Thread: how to use graphics g

when i make a

public void paint(Graphics g){} in this program, it wouldn't do anything. But when I put it at the method mouseDrag, it would draw. But it doesn't work if I want to make rectanges b/c it's just makes a the same rectangular shape.

I don't know why it is. I could call paint() in mouseDrag and it'd work. but if I just want to use paint by itself my screen won't draw anything. It works if i make another program and uses it but not this program. =\

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.awt.geom.Ellipse2D;
 
import javax.swing.*;
 
 
 
 
public class Etch_A_Sketch extends JFrame implements MouseListener, MouseMotionListener, ActionListener  // NOTE multiple interfaces
{		
 
 
	public void paintComponent(Graphics g)
{  super.paintComponents(g);
g.setColor(Color.blue);
g.drawRect(10, 10, 80, 30);
g.drawRoundRect(100, 10, 80, 30, 15, 15);
 
int thickness = 4;
 
for (int i = 0; i <= thickness; i++)
   g.draw3DRect(200 - i, 10 - i, 
      80 + 2 * i, 30 + 2 * i, true);
for (int i = 0; i < thickness; i++)
   g.draw3DRect(200 - i, 50 - i, 
      80 + 2 * i, 30 + 2 * i, false);
 
g.drawOval(10, 100, 80, 30);
}
 
 
 
 
	Point start, end;
	boolean mouseUp = false;
	JFrame window;
	Container content;
	int mouseX,mouseY,oldX,oldY;
	JLabel coords;
	JButton colorButton;
	JComboBox shapes;
	Color newColor;
	JRadioButton button1, button2;
	private boolean draw,oval, rectangle, line;
	private boolean fill = false;
	int x1,x2,y1,y2;
	Graphics gg;
	public Etch_A_Sketch()
	{
		JFrame window = new JFrame("Classic Etch a Sketch");
		content = window.getContentPane();
		content.setLayout( new FlowLayout() );
 
		coords = new JLabel();
		coords.setFont(new Font("TimesRoman", Font.ITALIC + Font.BOLD, 32));
 
		JPanel dPanel = new JPanel();
 
		//JCOLORCHOOSER
		colorButton = new JButton("Choose a Color");
	    colorButton.addActionListener(this);
	    dPanel.add(colorButton);
 
	    //JCOMBOBOX
	    String[] shapesList = {"Default", "Line", "Rectange", "Oval" };
	    shapes = new JComboBox(shapesList);
	    dPanel.add(shapes);	    	
	    shapes.addActionListener(this);
	    shapes.setSelectedIndex(0);
 
	    //JRADIO
	     button1 = new JRadioButton("fill ");
	     button2 = new JRadioButton("empty");
	    ButtonGroup fillingsGroup = new ButtonGroup();
	    fillingsGroup.add(button1);
	    fillingsGroup.add(button2);
 
	    button2.setSelected(true);
		JPanel bPanel = new JPanel();
		dPanel.add(button1);
		dPanel.add(button2);
 
		button1.addActionListener(this);
		button2.addActionListener(this);
		//LAYOUT
        content.add(bPanel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
 
        content.add(dPanel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
		content.add( coords); 
		content.addMouseListener(this);        // "this" is the class that impliments that listener
		content.addMouseMotionListener(this);
		// "this" is the class that impliments that listener
		window.setSize(640,480);
 
		window.setVisible(true);
	}
 
 
	// ..............................................................
	// IMPLEMENTING MOUSELISTENER REQUIRES YOU TO WRITE (OVER-RIDE) THESE METHODS 
 
	public void mouseClicked( MouseEvent me)
	{
		mouseX = me.getX();
		mouseY = me.getY();
		reportCoords("Mouse clicked at: " +
			mouseX + "," + mouseY );
 
	}
	public void mousePressed( MouseEvent me)
	{	
		mouseX = me.getX();
		mouseY = me.getY();
		reportCoords("Mouse Pressed at: " +
			mouseX + "," + mouseY );
		//repaint();
 
		x1= mouseX;
		y1 =mouseY;
		System.out.println("x1: " +x1 +"y1: " +y1);
		}
 
	public void mouseReleased( MouseEvent me)
	{
 
		mouseX = me.getX();
		mouseY = me.getY();
		reportCoords("Mouse released at: " +
			mouseX + "," + mouseY );
		//repaint();
		x2 = mouseX;
		y2 = mouseY;
		System.out.println("x2: " +x2 +"y2: " +y2);
	}
 
	public void mouseExited( MouseEvent me)
	{
		mouseX = me.getX();
		mouseY = me.getY();
		reportCoords("Mouse exited at: " +
			mouseX + "," + mouseY );
		//repaint();
	}
	public void mouseEntered( MouseEvent me)
	{
		mouseX = me.getX();
		mouseY = me.getY();
		reportCoords("Mouse Entered at: " +
			mouseX + "," + mouseY );
		//repaint();
	}
 
