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How to display one Jframe at a time? [duplicate]

I'm trying to make a little game that will first show the player a simple login screen where they can enter their name (I will need it later to store their game state info), let them pick a difficulty level etc, and will only show the main game screen once the player has clicked the play button. I'd also like to allow the player to navigate to a (hopefully for them rather large) trophy collection, likewise in what will appear to them to be a new screen.
So far I have a main game window with a grid layout and a game in it that works (Yay for me!). Now I want to add the above functionality.
How do I go about doing this? I don't think I want to go the multiple JFrame route as I only want one icon visible in the taskbar at a time (or would setting their visibility to false effect the icon too?) Do I instead make and destroy layouts or panels or something like that?
What are my options? How can I control what content is being displayed? Especially given my newbie skills?

A simple modal dialog such as a JDialog should work well here. The main GUI which will likely be a JFrame can be invisible when the dialog is called, and then set to visible (assuming that the log-on was successful) once the dialog completes. If the dialog is modal, you'll know exactly when the user has closed the dialog as the code will continue right after the line where you call setVisible(true) on the dialog. Note that the GUI held by a JDialog can be every bit as complex and rich as that held by a JFrame.
Another option is to use one GUI/JFrame but swap views (JPanels) in the main GUI via a CardLayout. This could work quite well and is easy to implement. Check out the CardLayout tutorial for more.
Oh, and welcome to stackoverflow.com!

Here is an example of a Login Dialog as #HovercraftFullOfEels suggested.
Username: stackoverflow Password: stackoverflow
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.util.Arrays;
import javax.swing.*;
public class TestFrame extends JFrame {
private PassWordDialog passDialog;
public TestFrame() {
passDialog = new PassWordDialog(this, true);
passDialog.setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
JFrame frame = new TestFrame();
frame.getContentPane().setBackground(Color.BLACK);
frame.setTitle("Logged In");
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
frame.setExtendedState(JFrame.MAXIMIZED_BOTH);
}
});
}
}
class PassWordDialog extends JDialog {
private final JLabel jlblUsername = new JLabel("Username");
private final JLabel jlblPassword = new JLabel("Password");
private final JTextField jtfUsername = new JTextField(15);
private final JPasswordField jpfPassword = new JPasswordField();
private final JButton jbtOk = new JButton("Login");
private final JButton jbtCancel = new JButton("Cancel");
private final JLabel jlblStatus = new JLabel(" ");
public PassWordDialog() {
this(null, true);
}
public PassWordDialog(final JFrame parent, boolean modal) {
super(parent, modal);
JPanel p3 = new JPanel(new GridLayout(2, 1));
p3.add(jlblUsername);
p3.add(jlblPassword);
JPanel p4 = new JPanel(new GridLayout(2, 1));
p4.add(jtfUsername);
p4.add(jpfPassword);
JPanel p1 = new JPanel();
p1.add(p3);
p1.add(p4);
JPanel p2 = new JPanel();
p2.add(jbtOk);
p2.add(jbtCancel);
JPanel p5 = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
p5.add(p2, BorderLayout.CENTER);
p5.add(jlblStatus, BorderLayout.NORTH);
jlblStatus.setForeground(Color.RED);
jlblStatus.setHorizontalAlignment(SwingConstants.CENTER);
setLayout(new BorderLayout());
add(p1, BorderLayout.CENTER);
add(p5, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
pack();
setLocationRelativeTo(null);
setDefaultCloseOperation(DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
addWindowListener(new WindowAdapter() {
#Override
public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e) {
System.exit(0);
}
});
jbtOk.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
if (Arrays.equals("stackoverflow".toCharArray(), jpfPassword.getPassword())
&& "stackoverflow".equals(jtfUsername.getText())) {
parent.setVisible(true);
setVisible(false);
} else {
jlblStatus.setText("Invalid username or password");
}
}
});
jbtCancel.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
setVisible(false);
parent.dispose();
System.exit(0);
}
});
}
}

I suggest you insert the following code:
JFrame f = new JFrame();
JTextField text = new JTextField(15); //the 15 sets the size of the text field
JPanel p = new JPanel();
JButton b = new JButton("Login");
f.add(p); //so you can add more stuff to the JFrame
f.setSize(250,150);
f.setVisible(true);
f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
Insert that when you want to add the stuff in. Next we will add all the stuff to the JPanel:
p.add(text);
p.add(b);
Now we add the ActionListeners to make the JButtons to work:
b.addActionListener(this);
public void actionPerforemed(ActionEvent e)
{
//Get the text of the JTextField
String TEXT = text.getText();
}
Don't forget to import the following if you haven't already:
import java.awt.event*;
import java.awt.*; //Just in case we need it
import java.x.swing.*;
I hope everything i said makes sense, because sometimes i don't (especially when I'm talking coding/Java) All the importing (if you didn't know) goes at the top of your code.

