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javax.swing
class JComboBox

java.lang.Object extended by java.awt.Component extended by java.awt.Container extended by javax.swing.JComponent extended by javax.swing.JComboBox
All Implemented Interfaces:
ItemSelectable, MenuContainer, ActionListener, ImageObserver, Serializable, Accessible, TransferHandler.HasGetTransferHandler, ListDataListener

Most common way to construct:

JComboBox comboBox = new JComboBox();

Based on 33 examples


public class JComboBox
extends JComponent
implements ItemSelectable, ListDataListener, ActionListener, Accessible

A component that combines a button or editable field and a drop-down list. The user can select a value from the drop-down list, which appears at the user's request. If you make the combo box editable, then the combo box includes an editable field into which the user can type a value.

Warning: Swing is not thread safe. For more information see Swing's Threading Policy.

Warning: Serialized objects of this class will not be compatible with future Swing releases. The current serialization support is appropriate for short term storage or RMI between applications running the same version of Swing. As of 1.4, support for long term storage of all JavaBeansTM has been added to the java.beans package. Please see {@link java.beans.XMLEncoder}.

See How to Use Combo Boxes in The Java Tutorial for further information.


Nested Class Summary
protected class

           This class implements accessibility support for the JComboBox class.
static interface

           The interface that defines a KeySelectionManager.
Nested classes/interfaces inherited from class javax.swing.JComponent
JComponent.AccessibleJComponent
 
Nested classes/interfaces inherited from class java.awt.Container
Container.AccessibleAWTContainer
 
Nested classes/interfaces inherited from class java.awt.Component
Component.AccessibleAWTComponent, Component.BaselineResizeBehavior, Component.BltBufferStrategy, Component.FlipBufferStrategy
   
Field Summary
protected String actionCommand
          This protected field is implementation specific.
protected ComboBoxModel dataModel
          This protected field is implementation specific.
protected ComboBoxEditor editor
          This protected field is implementation specific.
protected boolean isEditable
          This protected field is implementation specific.
protected JComboBox.KeySelectionManager keySelectionManager
          This protected field is implementation specific.
protected boolean lightWeightPopupEnabled
          This protected field is implementation specific.
protected int maximumRowCount
          This protected field is implementation specific.
protected ListCellRenderer renderer
          This protected field is implementation specific.
protected Object selectedItemReminder
          This protected field is implementation specific.
 
Fields inherited from class javax.swing.JComponent
accessibleContext, listenerList, TOOL_TIP_TEXT_KEY, ui, UNDEFINED_CONDITION, WHEN_ANCESTOR_OF_FOCUSED_COMPONENT, WHEN_FOCUSED, WHEN_IN_FOCUSED_WINDOW
 
Fields inherited from class java.awt.Component
BOTTOM_ALIGNMENT, CENTER_ALIGNMENT, LEFT_ALIGNMENT, RIGHT_ALIGNMENT, TOP_ALIGNMENT
 
Constructor Summary

          Creates a JComboBox with a default data model.

          Creates a JComboBox that takes its items from an existing ComboBoxModel.
JComboBox(Object[] items)

          Creates a JComboBox that contains the elements in the specified array.

          Creates a JComboBox that contains the elements in the specified Vector.
 
Method Summary
 void

          This method is public as an implementation side effect.
protected void
actionPropertyChanged(Action action, String propertyName)

          Updates the combobox's state in response to property changes in associated action.
 void

          Adds an ActionListener.
 void
addItem(Object anObject)

          Adds an item to the item list.
 void

          Adds an ItemListener.
 void

          Adds a PopupMenu listener which will listen to notification messages from the popup portion of the combo box.
 void

          Initializes the editor with the specified item.
protected void

          Sets the properties on this combobox to match those in the specified Action.
 void

          This method is public as an implementation side effect.
protected PropertyChangeListener

          Creates and returns a PropertyChangeListener that is responsible for listening for changes from the specified Action and updating the appropriate properties.
protected JComboBox.KeySelectionManager

          Returns an instance of the default key-selection manager.
protected void

          Notifies all listeners that have registered interest for notification on this event type.
protected void

          Notifies all listeners that have registered interest for notification on this event type.
 void

          Notifies PopupMenuListeners that the popup portion of the combo box has been canceled.
 void

          Notifies PopupMenuListeners that the popup portion of the combo box has become invisible.
 void

          Notifies PopupMenuListeners that the popup portion of the combo box will become visible.
 AccessibleContext

