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Components in JPanel only show after Resizing

The Buttons in my JPanel don't show up when it's loaded, only when I resize the window or move my mouse over it. In other discussions the use of "validate()" or "repaint()" was suggested, but that doesn't work for me.
I'm using a basic model view controller design and I am pretty sure that I'm doing everything else correctly.
Just in case you wonder, of course more panels will be added to the frame, that's the purpose of the update() and changeCards() methods.
Here's my frame:
public class View extends JFrame {
private MainMenuPanel mainMenu;
private final String MAIN_MENU_CONSTRAINTS = "MAIN_MENU";
public View() {
super();
init();
mainMenu = new MainMenuPanel();
add(mainMenu;MAIN_MENU_CONSTRAINTS);
validate();
repaint(0,0,getWidth(),getHeight());
setVisible(true);
}
private void init() {
setVisible(false);
setTitle("Test");
// set card-layout
setRootPaneCheckingEnabled(false);
CardLayout cl = new CardLayout();
this.setLayout(cl);
// expand frame to whole display size
setExtendedState(MAXIMIZED_BOTH);
// set unclosable
setDefaultCloseOperation(WindowConstants.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
}
public void update (Mode mode) {
switch (mode) {
case MAIN_MENU:
changeCard(MAIN_MENU_CONSTRAINTS);
break;
}
}
public void changeCard(String card) {
// update cards
CardLayout cl = (CardLayout) getLayout();
cl.show(this, card);
}
}
And here's the Panel:
public class MainMenuPanel extends Panel implements ActionListener{
private JButton startButton;
private JButton quitButton;
private final String START_ACTION_COMMAND = "START";
private final String QUIT_ACTION_COMMAND = "QUIT";
private MainMenuPanelListenerImpl listener;
public MainMenuPanel() {
super();
init();
initComponents();
configureComponents();
configureListeners();
addComponents();
revalidate();
}
private void init() {
setLayout(null);
}
private void initComponents() {
startButton = new JButton();
quitButton = new JButton();
}
private void configureComponents() {
startButton.setText("Start");
quitButton.setText("End");
startButton.setBounds((int)(0.5*getWidth()-200), (int)(0.5*getHeight()-75), 400, 75);
quitButton.setBounds((int)(0.5*getWidth()-200), (int)(0.5*getHeight()+25),400,75);
}
private void configureListeners() {
startButton.addActionListener(this);
startButton.setActionCommand(START_ACTION_COMMAND);
quitButton.addActionListener(this);
quitButton.setActionCommand(QUIT_ACTION_COMMAND);
}
private void addComponents() {
add(startButton);
add(quitButton);
startButton.validate();
quitButton.validate();
}
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
switch (e.getActionCommand()) {
case START_ACTION_COMMAND:
listener.start();
break;
case QUIT_ACTION_COMMAND:
System.exit(0);
break;
}
}
public void setListener(MainMenuPanelListenerImpl listener) {
this.listener = listener;
}
}

After you paint the elements, you put the setvisible(true) because if you put it before, the Jframe will paint no elements

Well first of all you mix the old AWT-Components like Panel with newer SWING-Components like JFrame. Those don´t really work well together so I would try to fix that first. I would highly recommend using SWING or if you want to learn the newest Java GUI Library then JavaFX.
Don´t use the method repaint in the constructor of your JFrame, actually you shouldn´t use repaint in SWING at all. Nor do you need validate in the constructor. If you want to position your JFrame somewhere you should use something like this this.setLocation(0,0)
And to the main question: The panel probably only shows it´s components after resizing because you add it to the JFrame the wrong way. In SWING there is something called a content pane where you should add all of your stuff onto (except JMenuBar but that is a different story).
Simply set the layout of the content pane to the card layout that you want to use and then add your panel onto the content pane.
Here a link regarding the panel levels: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/components/toplevel.html

How to cancel a mouseclicker event in Java

I have a mouseclicker event added to some JLabels and, after one of them will be clicked, I want to remove the link between that JLabel and the mouseclicker event.
To add the mouseclicker event to JLabel I use this code:
JLabel.addMouseListener(this);
There is a way to remove the JLabel from being clicked after the effect is solved? How can I do this?
I searched something but I'm not sure to how I can describe the problem and search about it, so i didn't found results.

