Swing Enhancements in Java 7

No reason to wait

Agenda
Decoration with JLayer Translucent and shaped windows Mixing heavy and lightweight components

JLayer
Component decorator Based on JxLayer http://java.net/projects/jxlayer project
JFrame f = new JFrame(); JPanel panel = createPanel(); LayerUI<JPanel> ui = new CustomLayerUI(); JLayer<JPanel> layer = new JLayer<JPanel>(panel, ui); f.getContentPane().add (layer);

JLayer in action

public class CustomLayerUI extends LayerUI { @Override public void paint(Graphics g, JComponent c) { // paint the component itself super.paint(g, c); // decorate component } }

JLayer: Event Handling

Register to receive events
@Override public void installUI(JComponent c) { super.installUI(c); JLayer jlayer = (JLayer)c; jlayer.setLayerEventMask( AWTEvent.MOUSE_EVENT_MASK | AWTEvent.MOUSE_MOTION_EVENT_MASK ); }

Override corresponding protected process<AWTEvent> method

JLayer: How to
Requires repaint on update of underlying components
Not recommended for frequently updated components

May be used instead of GlassPane to grey out selected UI component and suppress events
The only UI component is freezed on error instead of the whole frame

Window translucency types

Uniform translucency
all of the pixels of the window have the same alpha value between or including 0.0 and 1.0

Per-Pixel translucency
window might contain pixels with arbitrary alpha values between and including 0.0 and 1.0

Per-Pixel transparency
each pixel is either completely opaque or completely transparent

Window translucensy
Check whether the feature is supported
GraphicsEnvironment ge = GraphicsEnvironment. getLocalGraphicsEnvironment(); GraphicsDevice gd = ge.getDefaultScreenDevice(); GraphicsDevice.WindowTranslucency type = gd.isWindowTranslucencySupported(type)
// Java 6: // AWTUtilities.isTranslucencySupported(AWTUtilities.Translucency)

Window must NOT be in full screen mode In Java 6 the translucency might not be supported for decorated windows

Uniform translucency: TRANSLUCENT

Invoke Window.setOpacity(float) Java 6: AWTUtilities.setWindowOpacity(win, float)

Works for decorated windows!

Per-pixel: PERPIXEL_TRANSLUCENT
JFrame.setBackground(new Color(R, G, B, alpha)), 0 < alpha < 255 Java 6: AWTUtilities.setWindowOpaque(win, false); same as alpha = 0
Throws exception if window is decorated!

Shaped windows: PERPIXEL_TRANSPARENT

Invoke Window.setShape(Shape) Java 6: AWTUtilities.setShape(window, Shape)
Silently does not work on decorated windows

Mixing heavy- and lightweight

Heavyweight component
Has its own native screen resource, a peer Located in java.awt package: Button, Label, etc Popular third-party components as embedded browsers are heavyweight

Lightweight component
Reuses native window of its closest heavyweight ancestor Located in java.swing package: JButton, JLabel

Just works since JDK 6.12

Java 5 Java 6.12

No difference in source code

If just does not work

Revalidate component hierarchy
// make sure component is revalidated lightComponent.revalidate();
// if lightComponent.isValidateRoot(), revalidate parent Container parent = lightComponent.getParent(); if (parent instanceof JComponent) { ((JComponent)parent).revalidate(); } //if Java 6, might need to call validate() on the top-level window Window window = SwingUtilities.getWindowAncestor(heavyComponent); if (window != null) { window.validate(); }

Mixing Tips
Use the SIMPLE_SCROLL_MODE mode if JScrollPane contains heavyweight component For mixing a non-rectangular lightweight component with a heavyweight component
AWTUtilities.setComponentMixingCutoutShape( Component component, Shape shape)

Disable it using sun.awt.disableMixing system property

Mixing limitations
Translucent lightweight components are not supported. Heavyweight components will NOT be visible through translucent pixels Anti-aliased (smooth) shapes are not supported Heavyweight components must have valid peer, i.e. must be created by the process which have created the frame Key events of InputMap might not work correctly when components are overlapped

Thank you!

Questions?