Thread: How to display a Java method using Java Swing

I don't really know what you're saying. Perhaps you should draw out a picture of what you want. I recommend you read through the Swing tutorial to get a handle on the different components at your disposal: Trail: Creating a GUI With JFC/Swing (The Java™ Tutorials)

Console output:
________________
|
|# p # # # #
|
|# i # r a t
|
|# g # # # #
|
|# # k c u d
|
|# t a b # #
|________________

Explanation:
==================================================
Note: please see the attach jpg file, I outlined the words to find, but in my actual displayBoard() function, it just shows this same board on the console. So to put the explanation below simply, I just want to know how to incorporate this one Word Search board to be shown using Java Swing.

So this would be an eg of my displayBoard() method, so it's a 2D array of characters for the word search, I put the # symbols so that I can see my words for my testing. The words the user can type in to find are only column words and row words, I have yet to write methods for diagonal words. So the idea is that I want the to use Java Swing so that each time the user finds a word on the board, they type it in, press Enter and then I would have some status to indicate the number of words remaining to find, so using Java Swing is easier and cleaner, since I just have the one board at all times regardless of how many inputs user types in when they find a word on the board. Please see the right attached jpg with what I intend to use Java Swing for.

So the idea for what I want to do as to integrating my WordSearch program with Java Swing is this: I have this wordSearch display that is made by the displayBoard() function (which is void by the way) and then below it a textfield to type in the word, then an Enter button, then other Java Swing components would be a status to show how man words remaining and also another textfield or textbox (I don't know the right term) that displays for eg: "pig" was found or "mouse" was not found etc. I hope I am more clear as to what I want to do involving Java Swing.

So I already have some WordSearch class that has all the methods: so displayBoard(), updateWordList(), findRowWords(), findColWords() etc and a main class called WordSearchDemo and in my main function, I create a WordSearch constructor, so eg: WordSearch game=new WordSearc(), then I would call the displayBoard() method and it would show up on the console with game.displayBoard(), BUT now that I know about Java Swing, I need someone to help me out as how to use my existing displayBoard() method to show up just ONCE in Java Swing. So do I put it in a JPanel or what. I am not experienced with Java Swing. If anyone can help a fellow programmer out, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

Honestly, your best bet is to read through the Swing tutorial.

But it sounds like you want to extend JPanel and override paintComponent() to do the drawing, then have a JTextField for user input, and then maybe a JLabel to display messages. Also, you'd need a JButton with an ActionListener that searched for the typed word and displayed the appropriate message.

Ok, I'll just show you what I am stuck with: So below are a simplified version of my two classes:

WordSearch class:
=============

public class WordSearch
{
private String board[][]={{"p","p","o"},
{"i","p","o"},
{"g","p","o"},
};
private int wordsRemaining=8;


public void findRowForwardWords(String userWordToFind)
{
//algorithm to find words that you read horizontally from left to right
if the word is found on board, then:
wordsRemaining-=1;

}

public int wordsRemaining()
{
return wordsRemaining;
}
}//END WordSearch clas
=======================================

WordSearchDemo class:
==================
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;


public class WordSearchDemo extends JFrame implements ActionListener
{
public WordSearchDemo()
{
setTitle("Word Search!");
JPanel panel=new JPanel();
getContentPane().add(panel);
getContentPane().setLayout(new FlowLayout());
panel.setLayout(new FlowLayout());

try
{
BufferedImage myPicture = ImageIO.read(new File("WordSearchGUIDisplay.png"));
JLabel wordSearchBoard = new JLabel(new ImageIcon( myPicture ));
add(wordSearchBoard);
}
catch (Exception e)
{
System.out.println("There was a problem loading the image.");
}

JTextField textField=new JTextField("Type the word found on the board and press OK");
JButton button=new JButton("Search");

button.setBackground(Color.CYAN);
JLabel label=new JLabel("Find all 8 animals");
button.addActionListener(new ActionListener()
{
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event)
{
//how do I link to my wordsRemaining method in the WordSearch class
}
}
);