This may seem trivial, but you could simply do:
myLabel.removeMouseListener(this);
Option two is to leave the MouseListener in place, but make it smarter -- i.e., give it logic that allows it to ignore input if need be. This could be a simple if block such as
#Override
public void mousePressed(MouseEvent me) {
if (someBoolean) {
return;
}
// here have your usual code
}
and then in your code, when you want to de-activate the MouseListener, simply change the listener's someBoolean field to false. This use of a boolean switch or flag is useful for when you need to turn the listener on and off repeatedly.
As a side note, you're usually better off not using this for your listeners as that is giving the main GUI class a bit too much responsibility. Instead use anonymous inner classes for simple few line code or named class for more involved listener code.
For example:
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.event.MouseAdapter;
import java.awt.event.MouseEvent;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.border.Border;
public class TurnListenerOnAndOff extends JPanel {
private JLabel myLabel = new JLabel("My Label");
private JCheckBox listenerEnabledCheckBox = new JCheckBox("Listener Enabled", true);
public TurnListenerOnAndOff() {
// make label bigger with a border
Border outsideBorder = BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.black);
Border insideBorder = BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(5, 5, 5, 5);
myLabel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createCompoundBorder(outsideBorder, insideBorder));
// create and add MyMouseListener to my label
myLabel.addMouseListener(new MyMouseListener());
// add components to the GUI's main JPanel
add(myLabel);
add(listenerEnabledCheckBox);
}
private class MyMouseListener extends MouseAdapter {
#Override
public void mousePressed(MouseEvent e) {
// if the JCheckBox isn't checked...
if (!listenerEnabledCheckBox.isSelected()) {
return; // let's get out of here
}
// otherwise if the check box is checked, do following code
System.out.println("myLabel pressed!");
}
}
private static void createAndShowGui() {
TurnListenerOnAndOff mainPanel = new TurnListenerOnAndOff();
JFrame frame = new JFrame("On and Off");
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
frame.getContentPane().add(mainPanel);
frame.pack();
frame.setLocationByPlatform(true);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
createAndShowGui();
}
});
}
}

Restore minimized JFrame that has been locally created

My class Output.java extends JPanel. From another class, the user can click on an icon and then it locally creates a JFrame with the Output.java. We found that sometimes the user minimizes that window and then will want it back. He will then reclick on the icon and the JFrame is recreated. By doing it a few times, the Output.java class is displayed several times.
I've found that it is possible to disable multiple JFrame creation by adding this:
if (!output.isShowing())
openPage(output);
But it doesn't restore the JFrame. Is there a way to restore a minimized JFrame in this situation?
icon.addMouseListener(new MouseAdapter() {
public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e) {
openPage(outputsSlavePane);
}
});
private void openPage(final Output panel) {
JFrame frame = new JFrame("Output");
frame.add(panel);
frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
frame.setVisible(true);
frame.addWindowListener(new WindowAdapter() {
#Override
public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e) {
panel.setLostFocus();
}
});
}
Thanks.

Don't keep creating new JFrames.
Instead create a field that references the JFrame, and restore the field, not a new JFrame.
Create a field to reference the JDialog. If the field is null, then locally create it and assign it to the field (this is called "lazy" creation). If the field isn't null, don't re-create it, just display it.
Having said this, most all Swing GUI applications should have only one JFrame, only one main application window. If sub-windows are needed, they should be JDialogs, not JFrames. Please check out The Use of Multiple JFrames, Good/Bad Practice?
An example of "lazy" creation:
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.Font;
import java.awt.Window;
import java.awt.Dialog.ModalityType;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import javax.swing.*;
#SuppressWarnings("serial")
public class LazyCreation extends JPanel {
private static final int PREF_W = 400;
private static final int PREF_H = PREF_W;
private Output output = new Output();
private JDialog outputDialog = null;
public LazyCreation() {
add(new JButton(new DisplayOutputAction("Display Output")));
}
#Override
public Dimension getPreferredSize() {
if (isPreferredSizeSet()) {
return super.getPreferredSize();
}
return new Dimension(PREF_W, PREF_H);
}
private class DisplayOutputAction extends AbstractAction {
public DisplayOutputAction(String name) {
super(name);
int mnemonic = (int) name.charAt(0);
putValue(MNEMONIC_KEY, mnemonic);
}
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
// lazily create dialog here
if (outputDialog == null) {
Window currentWin = SwingUtilities.getWindowAncestor(LazyCreation.this);
outputDialog = new JDialog(currentWin, "Output Dialog", ModalityType.MODELESS);
outputDialog.add(output);
outputDialog.pack();
outputDialog.setLocationRelativeTo(currentWin);
}
outputDialog.setVisible(true);
}
}
private static void createAndShowGui() {
LazyCreation mainPanel = new LazyCreation();
JFrame frame = new JFrame("LazyCreation");
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
frame.getContentPane().add(mainPanel);
frame.pack();
frame.setLocationByPlatform(true);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
createAndShowGui();
}
});
}
}
class Output extends JPanel {
private JLabel label = new JLabel("Output", SwingConstants.CENTER);
public Output() {
label.setFont(label.getFont().deriveFont(Font.BOLD, 36));
add(label);
}
}

