© 2007 Marty Hall

Handling Mouse and

Keyboard Events
Originals of Slides and Source Code for Examples:
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2 Developed and taught by well-known author and developer. At public venues or onsite at your location.

© 2007 Marty Hall

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 Agenda
• General event-handling strategy
• Handling events with separate listeners
• Handling events by implementing interfaces
• Handling events with named inner classes
• Handling events with anonymous inner
classes
• The standard AWT listener types
• Subtleties with mouse events
• Examples

4 J2EE training: http://courses.coreservlets.com

General Strategy
• Determine what type of listener is of interest
– 11 standard AWT listener types, described on later slide.
• ActionListener, AdjustmentListener, ComponentListener,
ContainerListener, FocusListener, ItemListener,
KeyListener, MouseListener, MouseMotionListener,
TextListener, WindowListener
• Define a class of that type
– Implement interface (KeyListener, MouseListener, etc.)
– Extend class (KeyAdapter, MouseAdapter, etc.)
• Register an object of your listener class
with the window
– w.addXxxListener(new MyListenerClass());
• E.g., addKeyListener, addMouseListener
5 J2EE training: http://courses.coreservlets.com
 Handling Events with a
Separate Listener: Simple Case
• Listener does not need to call any methods
of the window to which it is attached
import java.applet.Applet;
import java.awt.*;

public class ClickReporter extends Applet {

public void init() {
setBackground(Color.YELLOW);
addMouseListener(new ClickListener());
}
}

6 J2EE training: http://courses.coreservlets.com

Separate Listener: Simple Case

(Continued)
import java.awt.event.*;

public class ClickListener extends MouseAdapter {

public void mousePressed(MouseEvent event) {
System.out.println("Mouse pressed at (" +
event.getX() + "," +
event.getY() + ").");
}
}

7 J2EE training: http://courses.coreservlets.com

 Generalizing Simple Case
• What if ClickListener wants to draw a circle
wherever mouse is clicked?
• Why can’t it just call getGraphics to get a
Graphics object with which to draw?
• General solution:
– Call event.getSource to obtain a reference to window or
GUI component from which event originated
– Cast result to type of interest
– Call methods on that reference

8 J2EE training: http://courses.coreservlets.com

Handling Events with Separate

Listener: General Case
import java.applet.Applet;
import java.awt.*;

public class CircleDrawer1 extends Applet {

public void init() {
setForeground(Color.BLUE);
addMouseListener(new CircleListener());
}
}

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 Separate Listener: General
Case (Continued)
import java.applet.Applet;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;

public class CircleListener extends MouseAdapter {

private int radius = 25;

public void mousePressed(MouseEvent event) {

Applet app = (Applet)event.getSource();
Graphics g = app.getGraphics();
g.fillOval(event.getX()-radius,
event.getY()-radius,
2*radius,
2*radius);
}
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Separate Listener: General

Case (Results)

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 Case 2: Implementing a
Listener Interface
import java.applet.Applet;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;

public class CircleDrawer2 extends Applet

implements MouseListener {
private int radius = 25;

public void init() {

setForeground(Color.BLUE);
addMouseListener(this);
}

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Implementing a Listener
Interface (Continued)
public void mouseEntered(MouseEvent event) {}
public void mouseExited(MouseEvent event) {}
public void mouseReleased(MouseEvent event) {}
public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent event) {}

public void mousePressed(MouseEvent event) {

Graphics g = getGraphics();
g.fillOval(event.getX()-radius,
event.getY()-radius,
2*radius,
2*radius);
}
}

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 Adapters vs. Interfaces:
Method Signature Errors
• What if you goof on the method signature?
– public void mousepressed(MouseEvent e)
– public void mousePressed()
• Interfaces
– Compile time error
• Adapters
– No compile time error, but nothing happens at run time
when you press the mouse
• Solution for adapters (and overriding in
Java 5 in general): @Override annotation
– Whenever you think you are overriding a method, put
"@Override" on the line above the start of the method.
• If that method is not actually overriding an inherited
method, you get a compile-time error.
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@Override Example
public class CircleDrawer1 extends Applet {
@Override
public void init() {
setForeground(Color.BLUE);
addMouseListener(new CircleListener());
}
}

public class CircleListener extends MouseAdapter {

private int radius = 25;
@Override
public void mousePressed(MouseEvent event) {
Applet app = (Applet)event.getSource();
Graphics g = app.getGraphics();
g.fillOval(event.getX()-radius,
event.getY()-radius,
2*radius,
2*radius);
}
}
15 J2EE training: http://courses.coreservlets.com
 Case 3: Named Inner Classes
import java.applet.Applet;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;

public class CircleDrawer3 extends Applet {

public void init() {
setForeground(Color.BLUE);
addMouseListener(new CircleListener());
}