          Gets the AccessibleContext associated with this JComboBox.
 Action

          Returns the currently set Action for this ActionEvent source, or null if no Action is set.
 String

          Returns the action command that is included in the event sent to action listeners.
 ActionListener[]

          Returns an array of all the ActionListeners added to this JComboBox with addActionListener().
 ComboBoxEditor

          Returns the editor used to paint and edit the selected item in the JComboBox field.
 Object
getItemAt(int index)

          Returns the list item at the specified index.
 int

          Returns the number of items in the list.
 ItemListener[]

          Returns an array of all the ItemListeners added to this JComboBox with addItemListener().
 JComboBox.KeySelectionManager

          Returns the list's key-selection manager.
 int

          Returns the maximum number of items the combo box can display without a scrollbar
 ComboBoxModel

          Returns the data model currently used by the JComboBox.
 PopupMenuListener[]

          Returns an array of all the PopupMenuListeners added to this JComboBox with addPopupMenuListener().
 Object

          Returns the "prototypical display" value - an Object used for the calculation of the display height and width.
 ListCellRenderer

          Returns the renderer used to display the selected item in the JComboBox field.
 int

          Returns the first item in the list that matches the given item.
 Object

          Returns the current selected item.
 Object[]

          Returns an array containing the selected item.
 ComboBoxUI

          Returns the L&F object that renders this component.
 String

          Returns the name of the L&F class that renders this component.
 void

          Causes the combo box to close its popup window.
 void
insertItemAt(Object anObject, int index)

          Inserts an item into the item list at a given index.
protected void

          
 void

          This method is public as an implementation side effect.
 void

          This method is public as an implementation side effect.
 boolean

          Returns true if the JComboBox is editable.
 boolean

          Gets the value of the lightWeightPopupEnabled property.
 boolean

          Determines the visibility of the popup.
protected String

          Returns a string representation of this JComboBox.
 void

          Handles KeyEvents, looking for the Tab key.
 void

          Removes an ActionListener.
 void

          Removes all items from the item list.
 void
removeItem(Object anObject)

          Removes an item from the item list.
 void
removeItemAt(int anIndex)

          Removes the item at anIndex This method works only if the JComboBox uses a mutable data model.
 void

          Removes an ItemListener.
 void

          Removes a PopupMenuListener.
protected void

          This protected method is implementation specific.
 boolean
selectWithKeyChar(char keyChar)

          Selects the list item that corresponds to the specified keyboard character and returns true, if there is an item corresponding to that character.
 void

          Sets the Action for the ActionEvent source.
 void

          Sets the action command that should be included in the event sent to action listeners.
 void
setEditable(boolean aFlag)

          Determines whether the JComboBox field is editable.
 void

          Sets the editor used to paint and edit the selected item in the JComboBox field.
 void
setEnabled(boolean b)

          Enables the combo box so that items can be selected.
 void

          Sets the object that translates a keyboard character into a list selection.
 void

          Sets the lightWeightPopupEnabled property, which provides a hint as to whether or not a lightweight Component should be used to contain the JComboBox, versus a heavyweight Component such as a Panel or a Window.
 void
setMaximumRowCount(int count)

          Sets the maximum number of rows the JComboBox displays.
 void

          Sets the data model that the JComboBox uses to obtain the list of items.
 void
setPopupVisible(boolean v)

          Sets the visibility of the popup.
 void
setPrototypeDisplayValue(Object prototypeDisplayValue)

          Sets the prototype display value used to calculate the size of the display for the UI portion.
 void

          Sets the renderer that paints the list items and the item selected from the list in the JComboBox field.
 void
setSelectedIndex(int anIndex)

          Selects the item at index anIndex.
 void

          Sets the selected item in the combo box display area to the object in the argument.
 void

          Sets the L&F object that renders this component.
 void

          Causes the combo box to display its popup window.
 void

          Resets the UI property to a value from the current look and feel.
 
