Graphics g

[fatabass]

Hi everyone,

I have this code:

import java.awt.Graphics;
import javax.swing.JComponent;
public class HelloWorld extends JComponent 
{
	public void paintComponent(Graphics g)
	{
		g.drawString("Hello!!!", 110, 110);
	}
}

My question is:

When I add this component to a frame, I get the text: "Hello!!!". However I am having a hard-time understanding what this Graphics g stand for.

paintComponent overrides the paintComponentMethod in JComponent,and is called automatically.
This method gets a parameter of type Graphics. So we have (Graphics g).

and then I call g.drawString

But what is this g here?

Please do not tell me to look to the API. I already have.
Graphics is an abstract class, so you can not create an object of Graphics right?
And I nowhere declared a reference g of type Graphics anyway?

Please help?

[Norm]

The JVM calls the paintComponent method with a Graphics object. It creates an object of type Graphics and passes a reference to that object to the paintComponent method in your code. You can call methods in the Graphics object to draw on the graphics context that you see in the GUI.

[fatabass]

The JVM calls the paintComponent method with a Graphics object. It creates an object of type Graphics and passes a reference to that object to the paintComponent method in your code.

I am assuming that "it" reffers to JVM...

So JVM creates an Graphics object ? and passes the reference g to it.. And we use refference g to call the drawString method.

Am I right?

[Norm]

Yes, you use the Graphics object passed to the method to do your drawing.

[fatabass]

I understand that.

My question is, who ( or what ) is creating the object ?
And how come (g) refers to it ?

[JosAH]

Stick a:

System.out.printlnI(g.getClass());

in your paintComponent( ... ) method and see the real class of parameter g. Such an object is created by the AWT framework and your method can use it as if it were a Graphics object.

kind regards,

Jos

ps. note: you'll see quite a bit of identical output, as many lines as your paintComponent( ... ) method is called by the AWT.

[fatabass]

Thank you for your answer.

So the object belongs to class: sun.java2d.SunGraphics2D.

For me it is some sort of magic.. Maybe I will undertsand it as I learn more about JAVA.

[Norm]

For me it is some sort of magic

Yes, there is lots of "magic" that you have to assume is working correctly. The JVM internals do whatever needs to be done to support the methods.
Go ahead and use it as the API doc says you can.

[JosAH]

Thank you for your answer.

So the object belongs to class: sun.java2d.SunGraphics2D.

For me it is some sort of magic.. Maybe I will undertsand it as I learn more about JAVA.

Yup, it's a sub class of the (abstract) Graphics class so you can treat it as such. That class does the real work by calling GL or equivalent graphics methods (depending on the OS it runs on). It is constructed by the AWT and passed to your paintComponent( ... ) method when the AWT wants the component to redraw itself (or parts of it).

kind regards,

Jos

[fatabass]

Yup, it's a sub class of the (abstract) Graphics class so you can treat it as such. That class does the real work by calling GL or equivalent graphics methods (depending on the OS it runs on). It is constructed by the AWT and passed to your paintComponent( ... ) method when the AWT wants the component to redraw itself (or parts of it).

kind regards,

Jos

Many many thanks for the detailed explanation and the time you have spared for it.

Best Wishes.

Is there any source that you would recommend for learning Swing?