Sockets and JFrames problem

Hi, I'm new here and I have a problem about Java SE. The thing is that I'm coding a multiplayer chessgame through internet, before the game starts, there are some other JFrames (to choose ip, port, white or black pieces,..) until it reaches the Frame with the board and it's pieces.

So the DatainputStream i read has to be in a loop becuase i don't know when the other user might make a move.

Code:

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public class Main {
    /**
    * @param args the command line arguments
    */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
          Intro i = new Intro();
    }
}

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For example that's theMain class that gets an instance of the intro Frame. Then this intro Class when a button is pressed gets an instance of another Class called Menu which is used to fill out the port, ip, etc. Then with a button i calls the Game class that contains all of the code.

Code:

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private void jButton1ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {                                       
        // TODO add your handling code here           
      dispose();  // To dispose the last Frame           
      Game j;
      JFrame frame = new JFrame("Game - Server");
      frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
      j = new GameServer (frame);
      j.createAndShowGUI();
      j.connect();       
 }

---

The connect method is simple:

Code:

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server= new ServerSocket(5000);
        s=servidor.accept();
        os=s.getOutputStream();
        is=s.getInputStream();
                       
        dis=new DataInputStream(is);
      dos=new DataOutputStream(os);
        connection = true;
        while(connection){
              // All the dis.reads...
        }

---

But th problem is that when the Game class frame opens i doesn't show anything, but if I declare the variable 'j' inside the static void main in Main class it seems to word perfectly.

1) You seem to be using JFrame in many places where a JDialog would be better.
2) I think that you're tying up the Swing Event Dispatch Thread or EDT in an endless loop. Since this thread is the only one that Swing uses to interact with users and to draw the GUI widgets, tying it up will effectively freeze your program. You're probably going to have to use a background thread(s) such as a SwingWorker. Please have a look at this tutorial: Lesson: Concurrency in Swing (The Java™ Tutorials > Creating a GUI with JFC/Swing)

Much luck!

Thanks, I'll give it a look. Do you think it's becuase 1) or 2) ?

About SwingWorker, jewh it's really out of my capacity. Do you know what should I add to my code in order to make it work?

Oh god I only want an Idle function.

Quote:

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Do you think it's becuase 1) or 2) ?

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It's because of 2). 1) is more of a style issue.

Quote:

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About SwingWorker, jewh it's really out of my capacity.

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I have to be honest by saying that I'm not a fan of Java students using NetBeans to generate GUI code. NetBeans hides a lot of the details happening behind the scenes in GUIs, and this is fine for the most basic of GUIs, but if you try to do anything more complex (such as what you are trying to do right now), these details become important and must be learned. If you are serious at all about learning Java Swing GUI coding, I strongly suggest that you go through the Sun Swing tutorials and learn to code Swing by hand. Then later once you're more familiar with Swing coding, by all means use NetBeans to help quickly create a GUI.

Quote:

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Do you know what should I add to my code in order to make it work?

---

You need a background thread for the background communication processes but you also need to take care to call Swing-manipulating code on the EDT. SwingWorker is probably an easier way to create a background thread that will work well with Swing programs.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fubarable

It's because of 2). 1) is more of a style issue.


I have to be honest by saying that I'm not a fan of Java students using NetBeans to generate GUI code. NetBeans hides a lot of the details happening behind the scenes in GUIs, and this is fine for the most basic of GUIs, but if you try to do anything more complex (such as what you are trying to do right now), these details become important and must be learned. If you are serious at all about learning Java Swing GUI coding, I strongly suggest that you go through the Sun Swing tutorials and learn to code Swing by hand. Then later once you're more familiar with Swing coding, by all means use NetBeans to help quickly create a GUI.


You need a background thread for the background communication processes but you also need to take care to call Swing-manipulating code on the EDT. SwingWorker is probably an easier way to create a background thread that will work well with Swing programs.

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So finally I've managed to make an idle with SwingWorker, it's infinite. I've put the typical DataInputStream.read() inside the idel but the Server aplication seems to have problems, like it's stuck, It doesn't let me click buttons, etc.... However the client aplication works fine once I'm connected.

Oh and another thing, while the server aplication is waiting for the client to connect, the server aplication frame isn't painting anything. It's like if the frame was transparent because I see the other Windows behind.

Hope you can help.

You still have a background process being called on the EDT. So either the SwingWorker has not been coded correctly, or you're not starting it correctly (by calling execute()). But without seeing your code I'm afraid that it's impossible to tell, and all we can do is guess.

Best of luck

in this idle i only have all the readings. should i put the accept() method or it has to be outside the idle. i would post the code but i dont have internet at home.

basically i have

newserversocket(port)
socket.accept()
...

idle(
datainputstream.read()
)

ps: if i delete the socket.accept() method the frame appears to run well, but of course client and server are not connected.


Edit: Ok I have the code

Code:

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@Override
    public void connect(){
       
        try{
                bar = new JProgressBar();
                server = new ServerSocket(this.port);
                s=servidor.accept();
                os=s.getOutputStream();
                is=s.getInputStream();
                dis=new DataInputStream(is);
                                dos=new DataOutputStream(os);

             
                if(worker==null){
                                        worker = new MyWorker();
                                        worker.addPropertyChangeListener(new PropertyChangeListener(){
                                                        public void propertyChange(PropertyChangeEvent evt) {
                                                                if ("progress".equals(evt.getPropertyName())){
                                                                    // Idle
                                                                    try{
                                             
                                                                        for(int i = 0 ; i < 4 ; i++ ){
                                                                          if( intRecieved[i] == -1 ){ //
                                                                              intRecieved[i] = dis.read();
                                                                            }else{
                                                                            }
                                                                      }

                                                                    }catch(IOException e){
                                                                        System.out.println("Error d'I/O"+e.getMessage());
                                                                    }                                     
                                           
                                                                // More code ...
                                                            }
                                   
                                                });
                                }
                }
                worker.execute();
               

        } catch (IOException e) {
                System.out.println("Error d'I/O"+e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}



    class MyWorker extends SwingWorker<String, Void>{

                @Override
                protected String doInBackground() throws Exception { // I took that from an example, i added a line to be infinite
                        int i=0;

                        while(i<=100 && !isCancelled()){

                                bar.setValue(i);
                                setProgress(i);
                                i++;
                if( i == 100) i = 0;
                                Thread.sleep(50);
                        }
                       
                        return "Idle";
                }

        }

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