I'm developing a swing based application where I'm using many FileDialogs? So I say why not to make just one FileDialog object instead all of these instances and use it in the whole project? Is this a good assumption? does this have any performance improvement?
Thanks
This is a great example of a use case where application performance doesn't really matter and the question actually falls into the premature optimization class of problem solving. Why? Using FileDialog means that you are interacting with the user who, even if skilled beyond skilled with shortcut key Kung Fu, will be many orders of magnitude slower than the application. How many FileDialogs could a speedy user open, use and close in one minute? Say a dozen. You should not need to care about a dozen objects coming and going in one minute. Shouldn't even appear on your radar. Use your energies elsewhere. In fact, you should create a new object every time and avoid any caching headaches.
I would make a static FileDialog class that generates a new instance of the FileDialog each time a new one needs open rather than sharing a Singleton instance across the application.
That'll save you the headache of trying to figure out if you're reading the correct path from the dialog box or if somebody has opened the dialog and picked a new path and now you're referencing that new path rather than the originally selected path, etc...
Why implement is as a Singleton? Can you actually verify that displaying two file dialogs will never occur?
Better to have it as a regular class; you don't want to build in limitations which could become pain points later.
It isn't like your application is going to be critically overloaded by millions of calls to the file dialog, and who knows, perhaps someday it will be the right solution to have two file dialogs. Even if you don't display them both at the same time, perhaps holding the history in a "source" dialog and having a separate history in the "destination" dialog would be a blessing in a file transfer program.
Forget performance/speedyness. It doesn't matter here. Semantics matter. Reusing the same file dialog may give you things for free. Will the dialog start in the same directory every time? It will if it is the same instance. If you are creating new dialogs you will have to set startup dir your self.
Also why make it impossible to create more than one instance? Just make an instance member in your frame and be done with it.
Related
Is there a way to make a collection of class files/objects and then have them used in an interactive main file? So let's say I want to make a program to store information interactively where different classes are designed to hold different information. Then I would have an interactive main file where I made instances of these classes which would collectively hold the information I want stored. And then any changes or anything I do in this interactive main file is then saved.
I understand that this might be a very odd inquiry and maybe some other program might be useful for this. If so, feel free to point me in the right direction.
Here are two solutions that are good for the purpose you mentioned in your comment.
The first one is called Serialization. This let's you save your java object to your hard drive, and retrieve it later.
The second, (and in this case, more preferable option in my opinion), is using a Database.
A database is a compliment to your program, that stores data. You can then use "Queries" to access this data, and update it. Almost every database software is compatible with java.
I would look into MySQL
The reason I think a database would be better for your purpose is that they are already highly optimized, and are designed to have multiple people accessing and writing to them at once. If you wanted just want one person to use this program at a time however, serialization might be easier to implement.
Absolutely! Your main class would use the standard input (perhaps Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);) and output (System.out.println()). To interact with your other classes, most simply, just put them in the same folder (if you are interested take a look at Java packages). If you have a Dog class in the same folder as your main class, you can freely create Dog objects in your main class. I hope this helps!
As a side note, because you mentioned storing information with different classes, you might be interested in the Java Collections Framework.
I am building a basic paint application and have implemented Open and Save functionality, however, I would like to add in "Save As." Essentially, Save As would always make use of JFileChooser, but Save would automatically write to file if a file already exists and is currently being edited.
With that said, what strategies can I invoke to streamline this process? Obviously, Save As is already complete per the implementation of the Save feature I have already written (I apologize if that wording is confusing). However, in order to make the "Save" feature function as I intend it to, I believe I would need a way to keep track of whether or not the file exists and is currently being edited.
So what is a good way to keep track of whether or not a file exists and is currently loaded--and if it is, the Save function will write without JFileChooser, but if it isn't, it will launch the Save As functionality.
For what its worth, the Save feature, as highlighted, should apply when the Open dialog is called, so I could keep track of this somehow. I am also Opening bufferedimages and laying them as TexturePaint over my shape objects. So when the above happens is when I want the Save dialog to work as a "normal" save function, so that is another feature to take into consideration.
However, I would really like to learn about some good strategies to accomplish this in a more generic sense. Thus far, I have come up empty handed.
You can add a field to the object that stores the file name, and it's only set when you Open a file, or when you use Save As. Then, if the file name is null, clicking on Save actually calls Save As's code instead.
I am trying to write code for my latest class assignment where we create a Harness Record System, the code needs to keep track of Harness's in a system, be able to create new Harnesses and edit/loan/check old ones. I have gone down the route of using a GUI rather than the console as it is easier for the user to use. Although, I'm having trouble coming up with ideas on how to write code that differentiates old Harnesses written into the code, with new Harnesses that overwrite the previous input of the user.