	// ...............................................................
	// IMPLEMENTING MOUSEMOTIONLISTENER REQUIRES YOU WRITE (OVER-RIDE) THESE METHODS 
 
	public void mouseDragged( MouseEvent me)
	{
 
 
		mouseX = me.getX();
		mouseY = me.getY();
 
 
 
		if (oldX ==0 )
		{
			oldX=mouseX;
			oldY=mouseY;
			return;
		}
		gg = content.getGraphics();
	    gg.setColor(Color.YELLOW);
 
 
	    if(draw)
		gg.drawLine( oldX,oldY, mouseX, mouseY );
 
	    gg.drawRect(100,100,100,100);
 
	    paint(gg);
	    oldX = mouseX;
		oldY = mouseY;
		reportCoords("Mouse Dragged at: " +
			mouseX + "," + mouseY );
		//repaint();
 
 
 
 
 
 
	}
 
	  public void mouseMoved( MouseEvent me)
	{
		mouseX = me.getX();
		mouseY = me.getY();
		reportCoords("Mouse Moved at: " +
			mouseX + "," + mouseY );
		//repaint();
	}
 
 
public static int difference(int a, int b){
	return Math.abs(a-b);
}
	// ..............................................................
 
 
	public static void main( String[] args)
	{
		new Etch_A_Sketch();
 
 
	}
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
	  public void paint(Graphics g) {
 
		    g.setColor(Color.RED);
 
 
		    int width; int height;
 
		    width = difference(x1,x2);
		    height = difference(y1,y2);
 
 
		    if(draw)
			g.drawLine( oldX,oldY, mouseX, mouseY );
 
			else if(oval){
 
				g.drawOval(mouseX,mouseY, width,height);
			if(fill)
				g.fillOval(mouseX,mouseY, width,height);
			}
			else if(rectangle){
				g.drawRect(mouseX,mouseY, width, height);
 
			 if(fill)
				g.fillRect(mouseX,mouseY, width,height);
 
			}
		  }
 
 
 
 
 
 
	// a helper utility
	private void reportCoords( String msg )
	{
		coords.setText( msg ); 
	}
	  public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
		    // Args are parent component, title, initial color
 
		     if(e.getSource()==colorButton){
 
			  Color bgColor       = JColorChooser.showDialog(this,  "Choose a color to draw",    getBackground());
		  		getBackground();
		    if (bgColor != null)
		      getContentPane().setBackground(bgColor);
 
 
 
		    newColor = bgColor;
 
 
		    System.out.println("bgColor:" +bgColor);
		    System.out.println("newColor:" +newColor);    
 
		  }
 
		  int Selection;
		  Selection = shapes.getSelectedIndex();
 
 
		    if(Selection == 0){
			  System.out.println("Default: at " + Selection); setFlagsFalse(); draw = true;
		    }
		    else    if(Selection == 1){
				  System.out.println("Line: at " + Selection); setFlagsFalse(); draw = true; 
			  }
		    else if(Selection == 2){
				  System.out.println("Rec: at " + Selection); setFlagsFalse(); rectangle = true; 
			  }
		    else if(Selection == 3){
				  System.out.println("Oval: at " + Selection); setFlagsFalse(); oval = true; 
			  }
 
 
 
		    if(e.getSource() == button1){
		    	System.out.println("button1" + fill);
		    	fill = true;
		    }
		    else if(e.getSource() == button2){
		    	System.out.println("button2" + fill);
		    	fill = false;
 
		    } 
 
 
 
 
 
	  }
 
	  void setFlagsFalse()
	  {
	  line = false;
	  oval = false;
	  rectangle = false;
	  draw = false;
	  }
 
}//EOF

the dragged

public void mouseDragged( MouseEvent me)
	{
 
 
		mouseX = me.getX();
		mouseY = me.getY();
 
