Thread: difference between action event from 2 buttons with same name?

first of all, I am sorry if I post it in the wrong sub-forum...but I guess this is a GUI problem..?I am not sure :<

the code below will probably explain the problem I got, but my goal is to have 2(or more) exactly same button in a Panel and have different effect when I clicked it. The only difference between those buttons will be location on the screen, is there anyway I can extract that information AFTER I get an unknown action event from 1 of them?

edit : The only thing I need to keep constant is the text on the button, the color and they need to use the same action listener, all other property is changable, if this info helps.

for your information,I know I could 'solve' the problem by assigning unique action listener to each button to solve the problem, but that method will not fit into all my other code, unless I am willing to re-do 5000 lines of code...

begging for a solution

b = new JButton("Button");
b.addActionListener(this);
add(b);
b = new JButton("Button");
b.addActionListener(this);
add(b);

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
    	JButton s = (JButton)e.getSource(); 
//This line here will tell me I got a event from "Button", which 
//I have no way to tell which button it is actually refering to
}

Why are you doing it this way? Why are you not keeping track of each JButton? Why are you only using one ActionListener? Doing either of those things is fine, but doing both doesn't make sense. Either add a different ActionListener to each JButton, or keep track of the JButton instances so you can compare them to the source. There are probably other ways around this problem, but they'll probably be kludges.

right, if anyone wants to know why, I am generating buttons according to use input. I am scan an array for inputs, if the array is {a,a,a,b,a} my code will generate 5 buttons in the order of a,a,a,b,a. Since I can not predict the unknown input, thus all I can think of is something like scaning the array element by element and pass the input to a method which will generate different button according to input(as below)

I simply cant think of anyway to assign unique action listener to unknow number of buttons and will function correctly, is there a way to create action listener with name that changes dynamicly?

case Farm:
				bFarm = new JButton("Farm");
 				bFarm.addActionListener(this);
 				add(bFarm);
 				if(!isCapture && !initDone){
 					bFarm.setBackground(new Color(0,119,0));
    			}else if(!isCapture && initDone){
 					bFarm.setBackground(new Color(0,119,0));
 					rp.FoodGrowth -= 5;
 				}else if(isCapture){
 					bHouse.setBackground(new Color(220,220,220));
 					rp.FoodGrowth += 5;
 				}
			break;
			case House:
				bHouse = new JButton("House");
 				bHouse.addActionListener(this);
 				add(bHouse);
 				if(!isCapture && !initDone){
 					bHouse.setBackground(new Color(0,119,0));
    			}else if(!isCapture && initDone){
 					bHouse.setBackground(new Color(0,119,0));
 					rp.PopCap -= 5;
 				}else if(isCapture){
 					bHouse.setBackground(new Color(220,220,220));
 					rp.PopCap += 5;
 				}
			break;

That's fine, but then why are you only using one ActionListener? Give each button its own, that way you don't need to worry about checking the source. Anonymous inner classes might be useful here.

Originally Posted by nggdowt

P.S. I am a dude, don't expect anything from that kiss lol

That's okay, I take payment in the form of postcards from wherever you live. Eventually somebody from here will send me one!