Unable to capture key pressed :((

[N00Bie]

Hi,
I was learning about capturing key presses via the web and I added it to one of my existing Test classes... the problem is it just does not work :(
I have added color to the parts I think are important.

My code:

import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.EventQueue;

import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.border.EmptyBorder;
import java.awt.GridBagLayout;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import java.awt.GridBagConstraints;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import java.awt.Insets;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;
import java.awt.event.KeyListener;
import java.util.Date;

import javax.swing.JRadioButton;


public class Test extends JFrame implements Runnable,[COLOR="Red"]KeyListener [/COLOR]{

	private JPanel contentPane;

	/**
	 * Launch the application.
	 */
	/*
	public static void main(String[] args) {
		EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
			public void run() {
				try {
					Test frame = new Test();
					frame.setVisible(true);
				} catch (Exception e) {
					e.printStackTrace();
				}
			}
		});
	} */

	/**
	 * Create the frame.
	 */
	public Test() {

		
		
		
		setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
		setBounds(100, 100, 450, 300);
		contentPane = new JPanel();
	[COLOR="Red"]	contentPane.addKeyListener(this);[/COLOR]
		contentPane.setBorder(new EmptyBorder(5, 5, 5, 5));
		setContentPane(contentPane);
		GridBagLayout gbl_contentPane = new GridBagLayout();
		gbl_contentPane.columnWidths = new int[]{0, 0, 0, 0, 0};
		gbl_contentPane.rowHeights = new int[]{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0};
		gbl_contentPane.columnWeights = new double[]{0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 0.0, Double.MIN_VALUE};
		gbl_contentPane.rowWeights = new double[]{0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, Double.MIN_VALUE};
		contentPane.setLayout(gbl_contentPane);
	[COLOR="Red"]//addKeyListener( this );[/COLOR]
		radio1 = new JRadioButton("Radio 1");
		GridBagConstraints gbc_radio1 = new GridBagConstraints();
		gbc_radio1.fill = GridBagConstraints.BOTH;
		gbc_radio1.insets = new Insets(0, 0, 5, 5);
		gbc_radio1.gridx = 1;
		gbc_radio1.gridy = 1;
		contentPane.add(radio1, gbc_radio1);
		if(getRadioValue()==1){System.out.println("a");}else{System.out.println("b");}
		JButton btnNewButton = new JButton("New button");
		btnNewButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
			public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0) {
				but1ActionPerformed(arg0);
			}
		});
		
		label1 = new JLabel("New label");
		GridBagConstraints gbc_label1 = new GridBagConstraints();
		gbc_label1.insets = new Insets(0, 0, 5, 0);
		gbc_label1.gridx = 3;
		gbc_label1.gridy = 4;
		contentPane.add(label1, gbc_label1);
		GridBagConstraints gbc_btnNewButton = new GridBagConstraints();
		gbc_btnNewButton.insets = new Insets(0, 0, 0, 5);
		gbc_btnNewButton.gridx = 1;
		gbc_btnNewButton.gridy = 6;
		contentPane.add(btnNewButton, gbc_btnNewButton);
	}
[COLOR="Red"]
	public void keyPressed( KeyEvent e )
	 {
		System.out.println("a "+e.getKeyText(e.getKeyCode()));
	}
	
	 public void keyReleased( KeyEvent e )
	 {
		 System.out.println("b "+e.getKeyText(e.getKeyCode()));

 }
	
	 public void keyTyped( KeyEvent e )
	 {
		 System.out.println("b "+e.getKeyText(e.getKeyCode()));
	 }[/COLOR]
	 
	 private javax.swing.JLabel label1;
	 private JRadioButton radio1;
	 
	 private int getRadioValue() {
		 boolean b;
		 b = 	radio1.isSelected();
		 
		   if(b==true)
	            return 1;
	        else
	            return 2;
		}
	 
	 Thread runner;
	 public void start()
	    {while(runner==null){runner=new Thread(this);runner.start();}}

	 
	    public void run()
	    {int i=0;
	       while (true)
	       {
	           System.out.println(""+i);
	           updateCounter();
	           //label1.setText(""+i);
	           try {Thread.sleep(1000);}
	           catch(InterruptedException e){};
	           i++;
	       }
	    }
	    int iii=0;
	    public void updateCounter(){
	    	
	    	label1.setText(""+iii);
	    	iii++;
	    }

		private void but1ActionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0) {
			//label1.setText("a");	
			iii=0;
		}
}

[N00Bie]

In the end I want to capture the keyboard input of the numbers 1 to 7, but right now the first step is to make it damn give me a system.out.println() for every key pressed or release and I cant get that :((

Where did I screwup?

[Fubarable]

Where did I screwup?

For one, please edit your first post and change your "quote" tags to "code" tags so we can read the code.

[N00Bie]

Done :))...

[Fubarable]

To use a KeyListener, the component doing the listening must have the focus. You've added your listener to the contentPane which likely does not have focus. What is the goal of your key listening anyway? What are you trying to achieve with this?

[N00Bie]

I'm still very much in the path of learning/(refreshing my knowledge) of Java.
So instead of just doing the examples in the tutorials I am also making a side project for myself where I can practice what i have learned because I belive the best way of learning is to create something.

So I have created a little game (I play the guitar) where a music note is displayed on the screen and I have to click one of 7 buttons to say which note it is. This works perfectly.
But moving the mouse fast enough sometimes is a problem (I have a thread running with a timer that gives me only 2 seconds to click the right button before the music note changes) so once I run the program I want to be able to use the number pad as well.

Sorry for the long explanation.

[Fubarable]

Sorry for the long explanation.

