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Java - Linking a JTextField variable with another class variable

What I want to achieve is very simple.
I have 2 classes. "SpeedingTicket" & "SpeedingTicket GUI".
Inside my GUI I have 1 textbox name txtSpeedLimit & a button.
Inside my SpeedingTicket class I have a variable "int speedingTicket".
Inside my SpeedingTicket class I also have a get & set method for "speedingTicket".
I know how to get and set text using JTextFields, but I want to be able to:
receive input from the "txtSpeedLimit", and store that value into the "txtSpeedLimit" instance variable in the "SpeedTicket" class. I can then check for validation etc when I come to adding the vehicle speed.
Maybe this isn't the most efficient way of dealing with this program. Maybe I should scrap the instance variables in SpeedingTicket, and deal with it all in the GUI.
Any advice would be hugely appreciated.
Basically what I'm trying to do is this:
class confirmHandler implements ActionListener{
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
String val = txtSpeedLimit.getText();
int realNum = speed.getSpeedLimit() = txtSpeedLimit; < but obviously that doesn't work, but I want the textbox link to the variable.
EDIT: If we take away the GUI, all I want my program to do is the following:
Speed Limit: 50 < enterd via textfield
Speed: 60 < entered via textfield
if the speed is blah blah (ive already coded this).. then output a result to one of my labels.
I achieved this without making a GUI and making it only console based, but instead of the user typing it via the console, I want it to be typed via textfields.
THe values that are entered into the textfields should be stored in the two variables (speed and speedlimit) that are in the SpeedingTicket class.

You can update a value in:
public class SpeedingTicket {
int speedingTicket;
public SpeedingTicket() {
speedingTicket = 500;
}
public int getSpeedingTicket() {
return speedingTicket;
}
}
by:
public class SpeedingTicketGUI extends JPanel{
SpeedingTicket st;
SpeedingTicketGUI() {
st = new SpeedingTicket();
setLayout(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEFT));
JTextField txtField = new JTextField(10);
txtField.setText(""+st.getSpeedingTicket());
add(txtField);
JButton btn = new JButton("Update");
btn.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
setSpeedingTicket(txtField.getText());
}
});
add(btn);
}
private void setSpeedingTicket(String text) {
try {
int speedTicket = Integer.parseInt(text);
st.setSpeedingTicket(speedTicket);
System.out.println("Speeding ticket set to " +st.getSpeedingTicket());
} catch (NumberFormatException ex) {
System.out.println("Invalid value " +text);
ex.printStackTrace();
}
}
public static void main(String[] args){
JFrame frame = new JFrame("Speeding Ticket");
frame.setSize(400,100);
frame.add(new SpeedingTicketGUI());
frame.setVisible(true);
}
}

You don't need to store values in JText or any GUI componenets...
Use global static variables. For example:
public static int speed_limit;
You can access this variable from ANY method,class, etc.

There are multiple ways to do it.
You can detect textfield changes by using a DocumentListener or if you want (not recommended) by a KeyListener.
The Listener could be implemented directly by your gui class or by your other class. If you want more abstraction you could implement the DocumentListener by your gui class and create a method
public void addSpeedChangeListener(SpeedChangeListener scl) {
this.speedChangeListeners.add(scl);
}
Your SpeedChangeListener could be very simple:
public interface SpeedChangeListener {
public void speedChanged(int value);
}
Then your second class implements the SpeedChangeListener and calls addSpeedChangeListener(this) on your gui class. Inside the gui class, your document listener calls speedChanged(val) for every listener registered.
EDIT
You can also use the Button and call the speedChanged on every listener inside the actionPerformed method of the ActionListener.

I think it would be easier to use a JOptionDialog which pop ups when the button is clicked. That way you can easily get input and also validate the input straight away.