Methods inherited from class javax.swing.JComponent
addAncestorListener, addNotify, addVetoableChangeListener, computeVisibleRect, contains, createToolTip, disable, enable, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, fireVetoableChange, getAccessibleContext, getActionForKeyStroke, getActionMap, getAlignmentX, getAlignmentY, getAncestorListeners, getAutoscrolls, getBaseline, getBaselineResizeBehavior, getBorder, getBounds, getClientProperty, getComponentGraphics, getComponentPopupMenu, getConditionForKeyStroke, getDebugGraphicsOptions, getDefaultLocale, getFontMetrics, getGraphics, getHeight, getInheritsPopupMenu, getInputMap, getInputMap, getInputVerifier, getInsets, getInsets, getListeners, getLocation, getMaximumSize, getMinimumSize, getNextFocusableComponent, getPopupLocation, getPreferredSize, getRegisteredKeyStrokes, getRootPane, getSize, getToolTipLocation, getToolTipText, getToolTipText, getTopLevelAncestor, getTransferHandler, getUIClassID, getVerifyInputWhenFocusTarget, getVetoableChangeListeners, getVisibleRect, getWidth, getX, getY, grabFocus, isDoubleBuffered, isLightweightComponent, isManagingFocus, isOpaque, isOptimizedDrawingEnabled, isPaintingForPrint, isPaintingTile, isRequestFocusEnabled, isValidateRoot, paint, paintBorder, paintChildren, paintComponent, paintImmediately, paintImmediately, paramString, print, printAll, printBorder, printChildren, printComponent, processComponentKeyEvent, processKeyBinding, processKeyEvent, processMouseEvent, processMouseMotionEvent, putClientProperty, registerKeyboardAction, registerKeyboardAction, removeAncestorListener, removeNotify, removeVetoableChangeListener, repaint, repaint, requestDefaultFocus, requestFocus, requestFocus, requestFocusInWindow, requestFocusInWindow, resetKeyboardActions, reshape, revalidate, scrollRectToVisible, setActionMap, setAlignmentX, setAlignmentY, setAutoscrolls, setBackground, setBorder, setComponentPopupMenu, setDebugGraphicsOptions, setDefaultLocale, setDoubleBuffered, setEnabled, setFocusTraversalKeys, setFont, setForeground, setInheritsPopupMenu, setInputMap, setInputVerifier, setMaximumSize, setMinimumSize, setNextFocusableComponent, setOpaque, setPreferredSize, setRequestFocusEnabled, setToolTipText, setTransferHandler, setUI, setVerifyInputWhenFocusTarget, setVisible, unregisterKeyboardAction, update, updateUI
 
Methods inherited from class java.awt.Container
add, add, add, add, add, addContainerListener, addImpl, addNotify, addPropertyChangeListener, addPropertyChangeListener, applyComponentOrientation, areFocusTraversalKeysSet, countComponents, deliverEvent, doLayout, findComponentAt, findComponentAt, getAlignmentX, getAlignmentY, getComponent, getComponentAt, getComponentAt, getComponentCount, getComponents, getComponentZOrder, getContainerListeners, getFocusTraversalKeys, getFocusTraversalPolicy, getInsets, getLayout, getListeners, getMaximumSize, getMinimumSize, getMousePosition, getPreferredSize, insets, invalidate, isAncestorOf, isFocusCycleRoot, isFocusCycleRoot, isFocusTraversalPolicyProvider, isFocusTraversalPolicySet, layout, list, list, locate, minimumSize, paint, paintComponents, paramString, preferredSize, print, printComponents, processContainerEvent, processEvent, remove, remove, removeAll, removeContainerListener, removeNotify, setComponentZOrder, setFocusCycleRoot, setFocusTraversalKeys, setFocusTraversalPolicy, setFocusTraversalPolicyProvider, setFont, setLayout, transferFocusBackward, transferFocusDownCycle, update, validate, validateTree
 
