GUI (Graphical User Inteface) Framework

GUIFramework (GFW) is the basic module for developing Swing GUIs at SLAC.

Current Version

0-0-1

Requirements TO-DO

Developer's Guide

Abstract

This guide describes in detail how to use GFW in a Swing application. In general, you create your own Swing components (either programmatically, or with a GUI builder) and add them to the appropriate GFW frame.

Overview

We recommend the following steps:

1. #Check out GFW from CVS into Eclipse.
2. #Read and run the example code.
3. #Create custom components for the desired GFW frame
4. #Customize GFW.
   • #Add event listeners to the appropriate widgets.
   • #Set web help URL.
5. #Test the application.
6. Optional features.
   • #Info Text Pane
   • #Progress Bar
7. #Tips.

Check out GFW from CVS into Eclipse

GFW is located in $CVSROOT/physics/GUIFramework

Read and run the example code

An example can be found in the class

edu.stanford.slac.gfw.example.GfwExample

When running the example, please observe

• the different GFW frames
• the various areas in which the custom components end up
• how the GUI behaves when it is resized

Create custom components for the desired GFW frame

For a quick development (e.g. GUI mock ups), we recommend the Netbeans GUI Builder.

Customize GFW

1. Instantiate the custom components.
2. Create an appropriate GFW frame, e.g.

   final BasicFrame myFrame = new BasicFrame("My Frame"); //'final', because it's used later in an anonymous class
   

3. Add custom components to various areas of the GFW frame, such as
   • Title Bar

     myFrame.addToTitleBar(myComponent);
     

   • Tab 1

     myFrame.addTopTab1(myComponent);
     

   • Tab 2

     myFrame.addTopTab2(myComponent);
     

   • New Tab

     myFrame.addTopTab(myComponent, "My Label");
     

   • Bottom ScrollPane

     myFrame.addToBottomScrollPane(myComponent);
     

4. Set application version

   BasicFrame myFrame = ...;
   JLabel appVersionLabel = bf.getBasicPanel().getStatusPanel().getAppVersionLabel();
   appVersionLabel.setText("my version"); //run in the GUI thread, of before displaying the frame
   

5. #Add event listeners to the appropriate widgets
6. Display the GFW frame

   SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
   	public void run() {
   		myFrame.setVisible(true);
   	}
   });
   

Add event listeners to the appropriate widgets

Below we describe the recommended way, but nothing prevents you from using any other technique.

• Extend BasicFrameListener by overriding the default behavior and/or adding your own methods, e.g.

  public class MyFrameListener extends BasicFrameListener {
  
  	@Override
  	public void topTabChanged(ChangeEvent e) {
  		System.out.println("Tab changed");
  	}
  	
  	public void myComponentActivated(EventObject e){
  		System.out.println("My component activated");
  	}
  }
  

• Override registerAsDelegateForSwingListeners method of the BasicFrameController class (find out more about Swing listeners), e.g.

  public class MyFrameController extends BasicFrameController {
  	
  	protected void registerAsDelegateForSwingListeners(
  			final MyFrameListener myFrameListener) {
  		super.registerAsDelegateForSwingListeners(myFrameListener); //don't forget this!
  		Component myComponent = ...; //get your component, e.g. by using SwingUtil, or through methods of your GUI class
  
  		myComponent.addComponentListener(new ComponentListener(){
  			public void componentActivated(EventObject e){
  				myFrameListener.myComponentActivated(e);
  			}	
  		});
  	}
  
  	public MyFrameController(BasicFrame myFrame) {
  		super(myFrame);
  	}
  
  }
  

• Add your BasicFrameListener to your BasicFrameController

  BasicFrameListener myFrameListener = new MyFrameListener();
  BasicFrameController myFrameController = new MyFrameController(myFrame);
  myFrameController.addBasicFrameListener(myFrameListener);
  

Set web help URL

If you want to provide help via the default GFW way, set the URL of your help website.

BasicFrameListener myFrameListener = ...;
myFrameListener.setHelpUrl("http://www.google.com");

Test the application

Optional features

Info Text Pane

Located in the status panel, the info text pane can be used to display some info beyond messaging.

JTextPane infoTextPane = bf.getBasicPanel().getStatusPanel().getInfoTextPane();
infoTextPane.setText("my info"); //run in the GUI thread, of before displaying the frame

Progress Bar

Located in the status panel, the progress bar could be used to display the progress of your program.

• Determinate

  JProgressBar progressBar = bf.getBasicPanel().getStatusPanel().getProgressBar();
  //run all methods below in the GUI thread, of before displaying the frame
  progressBar.setMinimum(0);
  progressBar.setMaximum(10);  
  progressBar.setValue(6); 
  

• Indeterminate

  JProgressBar progressBar = bf.getBasicPanel().getStatusPanel().getProgressBar();
  progressBar.setIndeterminate(true);  //run in the GUI thread, of before displaying the frame
  

  To stop:

  progressBar.setValue(progressBar.getMinimum());
  progressBar.setIndeterminate(false);
  

SwingUtil

Tips

• When adding to the GUI some long text that doesn't fit, update the frame, e.g.

  BasicFrame myFrame = ...;
  myFrame.update();