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Java Detect MouseClick anywhere in Window doesn't work in certain areas

So I have a Java Swing program and I want to be able detect mouse clicks.
addMouseListener(new java.awt.event.MouseAdapter() {
public void mouseClicked(java.awt.event.MouseEvent evt) {
update(evt); //another method in the program
}
});
The code works if I click on the window's side or places where there isn't an object, but does not work when I click on objects in the JFrame, such as my JTable or my text field.
Please help me how to have the MouseListener work on objects inside the JFrame as well.

When you click on a textfield, the textfield gains focus. That means your frame loses ownership of focus, and since your listener is most likely added to your frame, your listener stops working right when frame isnt in focus. Add your listener to all compoments, or use Key Binding

Showing GlassPane before entering loop

(In my applicaton with Swing GUI) I want to display GlassPane during some work performed in a loop or method, which is called after clicking JButton.
For example:
(action performed after clicking a button)
if (item.equals(button)) {
glassPane.setVisible(true);
someTimeConsumingMethod();
glassPane.setVisible(false);
}
Running this code results in not showing the glassPane during execution of someTimeConsumingMethod() - GUI just freezes for a moment, before result is displayed. Removing last line in that loop (glassPane.setVisible(false);) results in showing glassPane after the method is done (when GUI unfreezes).
Is there a simple way to show that glassPane before GUI freezes, or I need to use some advanced knowledge here? (threads?)
UPDATE1:
I've updated my code according to davidXYZ answer (with two changes):
(action performed after clicking a button)
if (item.equals(button)) {
glassPane.setVisible(true);
new Thread(new Runnable(){
public void run(){
someTimeConsumingMethod(); // 1st change: running the someTimeConsumingMethod in new Thread
// instead of setting glassPane to visible
}
}).start();
// 2nd change: moved glassPane.setVisible(false); inside the someTimeConsumingMethod(); (placed at the end of it).
}
The point of 1st change is that setting glassPane visible in new thread right before running someTimeConsumingMethod in my GUI thread was revealing the glassPane after someTimeConsumingMethod finished (double-checked this).
Now it works fine, thank you for all answers. I will definitely check all the links you provided to actually understand threads!
UPDATE2:
Some more info: someTimeConsumingMethod(); in my application is prepering new Swing Components accoriding to the XML data (cards builded from JButtons and JLabels with few JPanels where needed, and adding them in correct places).
UPDATE3:
I am trying to make it work using SwingWorker's invokeLater method. Now it looks like that:
(action performed after clicking a button)
if (item.equals(button)) {
glassPane.setVisible(true);
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
someTimeConsumingMethod();
glassPane.setVisible(false);
}
});
}
It works not that good as code from UPDATE1 (but still - it works). Problems are:
glassPane loads without .gif animation (file is setted up in custom glassPane class - it works with UPDATE1 code)
there is small delay at the end of "working" process - first cursor changes to normal (from the WAIT_CURSOR), and after very short moment glassPane disappear.
Cursor is changed by the custom glassPane class on activation/deactivation (no delay using new Thread way).
Is it correct way of using SwingWorker's invokeLater method?
EDIT: My mistake, I confused SwingWorker with SwingUtilities.invokeLater(). I guess the image issue is due to GUI freezing when the someTimeCOnsumingMethod starts.

GUI just freezes for a moment, before result is displayed. Removing last line in that loop (glassPane.setVisible(false);) results in showing glassPane after the method is done (when GUI unfreezes).
this is common issue about Event Dispath Thread, when all events in EDT are flushed to the Swing GUI in one moment, then everything in the method if (item.equals(button)) { could be done on one moment,
but your description talking you have got issue with Concurency in Swing, some of code blocking EDT, this is small delay, for example Thread.sleep(int) can caused this issue, don't do that, or redirect code block to the Backgroung taks
Is there a simple way to show that glassPane before GUI freezes, or I need to use some advanced knowledge here? (threads?)
this question is booking example why SwingWorker is there, or easier way is Runnable#Thread
methods implemented in SwingWorker quite guarante that output will be done on EDT
any output from Runnable#Thread to the Swing GUI should be wrapped in invokeLater()
easiest steps from Jbuttons Action could be
show GlassPane
start background task from SwingWorker (be sure that listening by PropertyChangeListener) or invoke Runnable#Thread
in this moment ActionListener executions is done rest of code is redirected to the Backgroung taks
if task ended, then to hide GlassPane
create simple void by wrapping setVisible into invokeLater() for Runnable#Thread
in the case that you use SwingWorker then you can to hide the GlassPane on proper event from PropertyChangeListener or you can to use any (separate) void for hidding the GlassPane
best code for GlassPane by #camickr, or my question about based on this code

You are blocking the EDT (Event Dispatching Thread, the single thread where all UI events are handled) with your time consuming job.
2 solutions:
Wrap the calls to:someTimeConsumingMethod();glassPane.setVisible(false); in SwingUtilities.invokeLater(), this will allow the frame to repaint itself once more. However this will still freeze your GUI.
Move your someTimeConsumingMethod() into a SwingWorker (this is the recommended option). This will prevent your GUI from ever freezing.
Read the javadoc of SwingWorker to understand better what is going on and how to use it.
You may also learn a lot in this tutorial about Swing and multi-threading

