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How to minimize JFrame from another JPanel?

How can I minimize a JFrame if I am in another JPanel that I add to this JFrame?
Here I add the JPanel that is in another class to the JFrame:
panel = new Panel_Processos("Caixa de Saída", 3);
setContent(pane, panel);
public void setContent(JPanel pane, JPanel panel){
pane.removeAll();
pane.setVisible(true);
pane.validate();
pane.add(panel);
contentPane.validate();
}
But the problem is: How can I do something to the JFrame after an event that happens in the JPanel?

Problems with BorderLayout() in Java

I've tried a lot of different ways, but I will explain two and what was happening (no error messages or anything, just not showing up like they should or just not showing up at all):
First, I created a JPanel called layout and set it as a BorderLayout. Here is a snippet of how I made it look:
JPanel layout = new JPanel();
layout.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
colorChoice = new JLabel("Choose your color: ");
layout.add(colorChoice, BorderLayout.NORTH);
colorBox = new JComboBox(fireworkColors);
colorBox.addActionListener(this);
layout.add(colorBox, BorderLayout.NORTH);
In this scenario what happens is they don't show up at all. It just continues on with whatever else I added.
So then I just tried setLayout(new BorderLayout()); Here is a snippet of that code:
setLayout(new BorderLayout());
colorChoice = new JLabel("Choose your color: ");
add(colorChoice, BorderLayout.NORTH);
colorBox = new JComboBox(fireworkColors);
colorBox.addActionListener(this);
add(colorBox, BorderLayout.NORTH);
In this scenario they are added, however, the width takes up the entire width of the frame and the textfield (not shown in the snippet) takes up basically everything else.
Here is what I have tried:
setPreferredSize() & setSize()
Is there something else that I am missing? Thank you.
I also should note that this is a separate class and there is no main in this class. I only say this because I've extended JPanel instead of JFrame. I've seen some people extend JFrame and use JFrame, but I haven't tried it yet.

You created a JPanel, but didn't add it to any container. It won't be visible until it is added to something (a JFrame, or another panel that is in a frame somewhere up the hierarhcy)
You added two components to the same position in the BorderLayout. The last one added is the one that will occupy that position.
Update:
You do not need to extend JFrame. I never do, instead I always extend JPanel. This makes my custom components more flexible: they can be added in another panel, or they can be added to a frame.
So, to demonstrate the problem I will make an entire, small, program:
public class BadGui
{
public static void main(String[] argv)
{
final JFrame frame = new JFrame("Hello World");
final JPanel panel = new JPanel();
panel.add(new JLabel("Hello"), BorderLayout.NORTH);
panel.add(new JLabel("World"), BorderLayout.SOUTH);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
}
In this program I created a panel, but did not add it to anything so it never becomes visible.
In the next program I will fix it by adding the panel to the frame.
public class FixedGui
{
public static void main(String[] argv)
{
final JFrame frame = new JFrame("Hello World");
final JPanel panel = new JPanel();
panel.add(new JLabel("Hello"), BorderLayout.NORTH);
panel.add(new JLabel("World"), BorderLayout.SOUTH);
frame.getContentPane().add(panel);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
}
Note that in both of these, when I added something to the panel, I chose different layout parameters (one label I put in 'North' and the other in 'South').

Here is an example of a JPanel with a BorderLayout that adds a JPanel with a button and label to the "North"
public class Frames extends JFrame
{
public Frames()
{
JPanel homePanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
JPanel northContainerPanel = new JPanel(new FlowLayout());
JButton yourBtn = new JButton("I Do Nothing");
JLabel yourLabel = new JLabel("I Say Stuff");
homePanel.add(northContainerPanel, BorderLayout.NORTH);
northContainerPanel.add(yourBtn);
northContainerPanel.add(yourLabel);
add(homePanel);
setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
setLocationRelativeTo(null);
setExtendedState(JFrame.MAXIMIZED_BOTH);
setTitle("Cool Stuff");
pack();
setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String[] args)
{
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(Frames::new);
}
}