Methods inherited from class java.awt.Component
action, add, addComponentListener, addFocusListener, addHierarchyBoundsListener, addHierarchyListener, addInputMethodListener, addKeyListener, addMouseListener, addMouseMotionListener, addMouseWheelListener, addNotify, addPropertyChangeListener, addPropertyChangeListener, applyComponentOrientation, areFocusTraversalKeysSet, bounds, checkImage, checkImage, coalesceEvents, contains, contains, createImage, createImage, createVolatileImage, createVolatileImage, deliverEvent, disable, disableEvents, dispatchEvent, doLayout, enable, enable, enableEvents, enableInputMethods, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, getAccessibleContext, getAlignmentX, getAlignmentY, getBackground, getBaseline, getBaselineResizeBehavior, getBounds, getBounds, getColorModel, getComponentAt, getComponentAt, getComponentListeners, getComponentOrientation, getCursor, getDropTarget, getFocusCycleRootAncestor, getFocusListeners, getFocusTraversalKeys, getFocusTraversalKeysEnabled, getFont, getFontMetrics, getForeground, getGraphics, getGraphicsConfiguration, getHeight, getHierarchyBoundsListeners, getHierarchyListeners, getIgnoreRepaint, getInputContext, getInputMethodListeners, getInputMethodRequests, getKeyListeners, getListeners, getLocale, getLocation, getLocation, getLocationOnScreen, getMaximumSize, getMinimumSize, getMouseListeners, getMouseMotionListeners, getMousePosition, getMouseWheelListeners, getName, getParent, getPeer, getPreferredSize, getPropertyChangeListeners, getPropertyChangeListeners, getSize, getSize, getToolkit, getTreeLock, getWidth, getX, getY, gotFocus, handleEvent, hasFocus, hide, imageUpdate, inside, invalidate, isBackgroundSet, isCursorSet, isDisplayable, isDoubleBuffered, isEnabled, isFocusable, isFocusCycleRoot, isFocusOwner, isFocusTraversable, isFontSet, isForegroundSet, isLightweight, isMaximumSizeSet, isMinimumSizeSet, isOpaque, isPreferredSizeSet, isShowing, isValid, isVisible, keyDown, keyUp, layout, list, list, list, list, list, locate, location, lostFocus, minimumSize, mouseDown, mouseDrag, mouseEnter, mouseExit, mouseMove, mouseUp, move, nextFocus, paint, paintAll, paramString, postEvent, preferredSize, prepareImage, prepareImage, print, printAll, processComponentEvent, processEvent, processFocusEvent, processHierarchyBoundsEvent, processHierarchyEvent, processInputMethodEvent, processKeyEvent, processMouseEvent, processMouseMotionEvent, processMouseWheelEvent, remove, removeComponentListener, removeFocusListener, removeHierarchyBoundsListener, removeHierarchyListener, removeInputMethodListener, removeKeyListener, removeMouseListener, removeMouseMotionListener, removeMouseWheelListener, removeNotify, removePropertyChangeListener, removePropertyChangeListener, repaint, repaint, repaint, repaint, requestFocus, requestFocus, requestFocusInWindow, requestFocusInWindow, reshape, resize, resize, setBackground, setBounds, setBounds, setComponentOrientation, setCursor, setDropTarget, setEnabled, setFocusable, setFocusTraversalKeys, setFocusTraversalKeysEnabled, setFont, setForeground, setIgnoreRepaint, setLocale, setLocation, setLocation, setMaximumSize, setMinimumSize, setName, setPreferredSize, setSize, setSize, setVisible, show, show, size, toString, transferFocus, transferFocusBackward, transferFocusUpCycle, update, validate
 
Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait
 

Field Detail

actionCommand

protected String actionCommand
This protected field is implementation specific. Do not access directly or override. Use the accessor methods instead.

dataModel

protected ComboBoxModel dataModel
This protected field is implementation specific. Do not access directly or override. Use the accessor methods instead.

editor

protected ComboBoxEditor editor
This protected field is implementation specific. Do not access directly or override. Use the accessor methods instead.

isEditable

protected boolean isEditable
This protected field is implementation specific. Do not access directly or override. Use the accessor methods instead.

keySelectionManager

protected JComboBox.KeySelectionManager keySelectionManager
This protected field is implementation specific. Do not access directly or override. Use the accessor methods instead.

lightWeightPopupEnabled

protected boolean lightWeightPopupEnabled
This protected field is implementation specific. Do not access directly or override. Use the accessor methods instead.

maximumRowCount

protected int maximumRowCount
This protected field is implementation specific. Do not access directly or override. Use the accessor methods instead.

renderer

protected ListCellRenderer renderer
This protected field is implementation specific. Do not access directly or override. Use the accessor methods instead.

selectedItemReminder

protected Object selectedItemReminder
This protected field is implementation specific. Do not access directly or override.
Constructor Detail

JComboBox

public JComboBox()
Creates a JComboBox with a default data model. The default data model is an empty list of objects. Use addItem to add items. By default the first item in the data model becomes selected.


JComboBox

public JComboBox(ComboBoxModel aModel)
Creates a JComboBox that takes its items from an existing ComboBoxModel. Since the ComboBoxModel is provided, a combo box created using this constructor does not create a default combo box model and may impact how the insert, remove and add methods behave.

Parameters:
aModel - the ComboBoxModel that provides the displayed list of items

JComboBox

public JComboBox(Object[] items)
Creates a JComboBox that contains the elements in the specified array. By default the first item in the array (and therefore the data model) becomes selected.

Parameters:
items - an array of objects to insert into the combo box

JComboBox

public JComboBox(Vector items)
Creates a JComboBox that contains the elements in the specified Vector. By default the first item in the vector (and therefore the data model) becomes selected.