 
 
		if (oldX ==0 )
		{
			oldX=mouseX;
			oldY=mouseY;
			return;
		}
		gg = content.getGraphics();
	    gg.setColor(Color.YELLOW);
 
 
	    if(draw)
		gg.drawLine( oldX,oldY, mouseX, mouseY );
 
	    gg.drawRect(100,100,100,100);
 
	    paint(gg);
	    oldX = mouseX;
		oldY = mouseY;
		reportCoords("Mouse Dragged at: " +
			mouseX + "," + mouseY );
		//repaint();
 
 
 
 
 
 
	}

the paint()

  public void paint(Graphics g) {
 
		    g.setColor(Color.RED);
 
 
		    int width; int height;
 
		    width = difference(x1,x2);
		    height = difference(y1,y2);
 
 
		    if(draw)
			g.drawLine( oldX,oldY, mouseX, mouseY );
 
			else if(oval){
 
				g.drawOval(mouseX,mouseY, width,height);
			if(fill)
				g.fillOval(mouseX,mouseY, width,height);
			}
			else if(rectangle){
				g.drawRect(mouseX,mouseY, width, height);
 
			 if(fill)
				g.fillRect(mouseX,mouseY, width,height);
 
			}
		  }

You're not supposed to call the paint or paintComponent methods. You call the repaint() method and the JVM calls the paint method shortly after that and passes it a reference to a Graphics object.
For normal use of drawing methods in paint/paintComponent your code does the computations for what you want drawn, puts the data about the drawings where the paint method can get to it and calls repaint().
The JVM calls paint and the paint method gets the stored data and does the drawing.

I see. I added repaint(); after mouseReleased and whenever I tried to draw a rectangle, it still won't show up . I'm really confused on how it is able to draw on the GUI when it's at mouseDragged without having to do repaint(); but when I used repaint(); at another method of mouseListener's actions it just won't work.

public void mouseReleased( MouseEvent me)
	{
 
		mouseX = me.getX();
		mouseY = me.getY();
		reportCoords("Mouse released at: " +
			mouseX + "," + mouseY );
		x2 = mouseX;
		y2 = mouseY;
		System.out.println("x2: " +x2 +"y2: " +y2);
		repaint();
	}

Your code is confused on who does the painting. For example JFrame does not have a paintComponent() method to override.
You should NOT override JFrame's paint method, but instead create a JPanel, add that to the JFrame and do your painting there.
The code that builds the GUI is very confused also. The layout manager that's used and the constraints passed to the add() method are mixed. You add two components for the SOUTH area and another without any area.
You should go through the design of the code and rewrite it.

Yeah =\. I wished I did mine out of scratch but we're suppose to use our prof's pre-made program and then do the modifications there. I made a quick tester just like that and it worked when I used repaint(); but not at this program. Okay, I get what you're saying, that's the question I was thinking too when I couldn't find the panel that the g.draw uses. I just assumed it somehow makes an infinite loop of listener's on the screen. and the reason i made both "SOUTH" was b/c i wanted to see what the painted canvas was. I assumed that it'
d go to the bottom but it's still on top ("NORTH").

how do you make a paintedCanvas? do I just add it to JPanel paintedCanvas = new JPanel? and then paintedCanvas.add( paint object? );

how do you make a paintedCanvas

Create a class that extends JPanel and in that class override the paintComponent() method.
Add an instance of that class to your GUI where you what to see it.

got it, my first step. I added it as an inner class, is that okay? or do i need to make it outside of my etch a sketch class?

public class paint extends JPanel{
 
	}

An inner class would be useful because it would allow the class to see the enclosing class's variables.
paint is not a good name for your class. paint is a method name for some classes and class names should start with a Uppercase letter.

Thanks, now I've changed it to:

	  public class PaintHere extends Canvas{
 
	  	}

I'm hoping canvas would work because on the description it says: "A Canvas component represents a blank rectangular area of the screen onto which the application can draw or from which the application can trap input events from the user. "

Canvas is from the old awt classes. JPanel is part of Swing and has a lot more features that can be useful.

thanks, i've gotten it to work correctly now.
i got one last question, is there a way to store rectangle/oval or any shape so that when i make an eraser button, i can remove it?

To be able to "erase" a shape, you will need to create a list of shapes for the paint method to draw.
The erase step will remove the shape from the list.