Methods from external class accessible but GUI Components not

I have a weird Problem with my Java GUI.
I can access the Methods in the Main Class from another Class but i cannot access the Swing Components.
Let me show you how i built the whole thing
Main Class:
public class GUI extends JFrame {
static Code c = new Code();
static Draw panel = new Draw();
JTextArea codelog;
JLabel lblFile;
...
...
public static void main(String[] args) {
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
GUI frame = new GUI();
frame.create();
}
});
}
public void create() {
setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
setSize(1280,720);
...
...
contentPane = new JPanel();
setContentPane(contentPane);
contentPane.setBackground(Color.DARK_GRAY);
GridBagLayout gbl_contentPane = new GridBagLayout();
setResizable(false);
...
...
panel.setBackground(Color.BLACK);
gbc_panel.fill = GridBagConstraints.BOTH;
gbc_panel.gridx = 1;
gbc_panel.gridy = 1;
contentPane.add(panel, gbc_panel);
codelog = new JTextArea();
codelog.setEditable(true);
JScrollPane scrollPane_1 = new JScrollPane(codelog);
codelog.setLineWrap(true);
scrollPane_1.setVerticalScrollBarPolicy(
JScrollPane.VERTICAL_SCROLLBAR_ALWAYS);
codelog.setVisible(true);
scrollPane_1.setVisible(true);
GridBagConstraints gbc_scrollPane_1 = new GridBagConstraints();
gbc_scrollPane_1.gridheight = 2;
gbc_scrollPane_1.gridwidth = 4;
gbc_scrollPane_1.fill = GridBagConstraints.BOTH;
gbc_scrollPane_1.gridx = 8;
gbc_scrollPane_1.gridy = 1;
contentPane.add(scrollPane_1, gbc_scrollPane_1);
...
...
}
public void refresh(){
panel.repaint();
}
}
I am using static Code c and static Draw panel to avoid multiple instances as i also have to create Objects of the Main class in other classes.
The other Class named Code
public class Code {
...
...
static GUI g = new GUI();
String test;
...
...
public void hpgl(){
g.codelog.append(test); // gives me nullPointerException !!
g.refresh // works
...
...
}
}
The Problem is that i can access the Methods of the Main Class (GUI) from other classes (such as Code) but i cannot access the Components (such as JTextArea).
The refresh() Method in the Main Class proves it. I can access the Method and in the Main Class the repaint() works. But if i try to repaint from another class using GUI.panel.repaint() it won't work because i would in that case access the panel directly from Code Class.
The Same goes for the JTextArea. I am trying to append codelog from Code but it won't let me do it. If i create a Method in Main Class which appends the Textarea and then call the Method from Code Class it works. But using g.codelog.append(test) gives me a Java null pointer exception
So i can access the Methods but i cannot access the Swing Components.
Can you guys please help me. I don't want to have to write an extra Method in the Main Class for every single Swing Component i want to modify.
Thank You

The UI which is visible on the screen is not the same UI you have created in your Code class. If you want Code to be able to access the UI properties, you will need to pass a reference of the GUI to it.
Having said that, I would be apposed to exposing the UI components directly to any class an instead provide getters and setters (where applicable) to provide access to the information been managed. This prevents rouge classes from making changes to the UI which it should be allowed to do (like remove components)
Depending on what you are doing, an Observer Pattern might be a better choice, where by Code is notified by GUI when something it might be interested in changes. If done through the use of interfaces, this will reduce the coupling between your classes and make it more flexible
Beware static is not a mechanism for providing cross object communication and should be avoid if at all possible, especially in something as dynamic as a GUI.

I was able to solve the Problem following MadProgrammer's Suggestion.
This is what i changed.
I have 3 Classes:
Main Class
Draw
Code
Main Class
public class GUI extends JFrame {
Draw panel = new Draw(this);
Code c = new Code(this);
...
...
}
Code Class
public class Code {
private GUI g;
private Draw b;
public Code(GUI g){
this.g = g;
}
...
...
}
Draw Class
public class Draw extends JPanel{
private GUI x;
private Code c;
public Draw(GUI x){
this.x = x;
}
...
...
}
I removed all the Static declarations. It is now working. I can access the Swing Components in the Main Class now.
Is this the Professional way to do it? or is there still room for improvement. This is the first time i used the passing reference way to do it. Until now i always used static Objects.
Thank You

