Tab Listener

[teckno101]

Hi. I am new to this forum and I hope I am posting this in the right section.

I want to attach a listener to a JTextField that when pressing the tab button on the keyboard it would activate the listener. This way you could enter data faster without having to hit enter every time to activate the listener.

Any help on how to do this?

/**
 * GUI to check out beach taggers
 * Max Matthews
 * v 1.0
 * 2009
 */

import javax.swing.*;  //JButton
import java.awt.*;  //Container and Layouts
import java.awt.event.*; //Listeners
import java.text.NumberFormat; //CurrencyFormatter

public class CheckOut extends JFrame
{
	String cityName = "Ocean City";
	JTextField nameTextField = new JTextField("Enter Employee Name Here");
	TextReader text = new TextReader();
	String employeeNameInBox = "No Name";
	JTextField dailyDist = new JTextField("50");
	JTextField dailySold = new JTextField("0");
	JTextField dailyRet = new JTextField("50");
	JTextField weeklyDist = new JTextField("25");
	JTextField weeklySold = new JTextField("0");
	JTextField weeklyRet = new JTextField("25");
	//String[][] database
	
	public CheckOut()
	{
    	setTitle("Check Out " + cityName); //sets the title of window to Bank Teller
    	setSize(300,200); //Sets the size of the window
    	setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE); //Makes it so the "X" button works
    	setLocationRelativeTo(null);//creates GUI in center of screen
    	
    	Container contentPane = getContentPane(); //new ContentPane
    	contentPane.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
    	
    	JPanel contentNorth = new JPanel();
    	JPanel contentCenter = new JPanel();
    	JPanel contentSouth = new JPanel();
    	
    	contentCenter.setLayout(new GridLayout (2,3,1,1));
    	contentSouth.setLayout(new GridLayout (2,3,1,1));
    	contentNorth.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
    	
    	contentNorth.add(nameTextField);
    	
    	contentCenter.add(new JLabel("D. Distributed"));
    	contentCenter.add(new JLabel("D. Returned"));
    	contentCenter.add(new JLabel("D. Sold"));
    	contentCenter.add(dailyDist);
    	contentCenter.add(dailyRet);
    	contentCenter.add(dailySold);
    	
    	contentSouth.add(new JLabel("W. Distributed"));
    	contentSouth.add(new JLabel("W. Returned"));
    	contentSouth.add(new JLabel("W. Sold"));
    	contentSouth.add(weeklyDist);
    	contentSouth.add(weeklyRet);
    	contentSouth.add(weeklySold);
    	

    	
    	contentPane.add(contentNorth, BorderLayout.NORTH);
    	contentPane.add(contentCenter, BorderLayout.CENTER);
     	contentPane.add(contentSouth, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
     	
     	nameTextField.addActionListener(new EmployeeFieldListener());

	}
	
	public static void main (String[] args)
	{
		CheckOut window = new CheckOut();  //makes the window
		window.setVisible(true); //makes the window visible
	}
	
	private class EmployeeFieldListener implements ActionListener
	{	
		public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
		{
			employeeNameInBox = nameTextField.getText();
			if (employeeNameInBox.equals("Enter Employee Name Here"))
					employeeNameInBox = "No Name Entered";
			
			System.out.println(employeeNameInBox);
		}
	}

}

[Fubarable]

You want to use a focus listener here. e.g.,

public class CheckOut extends JFrame {
  public static final String ENTER_EMPLOYEE_NAME_HERE = "Enter Employee Name Here";
  String cityName = "Ocean City";
  JTextField nameTextField = new JTextField(ENTER_EMPLOYEE_NAME_HERE);

  //.... code deleted

  public CheckOut() {

    // .... code deleted

    nameTextField.addFocusListener(new EmployeeFocusListener());
  }

  private class EmployeeFocusListener extends FocusAdapter {
    @Override
    public void focusLost(FocusEvent arg0) {
      employeeNameInBox = nameTextField.getText();
      if (employeeNameInBox.equals(ENTER_EMPLOYEE_NAME_HERE) 
          || employeeNameInBox.isEmpty())
        employeeNameInBox = "No Name Entered";
      JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(nameTextField, 
          "No Name Entered", "Name Field Error", JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
      System.out.println(employeeNameInBox);
    }
  }

[teckno101]

Thank you very much. This is exactly what I needed.;)