Get cell position in GridLayout

[daxserver]

I have placed a GridLayout(5,5) and filled all the cells with JButton[5][5] array. When I click on a JButton, can I know the position of the JButton in the Layout?

[wsaryada]

What do you mean by JButton position? Do you mean the x, y coordinate of the JButton or do you want to know which JButton was clicked?

[DarrylBurke]

To get better help sooner, post a SSCCE (Short, Self Contained, Correct (Compilable), Example) that demonstrates the problem.

db

[daxserver]

What do you mean by JButton position? Do you mean the x, y coordinate of the JButton or do you want to know which JButton was clicked?

I mean I want to know which JButton is clicked.

[daxserver]

To get better help sooner, post a SSCCE (Short, Self Contained, Correct (Compilable), Example) that demonstrates the problem.

db

I will extract the code from my program and post it 22nd afternoon local time.

[daxserver]

Here is the code. Assume there is some text set to these JButtons (I have removed those lines)

JButton[][] button=new JButton[5][5];
Container content=getContentPane();
content.setLayout(new GridLayout(5,5));
for( int x=0;x<button.length;x++)
        for( int y=0;y<button.length;y++)
        {
        	button[x][y]=new JButton();
        	content.add(button[x][y]);
        	button[x][y].setPreferredSize(new Dimension(100,100));
        	button[x][y].setFocusable(false);
        	button[x][y].addMouseListener(new MouseAdapter()
        	{
        		public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e4)
        		{
        			JButton source=(JButton)e4.getSource();
        			//Display text of JButton
        		}
        	});
        }

[Norm]

The code gets a reference (line 16) to the JButton that was clicked. If you could save your info in the JButton you could use that reference to get the info. See the ClientProperites methods for one way to do that.
Another way would be to extend the JButton class and add your own variables and methods for saving and returning anythin you want.

[StaticFlow]

If your wanting to find what the position of that button is in the Grid layout you could loop through the button array with a double for loop
checking the text of the source button to the text of the button your at in the array until you find a match and then do with it what you want.

		                    JButton source=(JButton)e4.getSource();
		                    String text = source.getText();
		                    for(int i =0; i <5;i++)
		                    {
		                    	for(int j =0; j<5; j++)
		                    	{

		                    		if(button[i][j].getText().equalsIgnoreCase(text))
		                    		{
		                    			System.out.println("the button you clicked is at location "+ i  + ", " + j);
		                    		}
		                    	}
		                    }

[Fubarable]

If your wanting to find what the position of that button is in the Grid layout you could loop through the button array with a double for loop
checking the text of the source button to the text of the button your at in the array until you find a match and then do with it what you want.

JButton source=(JButton)e4.getSource();
String text = source.getText();
for(int i =0; i <5;i++)
{
   for(int j =0; j<5; j++)
   {

      if(button[i][j].getText().equalsIgnoreCase(text))
      {
         System.out.println("the button you clicked is at location "+ i  + ", " + j);
      }
   }
}

Not a great general solution -- what if several JButtons share the same text, or have no text at all. Better to compare one JButton object is the same as another if you're going to use this algorithm.

[StaticFlow]

well yea I agree, I was just guessing from his example when he said that there was text in each I assumed they wouldn't be empty nor the same text.

[daxserver]

well yea I agree, I was just guessing from his example when he said that there was text in each I assumed they wouldn't be empty nor the same text.

I guessed the same but it was not the case there can be empty/same text in random. I am making some changes so that there are no empty ones and no two have the same text.

I have searched about Client Properties. It is amazing that we can define our own keys. But I don't get how to use them in my case - I am using Eclipse and downloaded JFormBuilder and integrated it into Eclipse and defined two keys to test and I stopped at a point - I don't how to use them lol.
How to use them?

[Norm]

The client properties is a hashtable. Define a class with the data you want to save, create an instance of that class and put it in the clientproperty of the JButton. When you want to get the object with the data, use the same key you used to save it to get it.

[daxserver]

The client properties is a hashtable. Define a class with the data you want to save, create an instance of that class and put it in the clientproperty of the JButton. When you want to get the object with the data, use the same key you used to save it to get it.

Can you post a (link for) simple example so that I can understand thoroughly.

[Norm]

Sorry, I have no link other than the API doc:
Java Platform SE 6

Use the client properties like you use a hashtable. There is a get and a put method. Use a String for the key: "MyData" for example.

[daxserver]

I want to remove MouseListener for a specific button at some other place in the program. I tried to add removeMouseListener, but did not know what parameter is to be given.

[Fubarable]

I want to remove MouseListener for a specific button at some other place in the program. I tried to add removeMouseListener, but did not know what parameter is to be given.

No, you shouldn't even be using MouseListener with JButtons, that's not what they're built for or how the best work. Either use JLabels with MouseListeners or JButtons with ActionListeners. For instance if you disable a JButton via setEnabled(false), an ActionListener would recognize this and would not function for the disabled JButton. A MouselListener on the other hand would not behave correctly and would continue to react to mouse presses on the disabled JButton.

If I wanted to identify a button pushed in a grid, I'd either iterate through the array of JButtons or obtain the button object from the ActionEvent's getSource.

[daxserver]

No, you shouldn't even be using MouseListener with JButtons, that's not what they're built for or how the best work. Either use JLabels with MouseListeners or JButtons with ActionListeners. For instance if you disable a JButton via setEnabled(false), an ActionListener would recognize this and would not function for the disabled JButton. A MouselListener on the other hand would not behave correctly and would continue to react to mouse presses on the disabled JButton.

Yes, the MouseListener continued reacting even when i disabled it. But there are 25 buttons in an array[][]. How can I implement ActionListener for each of them?

If I wanted to identify a button pushed in a grid, I'd either iterate through the array of JButtons or obtain the button object from the ActionEvent's getSource.

How can we get ActionEvent's getSource?

[Fubarable]

Yes, the MouseListener continued reacting even when i disabled it. But there are 25 buttons in an array[][]. How can I implement ActionListener for each of them?

Create a single ActionListener object, and add them to the JButtons in a nested for loop. It's done all the time.

How can we get ActionEvent's getSource?

The ActionEvent object is passed into the ActionListeners actionPerformed method as a parameter. Simply call getSource() on this object.

[Fubarable]

Perhaps we'll all be better served if you explain in greater detail just what behavior you're trying to achieve rather than what code solution you're trying to use to achieve it. In other words, what is the goal of this part of the program? A Sudoku grid? A memory game? Jeopardy game? Something else? The optimal solution may be something entirely different and will likely depend on these as yet unstated details.

[daxserver]

Create a single ActionListener object, and add them to the JButtons in a nested for loop. It's done all the time.

I replaced MouseListener with ActionListener and good results when I disabled the button

And I am writing a memory-like game.