(new to forum) How to make JDialog on top of other always on top windows?

[John3.16]

Hi All,

I have a JDialog which is a login screen for my application. There is a common scenario in which this dialog is opened when another application is already running on the screen where said dialog is supposed to appear. That application is always on top.
I'm trying to make my dilaog appear on top of that application, but to no avail. I've tried setAlwaysOnTop(), getFocus() and toFront()

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[Webuser]

You should better use JFrame instead for it has

alwaysontop

statement. It is just in place thing )
JDialog is not as independent as JFrame )

[Fubarable]

To Webuser: I disagree. JDialog also has a setAlwaysOnTop(true) method, and since this the original poster is using this window to function as a dialog, he should not use it as a JFrame.

To the original poster, when I use the method above, it works for me. Code below:

import java.awt.Dimension;
import javax.swing.JDialog;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.SwingConstants;

public class AlwaysOnTop
{
  private static final Dimension F_SIZE = new Dimension(300, 300);
  private static final Dimension D_SIZE = new Dimension(200, 200);

  private static void createAndShowUI()
  {
    JLabel frameLabel = new JLabel("JFrame", SwingConstants.CENTER);
    frameLabel.setPreferredSize(F_SIZE);

    JFrame frame = new JFrame("JFrame");
    frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    frame.getContentPane().add(frameLabel);
    frame.pack();
    frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
    frame.setVisible(true);

    JLabel dialogLabel = new JLabel("JDialog", SwingConstants.CENTER);
    dialogLabel.setPreferredSize(D_SIZE);

    JDialog dialog = new JDialog(frame, "JDialog", true);
    dialog.getContentPane().add(dialogLabel);
    dialog.pack();
    dialog.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
    dialog.setAlwaysOnTop(true);
    dialog.setVisible(true);
  }

  public static void main(String[] args)
  {
    java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable()
    {
      public void run()
      {
        createAndShowUI();
      }
    });
  }
}

If it doesn't work for you, then either you are doing something different from your code (please post a small compilable program and let us see), or your OS doesn't allow this method to work.

Best of luck.

[Webuser]

But author says that JDialog setAlwaysOnTop(true) method hasn't satisfied well enough (
And still JDialog has no EXIT_ON_CLOSE const. Sure you may use System.exit(0) catching JDialog closing. And still there are many ways. But I suggest JFrame for it is more independent. What about lookAndFeel to control top JFrame pane view? )

[John3.16]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I'm using a JOptionPane to create my login screen, so I'm actually using both JFrame and JDialog when calling the method loginDialog = pane.createDialog(loginFrame, dialogTitle);
Thing is, how is it detemined which application is on top when both are "always on top"? Is there a way to make the most recently called application to be on top of all the other "always on top apllication"?

Thanks again.

[Webuser]

You mean first one is the toppest one?

[John3.16]

Kinda. I mean that my application can't "beat" the other always on top application and be on top of it. I don't know if it has to do with which application has been activated first, or about properties. Either way, my application is covered by another always on top application eventhough I've used setAlwaysOnTop(true) and such.

[DarrylBurke]

Take a look at java.awt.Window.toFront() inherited by JDialog. Note the caveats mentioned in the documentation.

db