Singleton Action versus Multi instance Action

I have a dude about how to implement Actions in Swing.
My idea is create a Class for each action of my application extending AbstractAction so I can use in many components that must have the same behavior. So I finaly have something as:
public class ActionExample extends AbstractAction {
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0) {
System.out.println("Do something");
}
}
Well, now when I want to use it I have three options in my mind:
public void makeUI1() {
JButton btn = new JButton(new ActionExample("Do it"));
JMenuItem mi = new JMenuItem(new ActionExample("Do it"));
}
public void makeUI2() {
Action a = new ActionExample("Do it");
JButton btn = new JButton(a);
JMenuItem mi = new JMenuItem(a);
}
Or use it as a singleton (also changing ActionExample):
public void makeUI2() {
JButton btn = new JButton(ActionExample.getInstance());
JMenuItem mi = new JMenuItem(ActionExample.getInstance());
}
public class ActionExample extends AbstractAction {
private static final ActionExample INSTANCE = new ActionExample("Do it");
public static Action getInstance() {
return INSTANCE;
}
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0) {
System.out.println("Do something");
}
}
My first opinion was make it through singleton instance but I see in oracle tutorial that it make a new instance before setting it into components and in the I also see that many code create new instance for each component so I don't know what it's better and why.
Is preferred one method to be used over the other?

The multi instance action allows you to save data in the moment of the action for further use.
Imagine you want to add undo/redo functionality. You need to save what actions have been done for every action.
Singleton does not provide any advantage in this case.

I think the best thing to do would be to use the MVC pattern. Your AbstractAction class is a controller. It's responsible for extracting the information necessary for the model (ie: business logic) to use. The model/business logic is the part you reuse, but the controller may differ greatly even if it uses the same business logic.
For example, you may have a JComponent that you need to add a KeyListener to. Suddenly, your pre-made AbstractAction has become worthless because it can't be used in this situation. But, as long as you reuse all the business logic code in your KeyListener that you used in your AbstractAction, you're doing things right.

Multiple Jpanel with buttons in one Jframe on MVC, how do I get the actionlistener in my controler ?

this is a homework btw,
I am asked to make a jframe containing multiple jpanels which have buttons and action listeners attached to them. I have to use the MVC model to do it but, since my buttons/actions are in jpanels instead of the jframe, i do not know how to recover them. I wont put down all of my code but, just what is needed to see what I try to do. I want to get the button "ajouter" from panel 3 first to do whatever action:
So this is pannel 3
import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import ca.uqam.inf2120.tp2.modele.GestionAbsenceEmployes;
public class RechercherAbsenceP3 extends JPanel {
private GestionAbsenceEmployes aControleur;
private JButton ajouter, modifier, supprimer, afficher, fermer;
FlowLayout gestionnaireComposant;
RechercherAbsenceP3() {
try {
jbInitP3();
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
ajouter.addActionListener(aControleur);
modifier.addActionListener(aControleur);
supprimer.addActionListener(aControleur);
afficher.addActionListener(aControleur);
fermer.addActionListener(aControleur);
}
private void jbInitP3() throws Exception {
gestionnaireComposant = new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.RIGHT);
this.setLayout(gestionnaireComposant);
ajouter = new JButton("Ajouter");
modifier = new JButton("Modifier");
modifier.setEnabled(false);
supprimer = new JButton("Supprimer");
supprimer.setEnabled(false);
afficher = new JButton("Afficher");
afficher.setEnabled(false);
fermer = new JButton("Fermer");
this.add(ajouter);
this.add(modifier);
this.add(supprimer);
this.add(afficher);
this.add(fermer);
}
public JButton getAjouter() {
return ajouter;
}
}
This is the window
package ca.uqam.inf2120.tp2.interfacegraphique;
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import ca.uqam.inf2120.tp2.interfacegraphique.RechercherAbsenceP3;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import ca.uqam.inf2120.tp2.modele.GestionAbsenceEmployes;
public class CreerRechercherAbsence extends JFrame {
private GestionAbsenceEmployes aControleur;
private JPanel absenceP1, absenceP2, absenceP3;
private BorderLayout gestionnaireComposant;
public CreerRechercherAbsence() {
super("Gestionnaire des employés absents");
try {
jbInit();
} catch (Exception ex) {
ex.printStackTrace();
}
aControleur = new GestionAbsenceEmployes(this);
}
void jbInit() throws Exception {
gestionnaireComposant = new BorderLayout(5, 5);
this.getContentPane().setLayout(gestionnaireComposant);
absenceP1 = new RechercherAbsenceP1();
absenceP2 = new RechercherAbsenceP2();
absenceP3 = new RechercherAbsenceP3();
this.getContentPane().add(absenceP1, BorderLayout.NORTH);
this.getContentPane().add(absenceP2, BorderLayout.CENTER);
this.getContentPane().add(absenceP3, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
}
}
now the not finished controler:
package ca.uqam.inf2120.tp2.modele;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import ca.uqam.inf2120.tp1.partie1.adt.impl.ListeAdtArrayListImpl;
import ca.uqam.inf2120.tp2.interfacegraphique.CreerRechercherAbsence;
public class GestionAbsenceEmployes implements ActionListener{
private AbsenceEmploye modele;
private CreerRechercherAbsence vue;
public GestionAbsenceEmployes(CreerRechercherAbsence uneVue) {
this.modele = new AbsenceEmploye();
vue = uneVue;
}
public AbsenceEmploye getModele() {
return modele;
}
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event) {
Object source = event.getSource();
if(source == vue.getAjouter()) {
}
}
}
When I add the vue.getAjouter() it does not know what it is !!!
What do I do/get wrong ?

