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AddingaFileChoosertoaJavaApplication
ContributedbyPetrDvorak(Dec2009),maintainedbyAlyonaStashkova
ThistutorialshowshowtoaddafilechoosertoaJavaapplicationusingthe
[Link],butusingtheNetBeans
[Link],youwill
[Link].
Youcandownloadtheresultingprojectwithafilechooser.
Contents

CreatingtheApplication
CreatingtheApplicationForm
AddingtheFileChooser
ConfiguringtheFileChooser
RunningtheApplication
Tocompletethistutorial,youneedthefollowingsoftwareandresources.
SoftwareorResource
VersionRequired
NetBeansIDE
Version7.0ormorerecent
JavaDevelopmentKit(JDK) Version6,7,or8

CreatingtheApplication
FirstyoucreateanewJavaApplication:

[Link],chooseFile>[Link]
[Link].
[Link],typeJFileChooserDemoandspecifytheprojectlocation.
[Link].

[Link].

CreatingtheApplicationForm
Inthissection,youcreateaJFramecontainerandaddafewcomponentstoit.
TocreatetheJFrameform:
[Link]>[Link]
[Link].
[Link],typeJFileChooserDemo.
[Link],[Link].

[Link].
[Link],enterDemoapplicationfortheTitlepropertyandpressEnterto
confirm.
ToaddcomponentstotheJFrameform:
[Link],opentheSwingMenuscategory,selecttheMenuBarcomponentanddrag
ittothelefttopcorneroftheJFrame.
Note:IfyoudonotseethePalette,selectWindow>Palettefromthemainmenu.

[Link]
menu.
[Link],inthe
SwingMenuscategoryinthePalette,selectanewMenuItem(JMenuItem1),dragitto
theMenuBar,anddropittotheFileitemoftheMenuBar.

Note:MakesuretheMenuBarisselectedbeforedragginganotherMenuItemtherein
ordertohavethelatteraddedtotheMenuBar.
4.RightclickthejMenuItem1intheDesignviewandchooseChangeVariableNamefrom
[Link].
[Link]
[Link].
[Link]
Events>Action>[Link]
automaticallyswitchestotheSourceviewandaneweventhandlermethodnamed
OpenActionPerformed()[Link]:

[Link],switchback
intotheDesignmode,intheSwingMenuscategoryinthePalette,selectaMenuItem
(JMenuItem1)[Link]
highlightingthatindicateswheretheJMenuItem1isgoingtobeplaced.

8.RightclickjMenuItem1intheDesignviewandchooseChangeVariableNamefromthe
[Link].
[Link]
[Link].
[Link]
Events>Action>[Link]
automaticallyswitchestotheSourceviewandaneweventhandlermethodisgenerated
whichisnamedExitActionPerformed().TheExitActionPerformednodeappearsinthe
NavigatorwindowbelowtheOpenActionPerformed()node.
JavaProgramming
[Link],youincludethefollowingsourceintothe
Language
ExitActionPerformed()methodbody:

Training

[Link](0);

[Link],draga
TextArea(JTextArea)intotheformlikeshowninthepicturebelow.

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DocsforEarlierReleases

[Link]
Chooser.

AddingtheFileChooser
[Link]>Navigating>NavigatortoopentheNavigatorwindow,ifitisnotopen
yet.
[Link],[Link]>
SwingWindows>FileChooserfromthecontextmenu
AsanalternativetotheAddFromPalettecontextmenu,youcanalsodraganddropa
JFileChoosercomponentfromtheSwingWindowcategoryofthePalettetothewhite
[Link],butitisabitharder,becausethe

previewoftheJFileChooserisratherbigandyoumightaccidentallyinsertthewindow
intooneofthepanels,whichisnotwhatyouwant.
[Link].
[Link].

[Link]
want,addacustomfilefilter,andintegratetheFileChooserintoyourapplication.

ConfiguringtheFileChooser
ImplementingtheOpenAction
[Link],andthenedititspropertiesin
[Link],
pressEnterandclosethePropertiesdialogbox.
[Link]
FileChooserintoyourapplication,pastethefollowingcodesnippetintotheexisting
OpenActionPerformed()method.
privatevoidOpenActionPerformed([Link]){
intreturnVal=[Link](this);
if(returnVal==JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION){
Filefile=[Link]();
try{
//Whattodowiththefile,[Link]
[Link](newFileReader([Link]()),null);
}catch(IOExceptionex){
[Link]("problemaccessingfile"+[Link]());
}
}else{
[Link]("Fileaccesscancelledbyuser.");
}
}

Note:Removethefirstandlastlinesofthecodesnippetthatduplicatetheexistingones
inthesourcefile.
[Link],rightclickanywhereinthecodeandselectFix
ImportsorpressCtrl+Shift+[Link]
updatetheimportstatementsandclickOK.
Asyoucansee,youcalltheFileChooser'sgetSelectedFile()methodtodeterminewhichfile
theuserclicked,[Link]
intheTextArea.

ImplementingaFileFilter

NowyouaddacustomfilefilterthatmakestheFileChooserdisplayonly*.txtfiles.
[Link].
[Link],clicktheelipsis("...")buttonnexttothefileFilterproperty.
[Link],selectCustomCodefromthecombobox.

[Link]:
newMyCustomFilter()

[Link].
[Link],youwriteaninner(orouter)classMyCustomFilterthat
[Link]
ofyourclassbelowtheimportstatementstocreateaninnerclassimplementingthefilter.
[Link]{
@Override
publicbooleanaccept(Filefile){
//Allowonlydirectories,orfileswith".txt"extension
[Link]()||[Link]().endsWith(".txt");
}
@Override
publicStringgetDescription(){
//Thisdescriptionwillbedisplayedinthedialog,
//hardcoded=ugly,shouldbedoneviaI18N
return"Textdocuments(*.txt)";
}
}

Note:Tolearnhowtoimplementsmarter,switchablefilefilters,havealookatthe
addChoosableFileFiltermethod.

RunningtheApplication
[Link].
[Link]
mainclassandclickOK.

[Link],[Link]
resultshouldlooklikethis:

[Link],selectExitintheFilemenu.
HavealookatotherusefulSwingwindowsanddialogsliketheColorChooserorthe
OptionPaneintheGUIPalette.
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NextSteps
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JavaTutorial:HowtouseFileChoosers

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