Parameters:
items - an array of vectors to insert into the combo box
Method Detail

actionPerformed

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
This method is public as an implementation side effect. do not call or override.

Parameters:
e

actionPropertyChanged

protected void actionPropertyChanged(Action action,
                                     String propertyName)
Updates the combobox's state in response to property changes in associated action. This method is invoked from the {@code PropertyChangeListener} returned from {@code createActionPropertyChangeListener}. Subclasses do not normally need to invoke this. Subclasses that support additional {@code Action} properties should override this and {@code configurePropertiesFromAction}.

Refer to the table at Swing Components Supporting Action for a list of the properties this method sets.

Parameters:
action - the Action associated with this combobox
propertyName - the name of the property that changed

addActionListener

public void addActionListener(ActionListener l)
Adds an ActionListener.

The ActionListener will receive an ActionEvent when a selection has been made. If the combo box is editable, then an ActionEvent will be fired when editing has stopped.

Parameters:
l - the ActionListener that is to be notified

addItem

public void addItem(Object anObject)
Adds an item to the item list. This method works only if the JComboBox uses a mutable data model.

Warning: Focus and keyboard navigation problems may arise if you add duplicate String objects. A workaround is to add new objects instead of String objects and make sure that the toString() method is defined. For example:

   comboBox.addItem(makeObj("Item 1"));
   comboBox.addItem(makeObj("Item 1"));
   ...
   private Object makeObj(final String item)  {
     return new Object() { public String toString() { return item; } };
   }
 

Parameters:
anObject - the Object to add to the list

addItemListener

public void addItemListener(ItemListener aListener)
Adds an ItemListener.

aListener will receive one or two ItemEvents when the selected item changes.

Parameters:
aListener - the ItemListener that is to be notified

addPopupMenuListener

public void addPopupMenuListener(PopupMenuListener l)
Adds a PopupMenu listener which will listen to notification messages from the popup portion of the combo box.

For all standard look and feels shipped with Java, the popup list portion of combo box is implemented as a JPopupMenu. A custom look and feel may not implement it this way and will therefore not receive the notification.

Parameters:
l - the PopupMenuListener to add

configureEditor

public void configureEditor(ComboBoxEditor anEditor,
                            Object anItem)
Initializes the editor with the specified item.

Parameters:
anEditor - the ComboBoxEditor that displays the list item in the combo box field and allows it to be edited
anItem - the object to display and edit in the field

configurePropertiesFromAction

protected void configurePropertiesFromAction(Action a)
Sets the properties on this combobox to match those in the specified Action. Refer to Swing Components Supporting Action for more details as to which properties this sets.

Parameters:
a - the Action from which to get the properties, or null

contentsChanged

public void contentsChanged(ListDataEvent e)
This method is public as an implementation side effect. do not call or override.

Parameters:
e

createActionPropertyChangeListener

protected PropertyChangeListener createActionPropertyChangeListener(Action a)
Creates and returns a PropertyChangeListener that is responsible for listening for changes from the specified Action and updating the appropriate properties.

Warning: If you subclass this do not create an anonymous inner class. If you do the lifetime of the combobox will be tied to that of the Action.

Parameters:
a - the combobox's action

createDefaultKeySelectionManager

protected JComboBox.KeySelectionManager createDefaultKeySelectionManager()
Returns an instance of the default key-selection manager.

Returns:
the KeySelectionManager currently used by the list

fireActionEvent

protected void fireActionEvent()
Notifies all listeners that have registered interest for notification on this event type.


fireItemStateChanged

protected void fireItemStateChanged(ItemEvent e)
Notifies all listeners that have registered interest for notification on this event type.

Parameters:
e - the event of interest

firePopupMenuCanceled

public void firePopupMenuCanceled()
Notifies PopupMenuListeners that the popup portion of the combo box has been canceled.

This method is public but should not be called by anything other than the UI delegate.


firePopupMenuWillBecomeInvisible

public void firePopupMenuWillBecomeInvisible()
Notifies PopupMenuListeners that the popup portion of the combo box has become invisible.

This method is public but should not be called by anything other than the UI delegate.


firePopupMenuWillBecomeVisible

public void firePopupMenuWillBecomeVisible()
Notifies PopupMenuListeners that the popup portion of the combo box will become visible.

