note: required at least Java 5.

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.text.*;

class MiniStyledEditorFrame extends JFrame {
    private JTextPane textPane;
    private JScrollPane scrollPane;
    private JComboBox fontNamesComboBox;
    private JComboBox fontSizesComboBox;

    public MiniStyledEditorFrame() {
        super("Mini Styled Editor");
        setDefaultCloseOperation(WindowConstants.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        setSize(400, 400);

        String[] fontNames = { null, "SansSerif", "Serif", "Monospaced" };
        Integer[] fontSizes = { null, 10, 12, 14, 18, 24, 32, 40 };

        textPane = new JTextPane();
        scrollPane = new JScrollPane(textPane);
        fontNamesComboBox = new JComboBox(fontNames);
        fontSizesComboBox = new JComboBox(fontSizes);

        JPanel controlPanel = new JPanel();
        controlPanel.add(fontNamesComboBox);
        controlPanel.add(fontSizesComboBox);

        getContentPane().add(controlPanel, BorderLayout.NORTH);
        getContentPane().add(scrollPane, BorderLayout.CENTER);

        fontNamesComboBox.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                String fontName = (String) fontNamesComboBox.getSelectedItem();
                if (fontName != null) {
                    SimpleAttributeSet attrSet = new SimpleAttributeSet();
                    StyleConstants.setFontFamily(attrSet, fontName);

                    // this changes the selected or "current" new style.
                    textPane.setCharacterAttributes(attrSet, false);
                    textPane.requestFocusInWindow();
                    fontNamesComboBox.setSelectedIndex(0);  // clear the combo
                }
            }
        });

        fontSizesComboBox.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                Integer fontSize = (Integer) fontSizesComboBox.getSelectedItem();
                if (fontSize != null) {
                    SimpleAttributeSet attrSet = new SimpleAttributeSet();
                    StyleConstants.setFontSize(attrSet, fontSize);

                    // this changes the selected or "current" new style.
                    textPane.setCharacterAttributes(attrSet, false);
                    textPane.requestFocusInWindow();
                    fontSizesComboBox.setSelectedIndex(0);  // clear the combo
                }
            }
        });

        setVisible(true);
        textPane.requestFocusInWindow();
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            public void run() {
                new MiniStyledEditorFrame();
            }
        });
    }
}

P.S. The user interface is not "cool", I have used the quickest way to create the layout. The point is not the appearance but the setCharacterAttributes method of JTextPane!

P.S. 2: moving the caret, the combos do not reflect the style. This is wanted for the example. It's possible to do this with more code.

[Randall Twede]

here is a SSCCE.
as i expected, it behaves the same way as the real program.

import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.text.*;
import java.awt.*; 
import java.awt.event.*; 

public class Example implements ActionListener  
{  
    private JFrame frame = new JFrame();
    private StyleContext context = new StyleContext();	//i might not need this  
    private StyledDocument doc = new DefaultStyledDocument(context);  
    private JTextPane pane = new JTextPane(doc);
	private JComboBox<String> fontSize;
	private String size;
	
	public Example()
	{
        String points[] = {"8", "9", "10", "11", "12", "14", "16", "18", "20", "22", "24", "26", "28", "36", "48", "72"};  
        fontSize = new JComboBox<String>(points);
        fontSize.addActionListener(this);
		fontSize.setSelectedItem("72");		
        frame.setSize(800, 600);  
        frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);    
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);    
        frame.setTitle("Example");    
        Container c = frame.getContentPane();
		c.add(fontSize, "North");
		c.add(pane, "Center");
        frame.setVisible(true);    
	}
	public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
	{
            size = (String)fontSize.getSelectedItem();    
            Action action = new StyledEditorKit.FontSizeAction(null,Integer.parseInt(size));  
            action.actionPerformed(null); 
	}
	
    public static void main(String args[])  
    {    
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable()  
        {    
            public void run()  
            {    
                new Example();    
            }    
        });  
    } 
}

[Maneesh Godbole]

From the API docs for StyledEditorKit.FontSizeAction (emphasis mine)

An action to set the font size in the associated JEditorPane.

[Rob Camick]

as i expected, it behaves the same way as the real program.

That is the point of a SSCCE. Either it will work, in which case you need to compare the working example with the real program to see what is different and then fix the difference.

Or, it still doesn't work and you have code to post that we can look at without caring about your 300 line program.

