Importance of Cursor Class in Java

In this article, we will learn about the importance of the Cursor class in Java. Under the Swing toolkit, the Cursor class provides an improved user experience by providing graphical(visual) feedback.

What is a Cursor class?

A Cursor is a subclass of the Object class, and it can be defined as point or indicator on the screen. A Cursor is used to select the input from the system that the user operates with the mouse. The important methods of Cursor class are getDefaultCursor(), getName(), getPredefinedCursor(), getSystemCustomCursor(), and getType().

Syntax

The following is the syntax:

Cursor cursor = new Cursor(Type_of_Cursor);

Different types of cursors available in the Cursor class are:

• DEFAULT_CURSOR: The standard arrow cursor.
• CROSSHAIR_CURSOR: The crosshair cursor type.
  
• HAND_CURSOR: The pointing hand cursor.
• TEXT_CURSOR: The I-beam text cursor.
• WAIT_CURSOR: The wait or busy cursor.

Importance of the Cursor Class

The following are the key advantages of the cursor class in Java:

• Context-based appearance: The cursor will transform to proper icons (e.g., in text fields or hand pointer is over buttons) to automatically indicate interactive objects and possible operations.
  
• Visual feedback during operations: Switching to a wait cursor (hourglass or spinner) during processing alerts users that the system is busy and prevents accidental interaction.
  
• Application state indication: Various cursors (normal, busy, disabled) visually suggest system status (ready, busy, or blocked) without message displays.
• User experience customization: The cursor serves as the primary visual indicator of interactive elements and application state.

Example of Hand Cursor

Below is an example of a hand cursor using the cursor class in Java:

import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class CursorTest extends JFrame {
   public CursorTest() {
      setTitle("Cursor Test");
      Cursor cursor = new Cursor(Cursor.HAND_CURSOR); // HAND CURSOR
      setCursor(cursor);
      setSize(375, 250);
      setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
      setLocationRelativeTo(null);
      setVisible(true);
   }
   public static void main(String[] args) {
      new CursorTest();
   }
}

Output