This method is public but should not be called by anything other than the UI delegate.


getAccessibleContext

public AccessibleContext getAccessibleContext()
Gets the AccessibleContext associated with this JComboBox. For combo boxes, the AccessibleContext takes the form of an AccessibleJComboBox. A new AccessibleJComboBox instance is created if necessary.

Overrides:
getAccessibleContext in class JComponent
Returns:
an AccessibleJComboBox that serves as the AccessibleContext of this JComboBox

getAction

public Action getAction()
Returns the currently set Action for this ActionEvent source, or null if no Action is set.

Returns:
the Action for this ActionEvent source; or null

getActionCommand

public String getActionCommand()
Returns the action command that is included in the event sent to action listeners.

Returns:
the string containing the "command" that is sent to action listeners.

getActionListeners

public ActionListener[] getActionListeners()
Returns an array of all the ActionListeners added to this JComboBox with addActionListener().

Returns:
all of the ActionListeners added or an empty array if no listeners have been added

getEditor

public ComboBoxEditor getEditor()
Returns the editor used to paint and edit the selected item in the JComboBox field.

Returns:
the ComboBoxEditor that displays the selected item

getItemAt

public Object getItemAt(int index)
Returns the list item at the specified index. If index is out of range (less than zero or greater than or equal to size) it will return null.

Parameters:
index - an integer indicating the list position, where the first item starts at zero
Returns:
the Object at that list position; or null if out of range

getItemCount

public int getItemCount()
Returns the number of items in the list.

Returns:
an integer equal to the number of items in the list

getItemListeners

public ItemListener[] getItemListeners()
Returns an array of all the ItemListeners added to this JComboBox with addItemListener().

Returns:
all of the ItemListeners added or an empty array if no listeners have been added

getKeySelectionManager

public JComboBox.KeySelectionManager getKeySelectionManager()
Returns the list's key-selection manager.

Returns:
the KeySelectionManager currently in use

getMaximumRowCount

public int getMaximumRowCount()
Returns the maximum number of items the combo box can display without a scrollbar

Returns:
an integer specifying the maximum number of items that are displayed in the list before using a scrollbar

getModel

public ComboBoxModel getModel()
Returns the data model currently used by the JComboBox.

Returns:
the ComboBoxModel that provides the displayed list of items

getPopupMenuListeners

public PopupMenuListener[] getPopupMenuListeners()
Returns an array of all the PopupMenuListeners added to this JComboBox with addPopupMenuListener().

Returns:
all of the PopupMenuListeners added or an empty array if no listeners have been added

getPrototypeDisplayValue

public Object getPrototypeDisplayValue()
Returns the "prototypical display" value - an Object used for the calculation of the display height and width.

Returns:
the value of the prototypeDisplayValue property

getRenderer

public ListCellRenderer getRenderer()
Returns the renderer used to display the selected item in the JComboBox field.

Returns:
the ListCellRenderer that displays the selected item.

getSelectedIndex

public int getSelectedIndex()
Returns the first item in the list that matches the given item. The result is not always defined if the JComboBox allows selected items that are not in the list. Returns -1 if there is no selected item or if the user specified an item which is not in the list.

Returns:
an integer specifying the currently selected list item, where 0 specifies the first item in the list; or -1 if no item is selected or if the currently selected item is not in the list

getSelectedItem

public Object getSelectedItem()
Returns the current selected item.

If the combo box is editable, then this value may not have been added to the combo box with addItem, insertItemAt or the data constructors.

Returns:
the current selected Object

getSelectedObjects

public Object[] getSelectedObjects()
Returns an array containing the selected item. This method is implemented for compatibility with ItemSelectable.

Returns:
an array of Objects containing one element -- the selected item

getUI

public ComboBoxUI getUI()
Returns the L&F object that renders this component.

Returns:
the ComboBoxUI object that renders this component

getUIClassID

public String getUIClassID()
Returns the name of the L&F class that renders this component.

Overrides:
getUIClassID in class JComponent
Returns:
the string "ComboBoxUI"

hidePopup

public void hidePopup()
Causes the combo box to close its popup window.


insertItemAt

public void insertItemAt(Object anObject,
                         int index)
Inserts an item into the item list at a given index. This method works only if the JComboBox uses a mutable data model.

Parameters:
anObject - the Object to add to the list
index - an integer specifying the position at which to add the item

installAncestorListener

protected void installAncestorListener()

intervalAdded

public void intervalAdded(ListDataEvent e)
This method is public as an implementation side effect. do not call or override.

Parameters:
e

intervalRemoved

public void intervalRemoved(ListDataEvent e)
This method is public as an implementation side effect. do not call or override.