JButton startB = new JButton("Start the big operation!");
startB.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent A) {
// manually control the 1.2/1.3 bug work-around
glass.setNeedToRedispatch(false);
glass.setVisible(true);
startTimer();
}
});
glasspane here used here is FixedGlassPane glass;
ref: http://www.java2s.com/Code/Java/Swing-JFC/Showhowaglasspanecanbeusedtoblockmouseandkeyevents.htm

Guillaume is right. When you are on the main thread, each line will finish before the next line. You definitely need another thread.
An easy way to solve your problem is to spin off the display of the glasspane in another thread (normal thread or Swing threads - either will work fine).
if (item.equals(button)) {
new Thread(new Runnable(){
public void run(){
glassPane.setVisible(true);
}
}).start();
someTimeConsumingMethod();
glassPane.setVisible(false);
}
That way, a different thread is blocked by setvisible(true) while someTimeConsumingMethod() runs on the main thread. When it's done, glasspane will disappear. The anonymous thread reaches the end of the run method and stops.

How can I make a Swing text area have the focus as soon as it is loaded?

I've created a simple Swing panel that, when loaded, takes up my application's entire window. It contains two JTextAreas and a handful of buttons. I want one of the text areas to have the focus when the panel loads, so that the user can immediately start typing instead of having to click on the text area first. How can I achieve this?

By default focus goes to the first component defined on the window.
If this is not the component you want to have focus then you need to request focus once the window is realized.
The Dialog Focus example shows a couple of ways to do this.

See here the Documentation which contains exactlly what you are searching for (I think):
A component can also be given the
focus programmatically, such as when
its containing frame or dialog-box is
made visible. This code snippet shows
how to give a particular component the
focus every time the window gains the
focus:
//Make textField get the focus whenever frame is activated.
frame.addWindowFocusListener(new WindowAdapter() {
public void windowGainedFocus(WindowEvent e) {
textField.requestFocusInWindow();
}
});

You just need to call requestFocus method of Jcomponent class,
public void requestFocus()
On the Component that you want to focus.
And pleas make sure that you call this method after setVisible is called for its parent component.
For example:-
You have a Jframe in which you added a JTextArea, so after calling you should call in following order:-
jframe.setVisible(true);
jarea.requestFocus();

Swing make a JButton not focussable

I want to make a Java swing button 'not-focussable'.
The button should not receive focus at all, but should be able to receive mouse clicks.
I thought the following options, but these either dont solve my problem completely, or dont seem elegant. Are there any other/better/suggested options?
Move the focus to the next component immediately when the button receives focus (but then what do I do if the button is the only component on the UI other than labels?)
Implement another non-focusable component as a button (a label with mouse events, borders...) (this does not look very elegant to me)
Create a anonymous button implementation that overides the keyboard events so that it does not respond to keyboard events (this does not solve the focus problem, but is somwhat ok for me, since the root of the problem is to avoid accidental keyboard clicks. I will do this only if there are no options at all, but even then prefer option 2)

All Swing components have a setFocusable method to do this:
JButton button = ...
button.setFocusable(false);

Did you try to call the setFocusable() method inherited from java.awt.Component ?
Resources :
Javadoc - Component.isFocusable()
Oracle.com - Focus tutorial

You can implement your own FocusTraversalPolicy (or extend e.g. ContainerOrderFocusTraversalPolicy) with an accept method that just doesn't like your button.
JFrame frame = new JFrame();
... /* create other components */
frame.setFocusTraversalPolicy(new ContainerOrderFocusTraversalPolicy() {
public boolean accept(Component c) {
return super.accept(c) && c!=iDontLikeYouButton;
}
});

Drawing animations at the show of a JDialog

What would be the best way to draw a simple animation just before showing a modal JDialog? (i.e. expanding borders from the mouse click point to the dialog location). I thought it would be possible to draw on the glasspane of the parent frame on the setVisible method of the dialog.
However, since the JDialog is modal to the parent, I couldn't find a way to pump drawing events into EDT before the JDialog becomes visible, since the current event on the EDT has not been completed yet.

Are you trying to show the JDialog indepentently of the annimation? In order to get the order set properly, you may need to bundle those actions in a runnable that is passed to the EDT at once.
eg:
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable(){
public void run(){
doAnnimation();
showDialog();
}
}
It may be best to subclass JDialog so that you can just add the doAnnimation() logic to the setVisible(..) or show() method before calling the superclass implementation.
Finally, I imagine you'll need to set the dimensions of the dalog manually -- I don't remember if Java will know the actual size of the dialog before it is shown, so you may get some useless information for your annimation if you query the size before showing it.

Maybe you have a look at the SwingWorker Project which is included in JSE 6. (Link to SwingWorker) In the book "Filthy Rich Client" that I am reading at the moment they use this tool a lot. Maybe you can find a hint in the examples on the books website: http://filthyrichclients.org/

You may be able to take #rcreswick's answer and expand on it a little to make it work.
void myShowDialog() {
new Thread(new Runnable() {public void run() {
SwingUtilities.invokeAndWait(new Runnable() { public void run() {
doAnimation();
} } );
// Delay to wait for the animation to finish (if needed)
Thread.sleep(500);
SwingUtilities.invokeAndWait(new Runnable() { public void run() {
showDialog();
} } );
} } ).start();
}
It's pretty ugly and would have to be invoked in place of the basic showDialog() call, but it should work.

One possibility is to paint your own dialog on the Glass Pane. Then you have full control of the dialog and can paint whatever you want. Here's a tutorial on creating animations on the Glass Pane.