The problem is you are calling getAjouter() on CreerRechercherAbsence JFrame instance in your ActionListener where as you'd want to be calling getAjouter() on RechercherAbsenceP3 JPanel instance.
My solution:
Convert your ActionListener class GestionAbsenceEmployes to accept RechercherAbsenceP3 as the parameter so we can call getAjouter() on its instance like so:
class GestionAbsenceEmployes implements ActionListener {
private AbsenceEmploye modele;
private RechercherAbsenceP3 vue;
public GestionAbsenceEmployes(RechercherAbsenceP3 uneVue) {
this.modele = new AbsenceEmploye();
vue = uneVue;
}
public AbsenceEmploye getModele() {
return modele;
}
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event) {
Object source = event.getSource();
if (source == vue.getAjouter()) {
}
}
}
you would than do:
aControleur = new GestionAbsenceEmployes(absenceP3);
but in order for the above statement to function you must change this:
private JPanel absenceP1, absenceP2,absenceP3;
in CreerRechercherAbsence class to this:
private JPanel absenceP1, absenceP2;
private RechercherAbsenceP3 absenceP3;
because you extend JPanel to add functionality hence the RechercherAbsenceP3 but by declaring it as JPanel you down cast it, thus it does not have access to the methods of extended JPanel RechercherAbsenceP3 and only those of default JPanel.
Some other suggestions:
Do not extend JFrame class unnecessarily
No need for getContentPane.add(..) as add(..) has been diverted to contentPane
Be sure to create and manipulate Swing components on Event Dispatch Thread

Not sure whether the following approach will be considered MVC, or whether it will result in good marks on your assignment.
My "problem" with your current approach is that the reusability is limited to the model, and that it looks difficult to write a decent test case for this code, unless you are prepared to write tests which include the whole view.
When I need to write a Swing application, it seems that I only end up with 2 classes: a model class defining the data and the operations available on that data, and the view class. The view class functions both as view as well as controller. When I have a button as in your example, I would attach an ActionListener to it (or use an Action) which just retrieves the necessary information from the view without any logic. It passes all that information directly to the model side where all the logic is located.
The two main benefits I see in this approach:
I can re-design my view without any problems. If I decide to remove a JButton and provide the user with another mechanism for that same operation, all my changes are limited to the view. I have no dependency on UI elements except in my view class. I see all the "information gathering and passing it to the model" directly in my view class, and due to the implementation of that view this will not affect other classes. Compare that with your code where you have a source == vue.getAjouter() check in a class outside your view.
I can test the model and all its logic without needing my actual view. So I can skip the whole "firing up a Swing UI" in a unit test and still test all my logic. If I want to test the UI (for example to test whether a certain button is disabled when a field is left blank) I can test this separately in an integration test (as having a UI tends to slow down your tests).
What I found a very interesting article in this regard is The humble dialog box

Here is how I would do it. Make GestionAbsenceEmployes a non-static inner class of CreerRechercherAbsence
public class CreerRechercherAbsence extends JFrame {
private GestionAbsenceEmployes aControleur;
private JPanel absenceP1, absenceP2;
private RechercherAbsenceP3 absenceP3;
// code omitted
public CreerRechercherAbsence() {
super("Gestionnaire des employés absents");
try {
jbInit();
} catch (Exception ex) {
ex.printStackTrace();
}
aControleur = new GestionAbsenceEmployes();
}
// code omitted
class GestionAbsenceEmployes implements ActionListener{
private AbsenceEmploye modele;
public GestionAbsenceEmployes() {
this.modele = new AbsenceEmploye();
}
public AbsenceEmploye getModele() {
return modele;
}
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event) {
Object source = event.getSource();
if(source == absenceP3.getAjouter()) {
}
}
}
No need to pass this to the constructor and the controller does not need a reference to vue. You get all that for free by making this an inner class. Your controller can access all the member variables of the view. So you can now access the absenseP3 panel with the getAjouter() method.
See http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/javaOO/nested.html for more information on when it makes sense to use inner classes.