Parameters:
e

isEditable

public boolean isEditable()
Returns true if the JComboBox is editable. By default, a combo box is not editable.

Returns:
true if the JComboBox is editable, else false

isLightWeightPopupEnabled

public boolean isLightWeightPopupEnabled()
Gets the value of the lightWeightPopupEnabled property.

Returns:
the value of the lightWeightPopupEnabled property

isPopupVisible

public boolean isPopupVisible()
Determines the visibility of the popup.

Returns:
true if the popup is visible, otherwise returns false

paramString

protected String paramString()
Returns a string representation of this JComboBox. This method is intended to be used only for debugging purposes, and the content and format of the returned string may vary between implementations. The returned string may be empty but may not be null.

Overrides:
paramString in class JComponent
Returns:
a string representation of this JComboBox

processKeyEvent

public void processKeyEvent(KeyEvent e)
Handles KeyEvents, looking for the Tab key. If the Tab key is found, the popup window is closed.

Overrides:
processKeyEvent in class JComponent
Parameters:
e - the KeyEvent containing the keyboard key that was pressed

removeActionListener

public void removeActionListener(ActionListener l)
Removes an ActionListener.

Parameters:
l - the ActionListener to remove

removeAllItems

public void removeAllItems()
Removes all items from the item list.


removeItem

public void removeItem(Object anObject)
Removes an item from the item list. This method works only if the JComboBox uses a mutable data model.

Parameters:
anObject - the object to remove from the item list

removeItemAt

public void removeItemAt(int anIndex)
Removes the item at anIndex This method works only if the JComboBox uses a mutable data model.

Parameters:
anIndex - an int specifying the index of the item to remove, where 0 indicates the first item in the list

removeItemListener

public void removeItemListener(ItemListener aListener)
Removes an ItemListener.

Parameters:
aListener - the ItemListener to remove

removePopupMenuListener

public void removePopupMenuListener(PopupMenuListener l)
Removes a PopupMenuListener.

Parameters:
l - the PopupMenuListener to remove

selectedItemChanged

protected void selectedItemChanged()
This protected method is implementation specific. Do not access directly or override.


selectWithKeyChar

public boolean selectWithKeyChar(char keyChar)
Selects the list item that corresponds to the specified keyboard character and returns true, if there is an item corresponding to that character. Otherwise, returns false.

Parameters:
keyChar - a char, typically this is a keyboard key typed by the user

setAction

public void setAction(Action a)
Sets the Action for the ActionEvent source. The new Action replaces any previously set Action but does not affect ActionListeners independently added with addActionListener. If the Action is already a registered ActionListener for the ActionEvent source, it is not re-registered.

Setting the Action results in immediately changing all the properties described in Swing Components Supporting Action. Subsequently, the combobox's properties are automatically updated as the Action's properties change.

This method uses three other methods to set and help track the Action's property values. It uses the configurePropertiesFromAction method to immediately change the combobox's properties. To track changes in the Action's property values, this method registers the PropertyChangeListener returned by createActionPropertyChangeListener. The default {@code PropertyChangeListener} invokes the {@code actionPropertyChanged} method when a property in the {@code Action} changes.

Parameters:
a - the Action for the JComboBox, or null.

setActionCommand

public void setActionCommand(String aCommand)
Sets the action command that should be included in the event sent to action listeners.

Parameters:
aCommand - a string containing the "command" that is sent to action listeners; the same listener can then do different things depending on the command it receives

setEditable

public void setEditable(boolean aFlag)
Determines whether the JComboBox field is editable. An editable JComboBox allows the user to type into the field or selected an item from the list to initialize the field, after which it can be edited. (The editing affects only the field, the list item remains intact.) A non editable JComboBox displays the selected item in the field, but the selection cannot be modified.

Parameters:
aFlag - a boolean value, where true indicates that the field is editable

setEditor

public void setEditor(ComboBoxEditor anEditor)
Sets the editor used to paint and edit the selected item in the JComboBox field. The editor is used only if the receiving JComboBox is editable. If not editable, the combo box uses the renderer to paint the selected item.

Parameters:
anEditor - the ComboBoxEditor that displays the selected item

setEnabled

public void setEnabled(boolean b)
Enables the combo box so that items can be selected. When the combo box is disabled, items cannot be selected and values cannot be typed into its field (if it is editable).

