Thread: Label does not display the second time

I apologize if the seems like a long post, but i do need help. I am working on an app the stumps me in one particular issue. It would use a "Please Wait" label while some image procession is going on. My problem is I can have it do it once, the second and subsequent time no label visible, meaning none is showing on display, I have worked unsuccessfully with ChatGpt. It's suggestions keeps giving me the same results. The code included here is the method that is under suspicion.

It is basically from a single java file app, with a frame containing 2 panels, one for the eventual image, one for controls at the bottom. When the app starts it call a method loadImage() (with some angle, but that's not a issue here). That method displays the Please Wait label, and after a while it removes the label. Good so far. When I then click a button it calls the same method, but this time there is no wait label, and none on subsequent clicks.

I have implemented fairly detailed logging, and it shows me that all the statements are executed in the correct order, and repeatedly when the button is clicked. But still no wait label. I have run the app with debug form VS Code 2022, but get no better results.

If it's not asking too much, could one of you guru's look at the code and give me hint at what to do. Your help will be hugely appreciated.

executed in main()
{
// Initialize waitLabel
waitLabel = new JLabel("Please Wait", SwingConstants.CENTER);
waitLabel.setFont(new Font("Serif", Font.BOLD, 70));
waitLabel.setForeground(Color.RED);
waitLabel.setOpaque(true);
log("main - 19. - initialized waitLabel");

log("main - 21. - before loadImage");
// Call loadImage with angle 0
loadImage(0);
log("main - 22. - returned from loadImage");
}

public static void loadImage(int angle) {
log("loadImage - 40. - loadImage started");

// Show waitLabel
imagePanel.add(waitLabel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
waitLabel.setVisible(true);
log("loadImage - 20. - waitLabel added to imagePanel");

imagePanel.revalidate();
imagePanel.repaint();
log("loadImage - 41. - waitLabel show");

// Pause for 5 seconds
try {
log("loadImage - 42. - pause started");
Thread.sleep(5000);
log("loadImage - 43. - pause complete");
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
log("loadImage - 44. - error during pause: " + e.getMessage());
}

// Remove waitLabel
imagePanel.removeAll();
imagePanel.revalidate();
imagePanel.repaint();
log("loadImage - 45. - waitLabel hidden");
}
There should be a way to send the complete java file, but I don't see any buttons or links. May be my access rights are too low, this is my first post.

Ah, the "code" , that's why I couldn't submit my previous post. Yes, here is complete listing. It compiles, no error, it run, no errors as such, except no "Please Wait" when I click on the rotate button (that's what I meant by "second time"). Again, your help will be greatly appreciated.

// Beginning
package SplitPng;
 
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.time.LocalDateTime;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
 
public class SplitPng {
 
    // Declare global variables
 
    // turn logging on/off
    static boolean doLog = true;
 
    static JFrame frame;
    static JPanel imagePanel, controlsPanel;
    static JLabel waitLabel;
    static JLabel messageLabel;
    static JButton rotateButton, closeButton;
    static final String LOG_FILE_PATH = "./log.txt"; // Log file in the application execution folder
 
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Start logging
        log("main - 1. - appINI");
 
        // Set up the frame
        frame = new JFrame("SplitPng");
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.setExtendedState(JFrame.MAXIMIZED_BOTH);
        log("main - 2. - frame configured");
 
        // Add close button to frame
        frame.setUndecorated(false);
        log("main - 3. - close button added");
 
        // Ensure frame gets the preferred size of imagePanel
        frame.pack();
        log("main - 4. - frame packed");
 
        // Set up the panels
        frame.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        log("main - 5. - frame layout set");
 
        // Initialize and configure imagePanel
        imagePanel = new JPanel();
        log("main - 6. - initialized imagePanel");
 
        frame.add(imagePanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        log("main - 7. - imagePanel added to frame");
 
        // Initialize controlsPanel
        controlsPanel = new JPanel();
        log("main - 8. - initialized controlsPanel");
 
        // Initialize and add the rotate button
        rotateButton = new JButton("Rotate Image");
        log("main - 9. - initialized rotateButton");
        rotateButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
            @Override
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                log("main - 10. - rotateButton clicked");
                // Call loadImage with angle 0
                loadImage(0);
                log("main - 11. - returned from rotateButton clicked");
            }
        });
        controlsPanel.add(rotateButton);
        log("main - 12. - added rotateButton");
 
        // Initialize and add the close button
        closeButton = new JButton("Close App");
        log("main - 13. - initialized closeButton");
        closeButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
            @Override
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                log("main - 14. - closeButton clicked");
                System.exit(0);
            }
        });
        controlsPanel.add(closeButton);
        log("main - 15. - added closeButton");
 
        frame.add(controlsPanel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
        log("main - 16. - controlsPanel added to frame");
 
        // Display the frame
        frame.setVisible(true);
        log("main - 17. - frame visible");
 
        // Configure imagePanel
        imagePanel.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        log("main - 18. - configured imagePanel");
 
        // Initialize waitLabel
        waitLabel = new JLabel("Please Wait", SwingConstants.CENTER);
        waitLabel.setFont(new Font("Serif", Font.BOLD, 70));
        waitLabel.setForeground(Color.RED);
        waitLabel.setOpaque(true);
        log("main - 19. - initialized waitLabel");
 
        log("main - 21. - before loadImage");
        // Call loadImage with angle 0
        loadImage(0);
        log("main - 22. - returned from loadImage");
    }
 
    public static void loadImage(int angle) {
        log("loadImage - 40. - loadImage started");
 
        // Show waitLabel
        imagePanel.add(waitLabel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        waitLabel.setVisible(true);
        log("loadImage - 20. - waitLabel added to imagePanel");
 
        imagePanel.revalidate();
        imagePanel.repaint();
        log("loadImage - 41. - waitLabel show");
 
        // Pause for 5 seconds
        try {
            log("loadImage - 42. - pause started");
            Thread.sleep(5000);
            log("loadImage - 43. - pause complete");
        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
            log("loadImage - 44. - error during pause: " + e.getMessage());
        }
 
        // Hide waitLabel
        imagePanel.removeAll();
        imagePanel.revalidate();
        imagePanel.repaint();
        log("loadImage - 45. - waitLabel hidden");
    }
 
    public static void log(String message) {
        if (doLog) {
            try (FileWriter writer = new FileWriter(LOG_FILE_PATH, true)) {
                writer.write(String.format("%09d",
                        Long.parseLong(LocalDateTime.now().format(DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyyMMddHHmmss"))))
                        + " - "
                        + message + "\n");
            } catch (IOException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }
    }
}
// End