16 J2EE training: http://courses.coreservlets.com

Named Inner Classes

(Continued)
• Note: still part of class from previous slide
private class CircleListener
extends MouseAdapter {
private int radius = 25;

public void mousePressed(MouseEvent event) {

Graphics g = getGraphics();
g.fillOval(event.getX()-radius,
event.getY()-radius,
2*radius,
2*radius);
}
}
17 } J2EE training: http://courses.coreservlets.com
 Case 4: Anonymous Inner
Classes
public class CircleDrawer4 extends Applet {
public void init() {
setForeground(Color.BLUE);
addMouseListener
(new MouseAdapter() {
private int radius = 25;

public void mousePressed(MouseEvent event) {

Graphics g = getGraphics();
g.fillOval(event.getX()-radius,
event.getY()-radius,
2*radius,
2*radius);
}
});
}
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Event Handling Strategies:

Pros and Cons
• Separate Listener
– Advantages
• Can extend adapter and thus ignore unused methods
• Separate class easier to manage
– Disadvantage
• Need extra step to call methods in main window
• Main window that implements interface
– Advantage
• No extra steps needed to call methods in main window
– Disadvantage
• Must implement methods you might not care about

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 Event Handling Strategies:
Pros and Cons (Continued)
• Named inner class
– Advantages
• Can extend adapter and thus ignore unused methods
• No extra steps needed to call methods in main window
– Disadvantage
• A bit harder to understand
• Anonymous inner class
– Advantages
• Same as named inner classes
• Even shorter
– Disadvantage
• Much harder to understand

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Standard AWT Event Listeners

(Summary)
Adapter Class
Listener (If Any) Registration Method
ActionListener addActionListener
AdjustmentListener addAdjustmentListener
ComponentListener ComponentAdapter addComponentListener
ContainerListener ContainerAdapter addContainerListener
FocusListener FocusAdapter addFocusListener
ItemListener addItemListener
KeyListener KeyAdapter addKeyListener
MouseListener MouseAdapter addMouseListener
MouseMotionListener MouseMotionAdapter addMouseMotionListener
TextListener addTextListener
WindowListener WindowAdapter addWindowListener

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 Standard AWT Event Listeners
(Details)
• ActionListener
– Handles buttons and a few other actions
• actionPerformed(ActionEvent event)
• AdjustmentListener
– Applies to scrolling
• adjustmentValueChanged(AdjustmentEvent event)
• ComponentListener
– Handles moving/resizing/hiding GUI objects
• componentResized(ComponentEvent event)
• componentMoved (ComponentEvent event)
• componentShown(ComponentEvent event)
• componentHidden(ComponentEvent event)

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Standard AWT Event Listeners

(Details Continued)
• ContainerListener
– Triggered when window adds/removes GUI controls
• componentAdded(ContainerEvent event)
• componentRemoved(ContainerEvent event)
• FocusListener
– Detects when controls get/lose keyboard focus
• focusGained(FocusEvent event)
• focusLost(FocusEvent event)

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 Standard AWT Event Listeners
(Details Continued)
• ItemListener
– Handles selections in lists, checkboxes, etc.
• itemStateChanged(ItemEvent event)
• KeyListener
– Detects keyboard events
• keyPressed(KeyEvent event) -- any key pressed down
• keyReleased(KeyEvent event) -- any key released
• keyTyped(KeyEvent event) -- key for printable char released

