Adding JFilechooser to JFrame glass pane, unable to see Filechooser popupmenu.

[Epicmaster]

I tried adding a filechooser to the glass pane of a JFrame, and everytime I try clicking on the "look for" popup, the menu does not show up, I think its behind the filechooser since the glass pane is always on top, here is a reproduced test code

Thanks!

public void gui(){

    JFrame frame = new JFrame("Test");

    frame.setSize(800, 800);
    frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);

    //Containment Panel
    RightBottomCenter = new JPanel();


     //Setup Glass Pane
    JPanel glass = (JPanel) frame.getGlassPane();
    glass.setVisible(true);

    //Config Filechooser
    fc = new JFileChooser();
    fc.setDragEnabled(false);
    fc.setDialogType(JFileChooser.OPEN_DIALOG);
    fc.setMultiSelectionEnabled(false);
    fc.setAcceptAllFileFilterUsed(false);
    fc.setApproveButtonText("Select");
    fc.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(frame.getWidth(), frame.getHeight() - 100));


    RightBottomCenter.add(fc);
    glass.add(RightBottomCenter);
    frame.setVisible(true);


}

[Fubarable]

Hm, it seems to work for me:

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class Foo005 {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
      JFrame frame = new JFrame("Test");

      frame.setSize(800, 800);
      frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
      frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);

      // Containment Panel
      JPanel RightBottomCenter = new JPanel();

      // Setup Glass Pane
      final JPanel glass = (JPanel) frame.getGlassPane();
      glass.setVisible(true);

      // Config Filechooser
      final JFileChooser fc = new JFileChooser();
      fc.setDragEnabled(false);
      fc.setDialogType(JFileChooser.OPEN_DIALOG);
      fc.setMultiSelectionEnabled(false);
      fc.setAcceptAllFileFilterUsed(false);
      fc.setApproveButtonText("Select");
      fc.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(frame.getWidth(),
            frame.getHeight() - 100));

      RightBottomCenter.add(fc);
      glass.add(RightBottomCenter);
      frame.setVisible(true);
      
      fc.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
         
         @Override
         public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            if (e.getActionCommand().equals(JFileChooser.APPROVE_SELECTION)) {
               System.out.println("approved! Selection: " + fc.getSelectedFile());
            }
            fc.setVisible(false);
            glass.setVisible(false);
         }
      });
   }
}

[Epicmaster]

Hm, it seems to work for me:

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class Foo005 {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
      JFrame frame = new JFrame("Test");

      frame.setSize(800, 800);
      frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
      frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);

      // Containment Panel
      JPanel RightBottomCenter = new JPanel();

      // Setup Glass Pane
      final JPanel glass = (JPanel) frame.getGlassPane();
      glass.setVisible(true);

      // Config Filechooser
      final JFileChooser fc = new JFileChooser();
      fc.setDragEnabled(false);
      fc.setDialogType(JFileChooser.OPEN_DIALOG);
      fc.setMultiSelectionEnabled(false);
      fc.setAcceptAllFileFilterUsed(false);
      fc.setApproveButtonText("Select");
      fc.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(frame.getWidth(),
            frame.getHeight() - 100));

      RightBottomCenter.add(fc);
      glass.add(RightBottomCenter);
      frame.setVisible(true);
      
      fc.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
         
         @Override
         public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            if (e.getActionCommand().equals(JFileChooser.APPROVE_SELECTION)) {
               System.out.println("approved! Selection: " + fc.getSelectedFile());
            }
            fc.setVisible(false);
            glass.setVisible(false);
         }
      });
   }
}

I click on the drop down menu and nothing happens...
I'm using Windows 7 with Java JDK 1.6_29 and the latest Java JRE.

[Fubarable]

I click on the drop down menu and nothing happens...
I'm using Windows 7 with Java JDK 1.6_29 and the latest Java JRE.

I have no idea what you're talking about. What drop-down menu? I see no code for this in your example above, unless I'm missing something.