The problem with your code is that the Actions from the EditorKits work on the last text component to have focus. At the time your code is invoked no component has focus because the frame is not yet visible.

So to solve your problem you need to do three things in the following order:

1. make the frame visible
2. set focus on the text pane
3. select an item from the combo box

The basic code would be:

frame.setVisible(true);

pane.requestFocusInWindow();

SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable()
{
	public void run()
	{
		fontSize.setSelectedItem("72");
	}
});

The usage of the invokeLater is a trick used to make sure the code is executed at the end of the Event Dispatch Thread. In this case it is needed to allow the text pane to receive focus so that font size Action will work.

Because you did not include a proper SSCCE with your original question Andrea wasted time creating their own SSCCE which did not address your concern, because your description of the problem was not as good as you think it was. I do not appreciate you wasting the time of anybody who reads your questions because you are too lazy to take 5-10 minutes to post a proper SSCCE with your questions.

Your future questions should include a SSCCE with the initial question. You should NOT wait for someone to ask for one.

[Randall Twede]

ok, it is just like with the setLocationRelativeTo(null)
it depends on when you call it.

[Randall Twede]

i marked this resolved too quickly. when i tried it, it still doesn't work

import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.text.*;
import java.awt.*; 
import java.awt.event.*; 

public class Example implements ActionListener  
{  
    private JFrame frame = new JFrame();
    private StyleContext context = new StyleContext();	//i might not need this  
    private StyledDocument doc = new DefaultStyledDocument(context);  
    private JTextPane pane = new JTextPane(doc);
	private JComboBox<String> fontSize;
	private String size;
	
	public Example()
	{
        String points[] = {"8", "9", "10", "11", "12", "14", "16", "18", "20", "22", "24", "26", "28", "36", "48", "72"};  
        fontSize = new JComboBox<String>(points);
        fontSize.addActionListener(this);		
        frame.setSize(800, 600);  
        frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);    
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);    
        frame.setTitle("Example");    
        Container c = frame.getContentPane();
		c.add(fontSize, "North");
		c.add(pane, "Center");
        frame.setVisible(true);
		pane.requestFocusInWindow();
		fontSize.setSelectedItem("72");		
	}
	public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
	{
            size = (String)fontSize.getSelectedItem();    
            Action action = new StyledEditorKit.FontSizeAction(null,Integer.parseInt(size));  
            action.actionPerformed(null); 
	}
	
    public static void main(String args[])  
    {    
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable()  
        {    
            public void run()  
            {    
                new Example();    
            }    
        });  
    } 
}

[Randall Twede]

i didn't read all of your reply. after you said 1,2,3 i tried it. i only have internet at places with free wifi. i am here right now without buying anything. i will mark this resolved again.

[Maneesh Godbole]

You seemed to have missed out my earlier post with the hint of associating the FontSizeAction with the JEditorPane
Try this code to understand what I meant

	public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
		size = (String) fontSize.getSelectedItem();
		StyledEditorKit editorKit = (StyledEditorKit) pane.getEditorKit();
		for (Action editorAction : editorKit.getActions()) {
			if (editorAction instanceof StyledEditorKit.FontSizeAction) {
				editorAction = new StyledEditorKit.FontSizeAction(null, Integer.parseInt(size));
				editorAction.actionPerformed(null);	
			}
		}
		
	}

[Rob Camick]

You seemed to have missed out my earlier post with the hint of associating the FontSizeAction with the JEditorPane

That code still doesn't help. The problem is that the OP wants the text to be font size 72 as soon as the frame is made visible, without the user making any selection from the combo box.

All the Swing editor Actions extend from TextAction. The Action will only work on the last text component that had focus. This way you can do cut/copy/paste on any text component by simply creating menu items with the provided Action in the EditorKit.

Unless you use code like what I supplied, no text component has had focus when the combo box actionPerformed is invoked at GUI initialization, so the font size Action is simply ignored.

[Maneesh Godbole]

Rob Camick wrote:That code still doesn't help. The problem is that the OP wants the text to be font size 72 as soon as the frame is made visible, without the user making any selection from the combo box.

My bad. I seem to have missed out on that requirement. One consolation (for me) is that the code I posted does change the font size, but for all the text in the JTextPane, which I understand now, is not exactly what the OP wanted. Sorry about the confusion.

[Randall Twede]

don't worry Maneesh, you have 6 cows
that means people find your answers helpful

btw, it all works perfectly now