So my question is, is there any way to write a code that can create objects once the user clicks a certain button, so that when that button is clicked the information inputted by the user into that object comes up, rather than just the most recent input of the user.
I know this is a silly and badly worded question, but my brain is just fried at the moment, I'm in need of help.
My code is below, I'm using two different classes and the SWT kit, if anyone could have a look at my code and help me out I would be so grateful, really struggling to find a way to overcome this:
Harness Class: http://pastebin.com/HqJqGfTN
HarnessSelection Class: http://pastebin.com/EE4C2WCs
The 'new' keyword is how you create new object instances. I haven't read all of your code but make sure you understand what the 'static' keyword does - it makes all instances of that class share the same value for that field. Perhaps all of your harness instances are sharing the same static variables.
The goal with my program is to have it save when closed, and reloaded when opened.
I have a driver (which contains all of the graphics) and I want it to create and save a file. I've seen numerous tutorials on the internet, but what they fail to explain is how to correctly implement this system in an actual program.
Do I create the OutputStrema in my main method? Do I need to check if a file has been created and if not create one, and if so read from it? How do I accomplish all of this? Should I have a WindowListener for quitting so that it can save all of the data?
Thanks
Yes, a WindowListener sounds like a good idea. One way to save the state of a program is to use Properties. Please have a look at the tutorial linked to above. I'm not sure what to recommend for your "graphics". Please tell us more details about just what you mean here.
Edit
Do I create the OutputStrema in my main method?
you're question re creating the OutputStream in the main method is asking about program structure that we know nothing about. My gut tells me that i wouldn't create anything like this in the main method, even if the JFrame is created there (or in a static method called from main). The OutputStream would be created in the class that implements the WindowListener, and this can be its own stand alone class. You want to make the main method as small as possible.
Do I need to check if a file has been created and if not create one, and if so read from it?
Possibly. This question revolves around what you're going to do with the stored information once created. Perhaps you'll search for it and read it on program start up? I don't know as it all depends on your needs, something you'll have to figure out.
How do I accomplish all of this? Should I have a WindowListener for quitting so that it can save all of the data?
If this is a Swing application, then yes, a WindowListener would help you control your application's closing.
Do I create the OutputStrema in my main method?
It would be better to create the stream at the point where you are saving the state.
When my program runs it is going to take in the saved data file with its ObjectInputStream. Do I put the code to accomplish this in my Main method?
Sounds like a good choice. Basically, you need to do this before you attempt to do something that needs that data. Anything that achieves this will work (though doing it using static initialization is a bad idea ...)
Do I need to check if a file has been created and if not create one, and if so read from it?
This question is confusing writing the state file and reading it. They occur at different points in the lifecycle, and use different code to do the task.
There is no point checking to see if a save file exists before creating one ... unless you propose to rename the existing save file.
Conversely, if a save file doesn't exist when you start the application, then the constructor that attempts to open it will throw a FileNotFoundException. Just catch the exception and skip the code that reads the saved state.
... if there has not been a file created yet, will this cause an error?
Yes. A FileNotFoundException; see above. So your code has to deal with that, or test to see if the file exists before attempting to open in; see File.exists() and related methods.
Should I have a WindowListener for quitting so that it can save all of the data?
That sounds like part of the solution. (But what about the case where the program crashes or is killed? Do you want to save state in those cases ... or not?)
A couple of things to beware of:
Many GUI-related objects do not implement Serializable, and therefore cannot be saved using an ObjectOutputStream. Threads, streams, sockets and a few other things can't be serialized either.
When you save instances of classes using ObjectOutputStream, change the classes or their names, and then attempt to reload them using ObjectInputStream, you are liable to run into trouble with saved instances not matching the new versions of the classes. If you have to be able to read that serialized state you are in trouble.
I've always wanted to write a simple world in Java, but which I could then run the 'world' and then add new objects (that didn't exist at the time the world started running) at a later date (to simulate/observe different behaviours between future objects).
The problem is that I don't want to ever stop or restart the world once it's started, I want it to run for a week without having to recompile it, but have the ability to drop in objects and redo/rewrite/delete/create/mutate them over time.
The world could be as simple as a 10 x 10 array of x/y 'locations' (think chessboard), but I guess would need some kind of ticktimer process to monitor objects and give each one (if any) a chance to 'act' (if they want to).
Example: I code up World.java on Monday and leave it running. Then on Tuesday I write a new class called Rock.java (that doesn't move). I then drop it (somehow) into this already running world (which just drops it someplace random in the 10x10 array and never moves).
Then on Wednesday I create a new class called Cat.java and drop that into the world, again placed randomly, but this new object can move around the world (over some unit of time), then on Thursday i write a class called Dog.java which also moves around but can 'act' on another object if it's in the neighbour location and vice versa.