[Epicmaster]

In the Filechooser there is a drop down menu beside the "look in" label. it allows you to browse through diffrent major directories, by clicking the down pointing arrow, a popup menu (or drop down) should appear displaying the directory tree on your system. I think because I added the Filechooser to the glass pane I dont see this drop down menu, that's my problem

[Fubarable]

In the Filechooser there is a drop down menu beside the "look in" label. it allows you to browse through diffrent major directories, by clicking the down pointing arrow, a popup menu (or drop down) should appear displaying the directory tree on your system. I think because I added the Filechooser to the glass pane I dont see this drop down menu, that's my problem

That makes sense that it doesn't show since we're covering up the layer that would normally display this. This is one good reason you never see JFileChoosers or similar components being displayed in a glass pane.

Instead consider using a CardLayout.

e.g.,

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class Foo005 {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
      JFrame frame = new JFrame("Test");
      
      final CardLayout cardlayout = new CardLayout();
      final JPanel cardPanel = new JPanel(cardlayout);

      frame.setSize(800, 800);
      frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
      frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
      frame.getContentPane().add(cardPanel);


      // Setup Glass Pane

      // Config Filechooser
      final JFileChooser fc = new JFileChooser();
      fc.setDragEnabled(false);
      fc.setDialogType(JFileChooser.OPEN_DIALOG);
      fc.setMultiSelectionEnabled(false);
      fc.setAcceptAllFileFilterUsed(false);
      fc.setApproveButtonText("Select");
      fc.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(frame.getWidth(),
            frame.getHeight() - 100));
      
      JPanel nextPanel = new JPanel();
      nextPanel.add(new JButton("Next Panel Button"));
      int ebGap = 15;            
      nextPanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(ebGap, ebGap, ebGap, ebGap));
      
      cardPanel.add(fc, JFileChooser.class.getName());
      cardPanel.add(nextPanel, "Next Panel");
      
      frame.setVisible(true);
      
      fc.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
         
         @Override
         public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            if (e.getActionCommand().equals(JFileChooser.APPROVE_SELECTION)) {
               System.out.println("approved! Selection: " + fc.getSelectedFile());
            }
            // fc.setVisible(false);
            cardlayout.next(cardPanel);
         }
      });
   }
}

[Epicmaster]

Its imperative for me to use the glass pane due to the UI, so I can't use a Card Layout. The Filechooser should show the popup menu, its a bug in Swing. I was just looking for some workaround to make the Filechooser show the popup on a glasspane.

[DarrylBurke]

No, it's not a bug in Swing, it's your unwillingness to understand the layering of a Swing top level window including the root pane, layered pane, content pane and glass pane.

Its imperative for me to use the glass pane

Already told your boss that's the way to do it, huh?

The Filechooser should show the popup menu

Are you talking about the combo box?

db

[Epicmaster]

The only reason I said it was a bug was because of this if you don't call that a bug is irreverent,
I still need to use the glass pane to place the Filechooser on top of all the UI components on the JFrame.

Maybe this picture will help: Clicking on either of these buttons, a drop down menu should appear


There's got to be some sort of workaround.

Thanks again for your time guys, out of the 4 forums I asked this question, this forum seems to be the only active one :)

also I am my own Boss ;)

[Fubarable]

Its imperative for me to use the glass pane due to the UI, so I can't use a Card Layout. The Filechooser should show the popup menu, its a bug in Swing. I was just looking for some workaround to make the Filechooser show the popup on a glasspane.

It is foolish to make it imperative to use a tool in a way that it absolutely can't be used. I agree with Darryl, that there is no bug in Swing regarding this, but in your understanding: You are displaying a component *above* the layer that shows pop-ups. Your only solution: change your requirements or your tools.

[Epicmaster]

Thanks for your time guys, I think I found an answer, turns out forcing the pop up to be a heavy weight component does the trick:

 
         try {   
           Field field = PopupFactory.class.getDeclaredField("forceHeavyWeightPopupKey");
           field.setAccessible(true);
           fc.putClientProperty(field.get(null), true);
          }
            catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
          }