//getContentPane().add(button);
panel.add(label);
panel.add(textField);
panel.add(button);
//panel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(10 , 10, 10, 10));
add(panel);//same as: getContentPane().add(panel)



}//END WordSearchDemo CONSTRUCTOR


public static void main(String[] args)
{
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable()
{
public void run()
{
WordSearch2011Demo gui = new WordSearch2011Demo();
gui.setVisible(true);
}
});

}//END main FUNCTION
}
//END WordSearchDemo
============================
I hope that my code is clear enough, so my problem is how do I link my wordsRemaining method from my WordSearch class with a new WordSearch constructor in the WordSearchDemo class. Do I need to add an ActionListener to wordsReamining method, please help, ppl!!

Originally Posted by IHeartProgramming

WordSearch class:
=============

public class WordSearch
{
private String board[][]={{"p","p","o"},
{"i","p","o"},
{"g","p","o"},
};
private int wordsRemaining=8;


public void findRowForwardWords(String userWordToFind)
{
//algorithm to find words that you read horizontally from left to right
if the word is found on board, then:
wordsRemaining-=1;

}

public int wordsRemaining()
{
return wordsRemaining;
}
}//END WordSearch clas
=======================================

WordSearchDemo class:
==================
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;


public class WordSearchDemo extends JFrame implements ActionListener
{
public WordSearchDemo()
{
setTitle("Word Search!");
JPanel panel=new JPanel();
getContentPane().add(panel);
getContentPane().setLayout(new FlowLayout());
panel.setLayout(new FlowLayout());

//display the method from other class where you would like it to execute
WordSearch();

try
{
BufferedImage myPicture = ImageIO.read(new File("WordSearchGUIDisplay.png"));
JLabel wordSearchBoard = new JLabel(new ImageIcon( myPicture ));
add(wordSearchBoard);
}
catch (Exception e)
{
System.out.println("There was a problem loading the image.");
}

JTextField textField=new JTextField("Type the word found on the board and press OK");
JButton button=new JButton("Search");

button.setBackground(Color.CYAN);
JLabel label=new JLabel("Find all 8 animals");
button.addActionListener(new ActionListener()
{
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event)
{
//how do I link to my wordsRemaining method in the WordSearch class
}

// Creates the WordSearch method and imports the WordSearch method from the other class
public void WordSearch(){
WordSearch ws = new WordSearch();
ws.WordSearch();
}
}
);

//getContentPane().add(button);
panel.add(label);
panel.add(textField);
panel.add(button);
//panel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(10 , 10, 10, 10));
add(panel);//same as: getContentPane().add(panel)



}//END WordSearchDemo CONSTRUCTOR


public static void main(String[] args)
{
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable()
{
public void run()
{
WordSearch2011Demo gui = new WordSearch2011Demo();
gui.setVisible(true);
}
});

}//END main FUNCTION
}
//END WordSearchDemo
============================

Sorry for double post, I figured it would be easier to show a demo lol, Hope this helps..

Ok, now I have a new problem, after the user finds all the words, I want to change the word search board a congratulatory image I made. I tried to use the repaint() method in my else if part of the actionlistener where when a user types in the last word to find, the else if will show "good job!" in a JTextArea, BUT I also want the word search display to change to my congratulatory image. This is what I did:

else if(game.wordsRemaining()==0)
{
statusMessage="You've found all the words!";
statusTextArea.setText(statusMessage);

try
{
BufferedImage myPicture = ImageIO.read(new File("congratulationsGUIDisplay.jpg"));
JLabel wordSearchBoard = new JLabel(new ImageIcon( myPicture ));
add(wordSearchBoard);
}
catch(Exception e)
{
System.out.println(e.getMessage());
}

}//END congratulatory ELSE IF

**BUT NOTHING HAPPENS, does anyone know why it doesn't update, I tried putting repaint() inside this else if as the last statement and I've tried putting the repaint() at the end of the WordSearch constructor. Please help, anyone!!

Try calling invalidate() or validate() or revalidate() after you add the JLabel. It's in the API, but I'm too lazy to look it up right now (just had a big lunch of Indian food, feeling fat and sleepy).