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Thread: File Text displays jumbled in JList

  1. #1
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    Default File Text displays jumbled in JList

    Hello,

    I have a text file which I am reading into a JList. The file is being read in but it is displaying jumbled characters. I would just like to verify that there is nothing I am doing wrong below that would lead to this issue.


    try{
    		//  Populate the list box with the descr from the file.
    		FileReader fr = new FileReader(fileName);
    		BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(fr);
    		Vector<String> lines = new Vector<String>();
    		String buffer;
    		while ((buffer=br.readLine())!=null){
    			lines.add(buffer);
    		}
    		 JList trackListBox= new JList(lines);
    			JScrollPane tracksScrollPane = new JScrollPane(trackListBox);
    			TitledBorder listBorder = BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("Description");
     
    			tracksScrollPane.setBorder(listBorder);
     
    			add(BorderLayout.CENTER, tracksScrollPane);
    		}
    		catch(Exception e){
    			e.printStackTrace();
    		}


    Sample Image of what is being displayed.
    jumbledtext.png


  2. #2
    Super Moderator Norm's Avatar
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    Default Re: File Text displays jumbled in JList

    What is the internal format of the file that you are reading?
    Look at the file in a HexEditor to see what is in it. What do you see if you open the file in a simple editor?
    If you don't understand my answer, don't ignore it, ask a question.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: File Text displays jumbled in JList

    It is just a word doc with a paragraph of english I tried both doc and docx formats and produced the same results both times.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: File Text displays jumbled in JList

    A doc file is not a text file that can be read line by line in a Java program. You need special code that understands its internal format to get "lines" of text from it.

    Save the file as a .txt file.
    If you don't understand my answer, don't ignore it, ask a question.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: File Text displays jumbled in JList

    Got it. Works great now. Thanks.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: File Text displays jumbled in JList

    Ok, so I have another question. Currently the program is printing the entire text paragraph onto one line in the JList. How can I adjust this so that the text flows onto the next line when it reaches the edge of the JList.

    PS: Forgive me for asking simple questions but I am very new to Java GUI.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: File Text displays jumbled in JList

    Why are you putting long lines of text in a JList?
    You could use one of the String class's methods to find a place to break a line and use the substring method to break the line.
    If you don't understand my answer, don't ignore it, ask a question.

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