Instead of adding the game directly to JFrame, you can add your content to JPanel (let's call it GamePanel) and add this panel to the frame. Do the same thing for login screen: add all content to JPanel (LoginPanel) and add it to frame. When your game will start, you should do the following:
Add LoginPanel to frame
Get user input and load it's details
Add GamePanel and destroy LoginPanel (since it will be quite fast to re-create new one, so you don't need to keep it memory).

JPanel repaint doesn't work

I have a simple task.
There is a frame. There are two panel in that frame. In second panel there is a button. When user click that button first panel must change its content.
Here is a code:
package test;
import java.awt.GridLayout;
import java.awt.event.MouseAdapter;
import java.awt.event.MouseEvent;
import javax.swing.*;
class MyJPanel1 extends JPanel {
MyJPanel1() {
this.add(new JButton("MyJPanel1"));
}
}
class MyJPanel2 extends JPanel {
MyJPanel2() {
this.add(new JButton("MyJPanel2"));
}
}
class MyFrame extends JFrame {
JPanel topPanel = null;
MyFrame() {
super("Test");
this.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
this.setLayout(new GridLayout(0, 1, 20, 20));
topPanel = new MyJPanel1();
this.add(topPanel);
JPanel bottomPanel = new JPanel();
this.add(bottomPanel);
JButton button = new JButton("switch");
button.addMouseListener(new MouseClickListener());
bottomPanel.add(button);
this.pack();
this.setVisible(true);
}
class MouseClickListener extends MouseAdapter {
#Override
public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e) {
topPanel = new MyJPanel2();
System.out.println("switch");
topPanel.invalidate();
topPanel.validate();
topPanel.repaint();
MyFrame.this.invalidate();
MyFrame.this.validate();
MyFrame.this.repaint();
}
}
}
public class Test {
public static void main(String[] args) {
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
new MyFrame();
}
});
}
}
But that don't work. After I click on button I see text in console, but first panel remain the same. I read that I must use invalidate() validate() and repaint() methods and I did, but it isn't help.
Any help would be appreciated.

If you want to "switch" panels then you should be using a CardLayout. The CardLayout allows 2 (or more) components to share the same space in a container but only one is ever visible at a time.
Read the section from the Swing tutorial on How to Use CardLayout for more information and working examples.

In your mouseClicked() method you create a new topPanel, but you don't do anything with it. Perhaps you meant to remove the original topPanel from myFrame, create a new topPanel, and then add the new toipPanel to myFrame.
Note that this may not be the best strategy (creating a new topPanel).

How to use Card layout?

I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what is a card layout. I read so many articles and implemented this small example of to see how card layout works. But I can't understand some methods(which are commented). Can someone please help me (I use commandline).
import java.util.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
class C_layout implements ActionListener
{
JButton b2;
JButton b1;
JFrame f1;
JPanel card1;
JPanel card2;
JPanel Jp;
void Example()
{
f1=new JFrame("CardLayout Exercise");
f1.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
f1.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
f1.setSize(500,500);
f1.setVisible(true);
Container cont=f1.getContentPane();
cont.setLayout(null);
Jp=new JPanel(new CardLayout()); //<-- How to implement card layout here (MAIN PANEL)
f1.add(Jp);
Jp.setLayout //<-- Not sure what means here ERROR
card1=new JPanel(); // First panel
Jp.add(card1);
card2=new JPanel(); // Second panel
Jp.add(card2);
JLabel lb1=new JLabel("This is the first Panel");
lb1.setBounds(250,100,100,30);
card1.add(lb1);
b1=new JButton("NEXT >>");
b1.setBounds(350,400,100,30);
b1.addActionListener(this);
card1.add(b1);
JLabel lb2=new JLabel("This is the second Panel");
lb2.setBounds(250,100,100,30);
card2.add(lb2);
b2=new JButton("<< PREV");
b2.setBounds(250,300,100,30);
b2.addActionListener(this);
card2.add(b2);
}
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
{
if(e.getSource()==b1)
{
CardLayout cardLayout = (CardLayout) Jp.getLayout();
cardLayout.show(card2,"2");
}
if(e.getSource()==b2)
{
// I still haven't implemented this action listener
}
}
}
class LayoutDemo1
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
C_layout c=new C_layout();
c.Example();
}
}