Overrides:
setEnabled in class JComponent
Parameters:
b - a boolean value, where true enables the component and false disables it

setKeySelectionManager

public void setKeySelectionManager(JComboBox.KeySelectionManager aManager)
Sets the object that translates a keyboard character into a list selection. Typically, the first selection with a matching first character becomes the selected item.

Parameters:
aManager

setLightWeightPopupEnabled

public void setLightWeightPopupEnabled(boolean aFlag)
Sets the lightWeightPopupEnabled property, which provides a hint as to whether or not a lightweight Component should be used to contain the JComboBox, versus a heavyweight Component such as a Panel or a Window. The decision of lightweight versus heavyweight is ultimately up to the JComboBox. Lightweight windows are more efficient than heavyweight windows, but lightweight and heavyweight components do not mix well in a GUI. If your application mixes lightweight and heavyweight components, you should disable lightweight popups. The default value for the lightWeightPopupEnabled property is true, unless otherwise specified by the look and feel. Some look and feels always use heavyweight popups, no matter what the value of this property.

See the article Mixing Heavy and Light Components on The Swing Connection This method fires a property changed event.

Parameters:
aFlag - if true, lightweight popups are desired

setMaximumRowCount

public void setMaximumRowCount(int count)
Sets the maximum number of rows the JComboBox displays. If the number of objects in the model is greater than count, the combo box uses a scrollbar.

Parameters:
count - an integer specifying the maximum number of items to display in the list before using a scrollbar

setModel

public void setModel(ComboBoxModel aModel)
Sets the data model that the JComboBox uses to obtain the list of items.

Parameters:
aModel - the ComboBoxModel that provides the displayed list of items

setPopupVisible

public void setPopupVisible(boolean v)
Sets the visibility of the popup.

Parameters:
v

setPrototypeDisplayValue

public void setPrototypeDisplayValue(Object prototypeDisplayValue)
Sets the prototype display value used to calculate the size of the display for the UI portion.

If a prototype display value is specified, the preferred size of the combo box is calculated by configuring the renderer with the prototype display value and obtaining its preferred size. Specifying the preferred display value is often useful when the combo box will be displaying large amounts of data. If no prototype display value has been specified, the renderer must be configured for each value from the model and its preferred size obtained, which can be relatively expensive.

Parameters:
prototypeDisplayValue

setRenderer

public void setRenderer(ListCellRenderer aRenderer)
Sets the renderer that paints the list items and the item selected from the list in the JComboBox field. The renderer is used if the JComboBox is not editable. If it is editable, the editor is used to render and edit the selected item.

The default renderer displays a string or an icon. Other renderers can handle graphic images and composite items.

To display the selected item, aRenderer.getListCellRendererComponent is called, passing the list object and an index of -1.

Parameters:
aRenderer - the ListCellRenderer that displays the selected item

setSelectedIndex

public void setSelectedIndex(int anIndex)
Selects the item at index anIndex.

Parameters:
anIndex - an integer specifying the list item to select, where 0 specifies the first item in the list and -1 indicates no selection

setSelectedItem

public void setSelectedItem(Object anObject)
Sets the selected item in the combo box display area to the object in the argument. If anObject is in the list, the display area shows anObject selected.

If anObject is not in the list and the combo box is uneditable, it will not change the current selection. For editable combo boxes, the selection will change to anObject.

If this constitutes a change in the selected item, ItemListeners added to the combo box will be notified with one or two ItemEvents. If there is a current selected item, an ItemEvent will be fired and the state change will be ItemEvent.DESELECTED. If anObject is in the list and is not currently selected then an ItemEvent will be fired and the state change will be ItemEvent.SELECTED.

ActionListeners added to the combo box will be notified with an ActionEvent when this method is called.

Parameters:
anObject - the list object to select; use null to clear the selection

setUI

public void setUI(ComboBoxUI ui)
Sets the L&F object that renders this component.

Parameters:
ui - the ComboBoxUI L&F object

showPopup

public void showPopup()
Causes the combo box to display its popup window.


updateUI

public void updateUI()
Resets the UI property to a value from the current look and feel.

Overrides:
updateUI in class JComponent


This documentation differs from the official API. Jadeite adds extra features to the API including: variable font sizes, constructions examples, placeholders for classes and methods, and auto-generated “See Also” links. Additionally it is missing some items found in standard Javadoc documentation, including: generics type information, “Deprecated” tags and comments, “See Also” links, along with other minor differences. Please send any questions or feedback to bam@cs.cmu.edu.
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Copyright 2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved. Use is subject to license terms. Also see the documentation redistribution policy.
The official Sun™ documentation can be found here at http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/api/.