Component not updating??!!

This one has me totally stumped!

I have a class that extends a JDialog and implements the ActionListener interface. It contains JTextField and a JLabel that I am using to display warning messages - e.g. if the user clicks "OK" and they haven't given the right input the JDialog stays visible and the JLabel is changed to show an error message.

Consider the following code in the class that is called to create the warning box and add it to this (which is an extension of JDialog):

Code:

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[B]//Example Block 1[/B]
this.m_box_warnings = Box.createVerticalBox();
this.m_box_content = Box.createVerticalBox();
this.m_box_content.add(this.m_box_warnings);
this.getContentPane().add(this.m_box_content);

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Consider the following code that is called when actionPerformed is called in response to the user clicking OK:

Code:

---

[B]//Example Block 2[/B]
this.m_box_warnings.removeAll();  //Get rid of old warning messages.

System.out.println("check 1 :" + this.m_box_warnings.getComponents().length); 

for (int n=0; n<warnings.length; n++)  //"warnings" is a String[].
  this.m_box_warnings.add(new JLabel(warnings[n]));

System.out.println("check 2: " + this.m_box_warnings.getComponents().length);

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What happens is this:

Let's say that the first time that Example Block 2 is executed there are three warning messages. The three warnings are displayed on the dialog, as expected, and the outputs from Example Block 2 are as follows:

check 1: 0
check 2: 3

This is what I would expect.

Let's say that the second time Example Block 2 is executed, there are now only two warning messages. The outputs from Example Block 2 are now as follows:

check 1: 0
check 2: 2

This is also what I would expect, BUT ... the problem is that the displayed dialog box still shows the three messages from before!

:confused::confused::confused::confused:

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

EDIT:
I fixed it by adding the following code to the end of Example Block 2:

Code:

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this.m_box_warnings.setVisible(false);
this.m_box_warnings.setVisible(true);

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But I don't understand why this works!!

I'll use it until some kind person explains to me what's going on and suggests a better method.

Please bear with me, I'm just a learner!

What does this.m_box_warnings.revalidate() do?

kind regards,

Jos

Well, TBH it doesn't seem to do a lot! I put it in above the setVisible true/false lines, then I commented out the setVisible lines .. and not a lot happened!

It still seems to work only with the setVisible bit of code.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by XmisterIS

Well, TBH it doesn't seem to do a lot! I put it in above the setVisible true/false lines, then I commented out the setVisible lines .. and not a lot happened!

It still seems to work only with the setVisible bit of code.

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Well, we have to wait for Camickr or Darryl then; they're real Swing wizards ;-) and I don't know much about Swing. The best of luck with this problem; I'll keep on reading this thread because I'm convinced it could be solved 'cheaper'.

kind regards,

Jos

The standard idiom is that after adding components to a visible container you need to call revalidate() and after removing components you need to call both revalidate() and repaint() on the container.

Since you are both removing and adding components, a single

Code:

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revalidate();
repaint();

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at the end will suffice.

Your requirement does look as if using a JList would be easier all round.

To get better help sooner post a SSCCE
SSCCE : Java Glossary

db

Many thanks Darryl!

I will familiarise myself with JList too.