You can restore a minimized frame by calling
frame.setState(JFrame.NORMAL);
The current state of the frame can be retrieved by
frame.getState() // NORMAL or ICONIFIED

Passing values between classes

I have a JPanel form which contains a JList and some JButton.
The JPanel looks like this
When I click the Add List button, a separate JFrame form is displayed.
The JFrame form will look like this
When the add button on the JFrame is clicked, I need to add the value of the JTextfield (named List Name) to the JList on the previous JPanel. I wonder how to pass the value from the JFrame to the JPanel? Any suggestion would be appreciated.
Here is a code of the JPanel form (using Designer GUI)
package multimediaproject;
public class musicPlayerPanel extends javax.swing.JPanel {
public musicPlayerPanel() {
initComponents();
}
private void initComponents() {
//...here is the generated code by using designer GUI
}
// Variables declaration - do not modify
//..generated code
// End of variables declaration
}
Here is the code of JFrame form (using Designer GUI)
package multimediaproject;
public class addListFrame extends javax.swing.JFrame {
public addListFrame() {
initComponents();
this.setLocation(515, 0);
setVisible(true);
}
private void initComponents() {
//..here is the generated code by using Designer GUI
}
private void addBtnActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt){
//some validation
if(...)
{
//validation
}
else
{
//IF VALUE IS CORRECT, ADD the List Name JTextfield value to the JList on the previous JPanel
errorMessage.setText("");
}
}
public static void main(String args[]) {
/* Create and display the form */
java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
new addListFrame().setVisible(true);
}
});
}
// Variables declaration - do not modify
//....generated code
// End of variables declaration
}

UPDATE with your code.
You can take advantage of PropertyChangeListener and PropertyChangeSupport (This classes implements Observer Pattern).
I give you an example you for guidance:
public class MusicPlayerPanel extends JPanel {
private JList list;
private JButton addButton;
private PropertyChangeListener listener = new MyPropertyChangeListener();
//..in some place
addButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
JFrame form = new FrameForm();
form.addPropertyChangeListener(FrameForm.BUTTON_CLICKED,listener);
form.setVisible(true);
}
});
//in another place
private class MyPropertyChangeListener implements PropertyChangeListener{
#Override
public void propertyChange(PropertyChangeEvent evt){
if(evt == null)
return;
if(evt.getPropertyName().equals(FrameForm.BUTTON_CLICKED)){
String value = (String) evt.getNewValue();
((DefaultListModel)list.getModel()).addElement(value);
}
}
}
}
And the frame form like this:
public class AddListFrame extends JFrame{
private JTextField textfield;
private JButton submitButton;
public static final String BUTTON_CLICKED ="buttonClicked";
// in some place
submitButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent evt){
firePropertyChange(BUTTON_CLICKED,null,textfield.getText());
}
});
}
Note: In java by convention, classes start with uppercase and follow a camel style. This is very important for readability.

OK.This is easy if i understand your problem.
Step 1:Create setter and getter for your JList object reference.
Step 2:On button click , when you open new JFrame pass your panel reference in constructor of class which inherits JFrame.
Step 3:By doing this you are able to call getter method on panel reference.
Step 4:Now you have reference of JList,do what you want.
I hope this is best solution of your problem

"when I click the add button, a separate jFrame form is displayed. The jFrame contain a jTextfield and a submit button."
Did you seriously create an entirely new JFrame for a JTextField and a JButton?!
Have you not heard of JOptionPane? That's exactly what you are trying to replicate. The only code you need is this:
String s = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(component, message);
model.addElement(s);
The first line will cover all your code for your custom JFrame.
Take a look at this example
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javax.swing.*;
public class JOPDemo extends JPanel {
JList list;
JButton button = new JButton("Add Name");
String name;
DefaultListModel model;
public JOPDemo() {
model = new DefaultListModel();
list = new JList(model);
setLayout(new BorderLayout());
add(list, BorderLayout.CENTER);
add(button, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
button.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
name = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(this, "Enter a name");
model.addElement(name);
}
});
}
public Dimension getPreferredSize() {
return new Dimension(300, 300);
}
private static void createAndShowGui() {
JFrame frame = new JFrame();
frame.add(new JOPDemo());
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.pack();
frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
createAndShowGui();
}
});
}
}
Edit
What you can do is have an inner class which is your JFrame. Personally, I'd go with a JDialog though.
From comment: Have your frame as an inner class of your main class. That way it can access all the variables from your main class. You can have a String listName also in the GUI class. From the other frame when you hit add, it sets the listName in GUI class, then adds to the list.
public class GUI {
String listName;
JList list;
InnerFrame inner = new InnerFrame();
private class InnerFrame extends JFrame {
JButton addButton;
}
}

One JFrame opening another

I have a JFrame and JPanel full of Jsomethings with an actionlistener. When the user clicks an object I want to open another JFrame. Here is what I did:
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
Object source = e.getSource();
if (source == rejectionbutton){
RejectApp ra = new RejectApp();
ra.main(null);
}
}
(RejectApp calls a new JFrame.) So another JFrame opens on the screen with more options. It works OK (so far), but I want to know is this standard? I mean calling the main method like this?
Another question is, without using a cardlayout (which I don't want to use), is the best way to handle multiple panels, by doing this sort of thing?