That's quite alright as it gives us some useful information on your problem. You may wish to explore using key bindings instead of a key listener, and you can find more about it here: how to use key bindings

It may seem more daunting at first, but it has power and flexibility including being usable even if the component doing the binding doesn't have focus.

[N00Bie]

Ok, will check it out... will write back if I run into a wall ;)

Here's a pic of my little app so far:

(Click to expand)

And the Test class which I posted here is exactly that, a test class. Once things are working in the test class I make the changes in the other program that way I wont screw up something thats already working and spend time searching and undoing stuff.

[Fubarable]

Also: If you don't mind using alt-key combinations, you could simply set the JButton's mnemonic to be alt-your number.

[N00Bie]

That key bindings thing is pretty long with no quick examples :(
I did find this though:

adding this

tt.requestFocusInWindow();

under my

Test tt = new Test();
tt.setVisible(true);

seems to work for the most part but is also giving me some other output...

For keyReleased() it gives me:

Unknown keyCode: 0x0

[N00Bie]

Also: If you don't mind using alt-key combinations, you could simply set the JButton's mnemonic to be alt-your number.

AH!
Thats a very good idea, will try that as well!

[N00Bie]

Ok, just tried the "mnemonic " way.
It works good (I don't mind the ALT) but when I try using the number pad... no joy :(

[Fubarable]

Hm, let's see your code. I unfortunately don't have a number pad on my computer, but this worked for my laptop:

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

@SuppressWarnings("serial")
public class Test2 extends JPanel {
   public static final String[] BUTTON_STRINGS = {"Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday"};
   private static final int GAP = 10;
   private static final Dimension APP_SIZE = new Dimension(1000, 300);
   
   public Test2() {
      JPanel btnPanel = new JPanel(new GridLayout(1, 0, GAP, 0));
      int count = 1;
      for (String btnString : BUTTON_STRINGS) {
         String text = "" + count + ") " + btnString;
         JButton btn = new JButton(text);
         btn.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_0 + count);  // ooh, this is cheating!
         btn.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
               System.out.println("button " + ae.getActionCommand() + " pressed");
            }
         });
         
         btnPanel.add(btn);
         count++;
      }
      
      setPreferredSize(APP_SIZE);
      setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
      add(btnPanel);
   }

   private static void createAndShowUI() {
      JFrame frame = new JFrame("Test2");
      frame.getContentPane().add(new Test2());
      frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
      frame.pack();
      frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
      frame.setVisible(true);
   }

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

[N00Bie]

Hmmm, a new problem.
If I use the
tt.requestFocusInWindow();
method described on top then if i click the radio button and the frame loses focus then it does not work anymore :(

so back i go to looking into key bindings :(

[N00Bie]

Am on a laptop myself but it has a number pad.
Your example code worked great on the normal numbers row but now with the number pad.

Do you have a small program with keybindings? The online docs are a little overkill for me

[Fubarable]

Here's an example with key bindings:

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

@SuppressWarnings("serial")
public class Test2KeyBindings extends JPanel {
   public static final String[] BUTTON_STRINGS = {"Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday"};
   private static final int GAP = 10;
   private static final Dimension APP_SIZE = new Dimension(1000, 300);
   
   public Test2KeyBindings() {
      JPanel btnPanel = new JPanel(new GridLayout(1, 0, GAP, 0));
      int count = 1;
      for (String btnString : BUTTON_STRINGS) {
         final String text = "" + count + ") " + btnString;
         //!! JButton btn = new JButton(text);
         //!! btn.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_0 + count);  // ooh, this is cheating!
         
         AbstractAction action = new AbstractAction(text) {
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
               System.out.println("button " + text + " pressed");
            }
         };
         final JButton btn = new JButton(action);
         
         // *** key bindings code ***
         
         // condition tells the input map how to handle the focus.  when in focused
         // window allows the input map to respond if the component with bindings 
         // is in a window that has focus.  The component itself doesn't have to have
         // focus.
         int condition = JComponent.WHEN_IN_FOCUSED_WINDOW; 
         InputMap inputMap = btn.getInputMap(condition);
         ActionMap actionMap = btn.getActionMap();
         inputMap.put(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_0 + count, 0), text);
         //!! actionMap.put(text, action);  // if you don't want the button to click
         
         // if you do want the button to click, use code below
         actionMap.put(text, new AbstractAction() {
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
               btn.doClick();
            }
         });
         
         btnPanel.add(btn);
         count++;
      }
      
      setPreferredSize(APP_SIZE);
      setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
      add(btnPanel);
   }

   private static void createAndShowUI() {
      JFrame frame = new JFrame("Test2");
      frame.getContentPane().add(new Test2KeyBindings());
      frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
      frame.pack();
      frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
      frame.setVisible(true);
   }

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

[N00Bie]

Thank you so much!

I can go to sleep now! Been up the whole night (its 7 am) will check it when i get up and report back if I run into problems.

Cheers!

[N00Bie]

Hey again!

Works like a charm! And I think I understand the concept for the most part with some small murky areas such as why to use final in some places.

It does not work with the number pad still, but I think I just have to search and find the number pad keys and bind that too (?).

+rep'ed!

[N00Bie]

Number pad works!!!

inputMap.put(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_NU MPAD1 , 0), text);

For anybody else having the same problem, first use Fubarables code then refer to this chart to get the mappings for the keys
http://download.oracle.com/javase/1..../KeyEvent.html

[Fubarable]

Number pad works!!!
For anybody else having the same problem, first use Fubarables code then refer to this chart to get the mappings for the keys
KeyEvent (Java 2 Platform SE v1.4.2)

Thanks for educating me. 1+ rep back atcha!