Here's the thing. I don't know what kinda of structure/design I would need to code the actual world class to know how to detect/load/track future objects.
So, any ideas on how you would do something like this?
I don't know if there is a pattern/strategy for a problem like this, but this is how I would approach it:
I would have all of these different classes that you are planning to make would have to be objectsof some common class(maybe a WorldObject class) and then put their differentiating features in a separate configuration files.
Creation
When your program is running, it would routinely check that configuration folder for new items. If it sees that a new config file exists (say Cat.config), then it would create a new WorldObject object and give it features that it reads from the Cat.config file and drops that new object into the world.
Mutation
If your program detects that one of these item's configuration file has changed, then it find that object in the World, edit its features and then redisplay it.
Deletion
When the program looks in the folder and sees that the config file does not exist anymore, then it deletes the object from the World and checks how that affects all the other objects.
I wouldn't bet too much on the JVM itself running forever. There are too many ways this could fail (computer trouble, unexepected out-of-memory, permgen problems due to repeated classloading).
Instead I'd design a system that can reliably persist the state of each object involved (simplest approach: make each object serializable, but that would not really solve versioning problems).
So as the first step, I'd simply implement some nice classloader-magic to allow jars to be "dropped" into the world simulation which will be loaded dynamically. But once you reach a point where that no longer works (because you need to modify the World itself, or need to do incompatible changes to some object), then you could persist the state, switch out the libraries for new versions and reload the state.
Being able to persist the state also allows you to easily produce test scenarios or replay scenarios with different parameters.
Have a look at OSGi - this framework allows installing and removing packages at runtime.
The framework is a container for so called bundles, java libraries with some extra configuration data in the jars manifest file.
You could install a "world" bundle and keep it running. Then, after a while, install a bundle that contributes rocks or sand to the world. If you don't like it anymore, disable it. If you need other rocks, install an updated version of the very same bundle and activate it.
And with OSGi, you can keep the world spinning and moving around the sun.
The reference implementation is equinox
BTW: "I don't know what kinda of structure/design" - at least you need to define an interface for a "geolocatable object", otherwise you won't be able to place and display it. But for the "world", it really maybe enough to know, that "there is something at coordinates x/y/z" and for the world viewer, that this "something" has a method to "display itself".
If you only care about adding classes (and not modifying) here is what I'd do:
there is an interface Entity with all business methods you need (insertIntoWorld(), isMovable(), getName(), getIcon() etc)
there is a specific package where entities reside
there is a scheduled job in your application which every 30 seconds lists the class files of the package
keep track of the classes and for any new class attempt to load class and cast to Entity
for any newlly loaded Entity create a new instance and call it's insertIntoWorld().
You could also skip the scheduler and automatic discovery thing and have a UI control in the World where from you could specify the classname to be loaded.
Some problems:
you cannot easily update an Entity. You'll most probably need to do some classloader magic
you cannot extend the Entity interface to add new business bethod, so you are bound to the contract you initially started your application with
Too long explanation for too simple problem.
By other words you just want to perform dynamic class loading.
First if you somehow know the class name you can load it using Class.forName(). This is the way to get class itself. Then you can instantiate it using Class.newInstance(). If you class has public default constructor it is enough. For more details read about reflection API.
But how to pass the name of new class to program that is already running?
I'd suggest 2 ways.
Program may perform polling of predefined file. When you wish to deploy new class you have to register it, i.e. write its name into this file. Additionally this class has to be available in classpath of your application.
application may perform polling of (for example) special directory that contains jar files. Once it detects new jar file it may read its content (see JarInputStream), then call instantiate new class using ClaasLoader.defineClass(), then call newInstane() etc.
What you're basically creating here is called an application container. Fortunately there's no need to reinvent the wheel, there are already great pieces of software out there that are designed to stay running for long periods of time executing code that can change over time. My advice would be to pick your IDE first, and that will lead you someways to what app container you should use (some are better integrated than others).
You will need a persistence layer, the JVM is reliable but eventually someone will trip over the power cord and wipe your world out. Again with JPA et al. there's no need to reinvent the wheel here either. Hibernate is probably the 'standard', but with your requirements I'd try for something a little more fancy with one of the graph based NoSQL solutions.
what you probably want to have a look at, is the "dynamic object model" pattern/approach. I implemented it some time ago. With it you can create/modify objecttypes at runtime that are kind of templates for objects. Here is a paper that describes the idea:
http://hillside.net/plop/plop2k/proceedings/Riehle/Riehle.pdf
There are more papers but I was not able to post them, because this is my first answer and I dont have enough reputation. But Google is your friend :-)