cont.setLayout(null); is bad, bad idea, lose it quickly...
You're going to need a reference to your CardLayout in order to manage it. Start by defining a instance field of CardLayout...
private CardLayout cardLayout;
Now, create your instance of CardLayout and apply it to your panel...
cardLayout = new CardLayout();
Jp=new JPanel(cardLayout);
This...
Jp.setLayout //<-- Not sure what means here ERROR
doesn't do anything, it's not a valid statement as far as Java is concerned, in fact, it's actually a method, which should take a reference to the LayoutManager you want to use, but since you've already done that when you created the instance of Jp, you don't need it...
You're going to need some way to identify the components you want to show, CardLayout does this via String names, for example...
card1=new JPanel(); // First panel
Jp.add(card1, "card1");
card2=new JPanel(); // Second panel
Jp.add(card2, "card2");
Now, in your ActionListener, you want to ask CardLayout to show the required view...
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
{
if(e.getSource()==b1)
{
cardLayout.show(Jp1,"card2");
} else if(e.getSource()==b2)
{
cardLayout.show(Jp1,"card1");
}
}
Note, in order for CardLayout#show to work, you need to pace it a reference of the container to which the CardLayout is assigned AND the name of the view you want to display.
See How to Use CardLayout for more details

Java - How to make contents of JFrame appear in the same Window instead of multiple windows

I am new to java and am getting to the advanced level of it, i have a problem in the GUI Controls, i made a button that when clicked opens up a new window like this:
JButton b = new JButton("Open New Window");
b.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
Window w = new Window();
w.setVisible(true);
}
});
this window contains other objects but i have been thinking of making the button in such a way that instead of opening a new JFrame, it opens everything in that same window without opening a new window, honestly i dont know how to do so please could i get some professional help

I think you want a card layout for this situation. Here is some code which should point you in the right direction.
class MyFrame extends JFrame {
public MyFrame() {
JComponent allMyStuff = new JComponent();
JComponent allMyOtherStuff = new JComponent();
this.getContentPane().setLayout(new CardLayout());
this.getContentPane().add(allMyStuff, "1");
this.getContentPane().add(allMyOtherStuff, "2");
CardLayout cl = (CardLayout) (this.getContentPane().getLayout());
cl.show(this.getContentPane(), "1");
JButton b = new JButton("Open New Window"); //add somewhere to first compoonent
b.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
CardLayout cl = (CardLayout) (this.getContentPane().getLayout());
cl.show(this.getContentPane(), "2");
}
});
}
}
I doubt the code runs but generally it holds the idea. You have stuff in one panel, and stuff in another panel, and you just want to switch between the two. The button of course needs to be added in the first panel (allMyStuff) somewhere.

I"m not clear on what it is exactly that you want to show in the GUI when the button is pressed, but perhaps you should consider creating different JPanel "views" and swap these views in the GUI using a CardLayout.
For example, check out these StackOverflow questions and answers:
Java CardLayout Main Menu Problem
Change size of JPanel using CardLayout
Java CardLayout JPanel moves up, when second JPanel added
Java swing; How to toggle panel's visibility?
Clear components of JFrame and add new componets on the same JFrame
gui multiple frames switch
JLabel displaying countdown, java

Within the action listener that you have introduced, you have the possibility to access to instance variables. Therefore you can add further elements to your GUI if you want. I've done a small demo, maybe this is kind of, what you want to do. In order to make your GUI better, you should consider of using layout managers.
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
public class GUI {
JFrame frame;
JButton btn;
JButton compToAdd;
public GUI() {
frame = new JFrame("Testwindow");
frame.setSize(500, 500);
frame.setLayout(null);
btn = new JButton("test btn");
btn.setBounds(20, 20, 200, 200);
btn.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
#Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
compToAdd = new JButton("new Button");
compToAdd.setBounds(20, 220, 200, 200);
frame.add(compToAdd);
frame.repaint();
}
});
frame.add(btn);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
GUI gui = new GUI();
}
}

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);