The below suggestion is assuming that your extending JFrame.
Testing
First of all, without seeing everything, theres always a numerous amount of things you can try.
First off, after you load everything, try adding this in (Again, assuming your extending JFrame:
revalidate();
repaint();
I add this into my own Swing projects all the time, as it refreshes and checks to see that everything is on the frame.
If that doesn't work, make sure that all your JComponent's are added to your JPanel, and ONLY your JPanel is on your JFrame. Your JFrame cannot sort everything out; the JPanel does that.
JPanel window = new JPanel();
JButton button = new JButton("Press me");
add(window);
window.add(button); // Notice how it's the JPanel that holds my components.
One thing though, you still add your JMenu's and what-not through your JFrame, not your JPanel.

Java Swing JFrame minimize/maximize resize bug

The problem is that when I try to maximize the JFrame the frame does get maximized, but the content size is preserved.
http://i.imgur.com/7q5Yh9F.png
My main frame class:
private CardLayout layout;
private SettingsFrame settingsFrame;
private Container contentPane;
Frame frame = this;
private ApplicationFrame() {
contentPane = getContentPane();
layout = new CardLayout();
contentPane.setLayout(layout);
initializeFrame();
settingsFrame = new SettingsFrame(model);
initializeMenuBar();
initializePanels();
showPage(FIRST_PAGE);
this.addWindowStateListener(listener);
}
public SettingsFrame getSettingsFrame() {
return settingsFrame;
}
private void initializeFrame() {
this.setDefaultCloseOperation(WindowConstants.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
this.setTitle(APPLICATION_TITLE);
this.settingsFrame = new SettingsFrame(model);
this.setSize(1400, 900);
this.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
}
private void initializePanels() {
add(new Panel(), FIRST_PAGE);
add(new Panel(), SECOND_PAGE);
add(new Panel(), THIRD_PAGE);
}
I tried to make a listener, catch the maximize event and there i tried:
revalidate();
repaint();
also
invalidate();
validate();
but with no succes.
I found out that:
frame.setExtendedState(JFrame.MAXIMIZED_BOTH);
is corectly maximizing the Frame, but i cannot use that is the listener because the maximize event already happened.

You're using a CardLayout which unfortunately won't allow you to resize the JComponent. Because the CardLayout can hold/manage one or more components that share the same display space.
You should add a JPanel and set that panel's layout to the CardLayout if you wish to use it.
I strongly recommend reading the following documentation: A Visual Guide to Layout Managers

jpanel as inner class

I need to write a simple tennis game.
To move between different windows(panel with main menu, panel with game, panel with settings) I decided to use inner classes extends JPanel and replace it when some events like start new game occurs.
but the problem is - it doesn't see my inner class. I mean I add it to JFrame
mainframe.add(new MainMenuPanel());
but there is nothing on the screen when I run program. What's the problem?
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
public class MainFrame{
JFrame mainframe;
public static void main(String[] args){
new MainFrame();
}
public MainFrame() {
mainframe = new JFrame();
mainframe.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
mainframe.setSize(300, 400);
mainframe.setTitle("X-Tennis v0.1");
mainframe.add(new MainMenuPanel());
mainframe.getContentPane().setLayout(new GridLayout());
mainframe.getContentPane().setBackground(Color.WHITE);
mainframe.setVisible(true);
}
public class MainMenuPanel extends JPanel {
JPanel mainmenupanel;
JLabel label1;
JButton btnNewGame,btnJoinGame;
ImageIcon iconNewGame,iconJoinGame;
public MainMenuPanel(){
mainmenupanel = new JPanel();
label1 = new JLabel("X-TENNIS");
label1.setFont(new Font("Comic Sans MS",Font.ITALIC,20));
label1.setForeground(Color.BLUE);
btnNewGame = new JButton("New Game", iconNewGame);
btnNewGame.setFocusPainted(false);
btnNewGame.addActionListener(
new ActionListener() {
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(mainframe, "New game");
//delete current panel and add another to mainframe
}
}
);
btnNewGame.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(140,30));
btnJoinGame = new JButton("Join game",iconJoinGame);
mainmenupanel.add(label1);
mainmenupanel.add(btnNewGame);
}
}
}