updating Swing JTextField

I can't .setText(...) for a JTextField outside of the class that creates the gui. I'm very confused and I feel like there is something basic I am missing. I need some help here.
Here is what I am doing:
In a class (called MainClass) I create an instance of a class that creates my gui
TestText gui = new TestText();
with a constructor that sets the default settings (a JTextField and a button with a listener). Then I call the a setter that I wrote, where I pass it a string that is to set the text of the JTextField:
gui.setText("new");
But "new" doesn't show up on the gui.
I know my setter works from within the class because if I make a call to the setter from the button that I created in gui then the changes show up on the gui.
The part that really confuses me is this: If I call my getter just before my setter, then it returns the old value. Then if I call the getter again after I call the setter then it returns the new value, while the gui continues to show the old value. I thought that maybe it just isn't repainting the gui so I tried all kinds of permutations of .invalidate(), .validate(), .update() and .repaint(), all from the MainClass and from inside the setter. But none did anything.
Is it possible that I somehow have 2 different instances of the gui and I'm only editing one of them?
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
public class TestText {
private JTextField textField;
private JButton button;
private JPanel frame;
JFrame jFrame;
public void setText(String text) {
textField.setText(text);
}
public String getText() {
return textField.getText();
}
public TestText() {
this.textField.setText("98.6");
this.jFrame = new JFrame("TestText");
button.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
setText("new (button)");
}
});
}
public void setData(TestText data) {
data.setText("new (setData)");
}
public void getData(TestText data) {
}
public boolean isModified(TestText data) {
return false;
}
public void createGui(String[] args) {
jFrame.setContentPane(new TestText().frame);
jFrame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
jFrame.pack();
jFrame.setVisible(true);
}
}
and then here's the main class that I'm trying to create the gui from:
public class MainClass {
public static void main(String[] args) {
TestText gui = new TestText();
gui.createGui(null);
System.out.println(gui.getText());
gui.setData(gui);
System.out.println(gui.getText());
gui.setText("new (MainClass)");
System.out.println(gui.getText());
}
}

It looks like you're missing the reference to the text field I think...
gui.referenceToTextField.setText("new word");
EDIT: Very nice SSCCE! However, there are several problems (not in the order provided, necessarily).
You are overriding the setText() method. Don't do this unless you want the method to do something different—why you would want to do this I have no idea.
You aren't even using the args array in the createGui() method. You can create methods without specifying any parameters/arguments.
The getData() method is, right now, useless (If I were you, given what you're trying to accomplish, I would remove the method entirely). I'm assuming, from the apt method name (another good thing to do), that you want to retrieve the data from the text field. Put this line inside the method (and change the word void to String) and you should be set!
return textField.getText();
Truthfully, this shouldn't even run due to a NullPointerException. You aren't initializing any of the components other than the JFrame. You need to do things like textField = new JTextField(20).
Even if you could run this, the button wouldn't work at all because the button hasn't been told that it does anything. To do this call button.addActionListener() with the name of the listening class as the argument. If the GUI and listening classes happen to be in one class together (like I will show you in a minute), the argument is simply this.
You aren't adding any components to the frame. For every component you wish to put into your frame, you must call add(Component cmpt).
Having said this, I think I'm just going to try to recreate what you're trying to do here into one class. You don't really need two separate classes unless the listening portion is excessively long.
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
public class TestText extends JFrame implements ActionListener {
JTextField textField = new JTextField(20);
JButton set = new JButton("Set Text");
JButton get = new JButton("Get Text");
public TestText() {
super();
setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
add(textField);
set.addActionListener(this); //this tells the program that the button actually triggers an event
add(set);
get.addActionListener(this);
add(get);
pack();
setVisible(true);
}
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event) {
if (event.getSource() == set) {
textField.setText(JOptionPane.showInputDialog(null, "Enter a new word for the text field:"));
} else {
System.out.println(textField.getText());
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
TestText tt = new TestText();
}
}

After doing some reading I think it is due to my code not accessing the Event Dispatch Thread like #camickr suggested. Here is some documentation that helped me solve my problem.