I would change a few things. First off, usually an application has one JFrame and then if it needs to show another window does so as a modal or non-modal dialog such as can be obtained with a JDialog or JOptionPane. Having said that, it's even more common to have one JFrame and swap "views" in the JFrame -- swap contentPanes or other large panels via a CardLayout as this would mimic the behavior of many gui programs we all currently use.
Personally, I also try to gear my GUI creation towards creating a JPanel or JComponent rather than towards creating a top-level window. This way if I want to display the GUI as a stand alone app, a dialog, or an applet I can pop it into the contentPane of a JFrame or JDialog or JApplet respectively, or if as an inner panel of a more complex GUI, then insert it there, or in an application with a swapping view, then as a card in a CardLayout as noted above. The bottom line is I feel that this structure gives you the developer a lot more options in how you can use this GUI.
Also, I would avoid calling another class's main as you're doing (assuming this is the public static void main method) as you lose all benefits of OOPs. You also seem to be trying to call a static method in a non-static way (assuming I understand your program structure correctly).
For your second question, it begs a question of my own: why do you not want to use CardLayout?
edit: an example of what I meant is as follows:
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.Window;
import java.awt.Dialog.ModalityType;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javax.swing.*;
public class SwingEg {
private static void createAndShowUI() {
JFrame frame = new JFrame("Main JFrame");
frame.getContentPane().add(new MainGUI().getMainPanel());
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.pack();
frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
createAndShowUI();
}
});
}
}
class MainGUI {
private static final Dimension MAIN_PANEL_SIZE = new Dimension(450, 300);
private JPanel mainPanel = new JPanel();
private JDialog modalDialog;
private JDialog nonModalDialog;
public MainGUI() {
JButton openModalDialogBtn = new JButton("Open Modal Dialog Window");
openModalDialogBtn.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
openModalDialogBtnActionPerformed(e);
}
});
JButton openNonModalDialogBtn = new JButton("Open Non-Modal Dialog Window");
openNonModalDialogBtn.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
openNonModalDialogBtnActionPerformed(e);
}
});
mainPanel.setPreferredSize(MAIN_PANEL_SIZE);
mainPanel.add(openModalDialogBtn);
mainPanel.add(openNonModalDialogBtn);
}
private void openModalDialogBtnActionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
if (modalDialog == null) {
Window topWindow = SwingUtilities.getWindowAncestor(mainPanel);
modalDialog = new JDialog(topWindow, "Modal Dialog", ModalityType.APPLICATION_MODAL);
modalDialog.getContentPane().add(new DialogPanel().getMainPanel());
modalDialog.pack();
modalDialog.setLocationRelativeTo(topWindow);
modalDialog.setVisible(true);
} else {
modalDialog.setVisible(true);
}
}
private void openNonModalDialogBtnActionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
if (nonModalDialog == null) {
Window topWindow = SwingUtilities.getWindowAncestor(mainPanel);
nonModalDialog = new JDialog(topWindow, "Non-Modal Dialog", ModalityType.MODELESS);
nonModalDialog.getContentPane().add(new DialogPanel().getMainPanel());
nonModalDialog.pack();
nonModalDialog.setLocationRelativeTo(topWindow);
nonModalDialog.setVisible(true);
} else {
nonModalDialog.setVisible(true);
}
}
public JPanel getMainPanel() {
return mainPanel;
}
}
class DialogPanel {
private static final Dimension DIALOG_SIZE = new Dimension(300, 200);
private JPanel dialogPanel = new JPanel();
public DialogPanel() {
dialogPanel.add(new JLabel("Hello from a dialog", SwingConstants.CENTER));
dialogPanel.setPreferredSize(DIALOG_SIZE);
}
public JPanel getMainPanel() {
return dialogPanel;
}
}

I would rather make a new instance of JFrame or a subclass, or call a new method who makes a new JFrame:
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
Object source = e.getSource();
if (source == rejectionbutton){
JFrame frame = new JFrame("New Frame");
//or
makeNewFrame();
}
}
Another simple Layout-Manager is the BorderLayout, it´s the default Layout-Manager of the JFrame class.

new YourJFrameNameHere().setVisible(true);
Replace YourJFrameNameHere with the JFrame name.
Simple, no?