There is no need for mainmenupanel within the MainMenuPanel class as MainMenuPanel is a JPanel itself
Simple add all the components in MainMenuPanel directly to itself

You create a new JPanel, mainmenupanel, inside MainMenuPanel but never add that to the container itself. You could do
add(mainmenupanel);
If you intend for this JPanel to occupy the full area of the parent, then you can simply add your components directly to your instance of MainMenuPanel as indicated by #Mad

First you should add your component to the ContentPane. In Swing, all the non-menu components displayed by the JFrame should be in the ContentPane.
mainframe.getContentPane().add(new MainMenuPanel());
Edit: I was wrong about the content pane, see #MadProgrammer comment.
Then you have to add the JPanel that you create in MainMenuPanel to the MainMenuPanel instance itself.
add(mainmenupanel);
But you should probably get rid of that intermediary container itself and add your labels to the MainMenuPanel instance itself:
add(label1);
add(btnNewGame);

mainmenupanel.add(label1);
mainmenupanel.add(btnNewGame);
try this :
super.add(label1);
super.add(btnNewGame);

placing a transparent JPanel on top of another JPanel not working

I am trying to place a JPanel on top of another JPanel which contains a JTextArea and a button and i want to the upper apnel to be transparent. I have tried it by making the setOpaque(false) of the upper panel. but it is not working. Can anyone help me to get through this? Thanks in advance!
public class JpanelTest extends JPanel
{
public JpanelTest()
{
super();
onInit();
}
private void onInit()
{
setLayout(new BorderLayout());
JPanel panel = new JPanel();
panel.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
panel.add(new JTextArea(100,100),BorderLayout.CENTER);
panel.add(new JButton("submit"),BorderLayout.SOUTH);
JPanel glass = new JPanel();
glass.setOpaque(false);
add(panel,BorderLayout.CENTER);
add(glass,BorderLayout.CENTER);
setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String args[])
{
new JpanelTest();
}
}

Indeed, it would be useful to tell the reason why you want panels one over another.
Starting with your code, and changing it a lot, I got it to work, but it might not do what you expect...
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class Test extends JFrame
{
public Test()
{
super();
setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
setSize(500, 200);
onInit();
setVisible(true);
}
private void onInit()
{
JLayeredPane lp = getLayeredPane();
JPanel panel = new JPanel();
panel.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
panel.add(new JTextArea(), BorderLayout.CENTER);
panel.add(new JButton("Submit"), BorderLayout.SOUTH);
panel.setSize(300, 150); // Size is needed here, as there is no layout in lp
JPanel glass = new JPanel();
glass.setOpaque(false); // Set to true to see it
glass.setBackground(Color.GREEN);
glass.setSize(300, 150);
glass.setLocation(10, 10);
lp.add(panel, Integer.valueOf(1));
lp.add(glass, Integer.valueOf(2));
}
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()
{
new Test();
}
});
}
}
If totally transparent, well, it is like it isn't here! When opaque, it just covers some of the GUI, but doesn't prevent mouse clicks, for example.

1) there are a few ways, there no issue to put JPanel, with covering full JFrames/JPanel area or only part of Rectangle / Dimension that returns JFrames/JPanel
use JLayer(Java7) based on JXLayer (Java6)
use GlassPane
use JViewport
use OverlayLayout
use transucent JDialog / JWindow
2) everything depends of if you want to protect against mouse and key events from the top layer to bottom, or not (to avoiding redispatch events from - to and vice versa)

Check out this tutorial on using Swing Root Panes.
The glass pane is useful when you want to be able to catch events or paint over an area that already contains one or more components. For example, you can deactivate mouse events for a multi-component region by having the glass pane intercept the events. Or you can display an image over multiple components using the glass pane.