24 J2EE training: http://courses.coreservlets.com

Standard AWT Event Listeners

(Details Continued)
• MouseListener
– Applies to basic mouse events
• mouseEntered(MouseEvent event)
• mouseExited(MouseEvent event)
• mousePressed(MouseEvent event)
• mouseReleased(MouseEvent event)
• mouseClicked(MouseEvent event)
– Release without drag. Do not use this for mousePressed!
– Applies on release if no movement since press
• MouseMotionListener
– Handles mouse movement
• mouseMoved(MouseEvent event)
• mouseDragged(MouseEvent event)
• MouseInputListener
– Combines MouseListener and MouseMotionListener
• In javax.swing.event package, not java.awt.event
• You have to call both addMouseListener and
addMouseMotionListener, so it does not save much
25 J2EE training: http://courses.coreservlets.com
 Standard AWT Event Listeners
(Details Continued)
• TextListener
– Applies to textfields and text areas
• textValueChanged(TextEvent event)
• WindowListener
– Handles high-level window events
• windowOpened, windowClosing, windowClosed,
windowIconified, windowDeiconified, windowActivated,
windowDeactivated
– windowClosing particularly useful

26 J2EE training: http://courses.coreservlets.com

Mouse Events: Details

• MouseListener and MouseMotionListener
share event types
• Location of clicks
– event.getX() and event.getY()
– You can also use the MouseInfo class for mouse position
• Double clicks
– Determined by OS, not by programmer
– Call event.getClickCount()
• Distinguishing mouse buttons
– Call event.getModifiers() and compare to
MouseEvent.Button2_MASK for a middle click and
MouseEvent.Button3_MASK for right click.
– Can also trap Shift-click, Alt-click, etc.
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 Simple Example: Spelling-
Correcting Textfield
• KeyListener corrects spelling during typing
• ActionListener completes word on ENTER
• FocusListener gives subliminal hints

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Example: Simple Whiteboard

import java.applet.Applet;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;

public class SimpleWhiteboard extends Applet {

protected int lastX=0, lastY=0;

public void init() {

setBackground(Color.WHITE);
setForeground(Color.BLUE);
addMouseListener(new PositionRecorder());
addMouseMotionListener(new LineDrawer());
}

protected void record(int x, int y) {

lastX = x; lastY = y;
29 } J2EE training: http://courses.coreservlets.com
 Simple Whiteboard (Continued)

private class PositionRecorder extends MouseAdapter {

public void mouseEntered(MouseEvent event) {
requestFocus(); // Plan ahead for typing
record(event.getX(), event.getY());
}

public void mousePressed(MouseEvent event) {

record(event.getX(), event.getY());
}
}
...

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Simple Whiteboard (Continued)

...
private class LineDrawer extends MouseMotionAdapter {
public void mouseDragged(MouseEvent event) {
int x = event.getX();
int y = event.getY();
Graphics g = getGraphics();
g.drawLine(lastX, lastY, x, y);
record(x, y);
}
}
}

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 Simple Whiteboard (Results)

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Whiteboard: Adding Keyboard

Events
import java.applet.Applet;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;

public class Whiteboard extends SimpleWhiteboard {

protected FontMetrics fm;

public void init() {

super.init();
Font font = new Font("Serif", Font.BOLD, 20);
setFont(font);
fm = getFontMetrics(font);
addKeyListener(new CharDrawer());
}

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 Whiteboard (Continued)
...
private class CharDrawer extends KeyAdapter {
// When user types a printable character,
// draw it and shift position rightwards.

public void keyTyped(KeyEvent event) {

String s = String.valueOf(event.getKeyChar());
getGraphics().drawString(s, lastX, lastY);
record(lastX + fm.stringWidth(s), lastY);
}
}
}

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Whiteboard (Results)

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 Summary
• General strategy
– Determine what type of listener is of interest
• Check table of standard types
– Define a class of that type
• Extend adapter separately, implement interface, extend
adapter in named inner class, extend adapter in
anonymous inner class
– Register an object of your listener class with the window
• Call addXxxListener
• Understanding listeners
– Methods give specific behavior.
• Arguments to methods are of type XxxEvent
– Methods in MouseEvent of particular interest

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© 2007 Marty Hall

Questions?

Customized J2EE Training: http://courses.coreservlets.com/

Servlets, JSP, Struts, JSF/MyFaces, Hibernate, Ajax, GWT, Java 5, Java 6, etc. Ruby/Rails coming soon.
37 Developed and taught by well-known author and developer. At public venues or onsite at your location.
 Preview of Later Topics
• Whiteboard had freehand drawing only
– Need GUI controls to allow selection of other drawing
methods
• Whiteboard had only “temporary” drawing
– Covering and reexposing window clears drawing
– After cover multithreading, we’ll see solutions to this
problem
• Most general is double buffering
• Whiteboard was “unshared”
– Need network programming capabilities so that two
different whiteboards can communicate with each other

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