How to get JTable checkbox cells to update with exterior select all button mnemonic

Question

This question is very specific. The code below is an an example pulled from the Oracle JTable tutorial with added code for a Select All checkbox that selects and deselects all checkboxes in the final column. The program I am assigned to uses a very similar set up to this. This is a working example but has one issue that I cannot figure out how to fix.

When you have the selection/focus on one of the cells in the final column of the table and hit Alt+A (mnemonic for the Select All checkbox), the cell that is in focus does not render/update with the other cells in the column. The underlying problem is this: the column is editable, it seems that when a character key is pressed it messes with the cells ability to update. If you make the cell not editable and use the mnemonic when it is in focus, it will work just fine, but then you cannot click on it with the mouse.

I want to be able to use both the mouse to click any check box cell or the select all button and also be able to use the mnemonic key at any time for the select all button.

How can I make it so that the check box cell updates when using the mnemonic for select all, if the focus is on the cell in the check box column?

Here is the full example program.

/*
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 * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
 * are met:
 *
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 *     notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
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 *     contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived
 *     from this software without specific prior written permission.
 *
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 * IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
 * THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
 * PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR
 * CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL,
 * EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
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 * NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
 * SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 */ 



/*
 * TableDemo.java requires no other files.
 */

import javax.swing.JCheckBox;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import javax.swing.JTable;
import javax.swing.table.AbstractTableModel;
import javax.swing.table.TableModel;

import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.GridLayout;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;

/** 
 * TableDemo is just like SimpleTableDemo, except that it
 * uses a custom TableModel.
 */
public class TestJTable extends JPanel {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

    public static JTable table;

    private boolean DEBUG = false;

    public JPanel tablePanel;

    public TestJTable() {
        super(new GridLayout(1,0));

        table = new JTable(new MyTableModel());
        table.setPreferredScrollableViewportSize(new Dimension(500, 70));
        table.setFillsViewportHeight(true);

        //Create the scroll pane and add the table to it.
        JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(table);

        JPanel selectAllCheckBoxPanel = new CreateSelectAllCheckBox();

        tablePanel = new JPanel();
        tablePanel.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        tablePanel.add(selectAllCheckBoxPanel, BorderLayout.PAGE_START);
        tablePanel.add(scrollPane, BorderLayout.PAGE_END);

        add(tablePanel);
    }

    class MyTableModel extends AbstractTableModel {

        private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

        private String[] columnNames = {"First Name",
                                        "Last Name",
                                        "Sport",
                                        "# of Years",
                                        "Vegetarian"};
        private Object[][] data = {
        {"Kathy", "Smith",
         "Snowboarding", new Integer(5), new Boolean(false)},
        {"John", "Doe",
         "Rowing", new Integer(3), new Boolean(true)},
        {"Sue", "Black",
         "Knitting", new Integer(2), new Boolean(false)},
        {"Jane", "White",
         "Speed reading", new Integer(20), new Boolean(true)},
        {"Joe", "Brown",
         "Pool", new Integer(10), new Boolean(false)}
        };

        public int getColumnCount() {
            return columnNames.length;
        }

        public int getRowCount() {
            return data.length;
        }

        public String getColumnName(int col) {
            return columnNames[col];
        }

        public Object getValueAt(int row, int col) {
            return data[row][col];
        }

        /*
         * JTable uses this method to determine the default renderer/
         * editor for each cell.  If we didn't implement this method,
         * then the last column would contain text ("true"/"false"),
         * rather than a check box.
         */
        public Class <?> getColumnClass(int c) {
            return getValueAt(0, c).getClass();
        }

        /*
         * Don't need to implement this method unless your table's
         * editable.
         */
        public boolean isCellEditable(int row, int col) {
            //Note that the data/cell address is constant,
            //no matter where the cell appears onscreen.
            if (col < 2) {
                return false;
            } else {
                return true;
            }
        }

        /*
         * Don't need to implement this method unless your table's
         * data can change.
         */
        public void setValueAt(Object value, int row, int col) {
            if (DEBUG) {
                System.out.println("Setting value at " + row + "," + col
                                   + " to " + value
                                   + " (an instance of "
                                   + value.getClass() + ")");
            }

            data[row][col] = value;
            fireTableCellUpdated(row, col);

            if (DEBUG) {
                System.out.println("New value of data:");
                printDebugData();
            }
        }

        private void printDebugData() {
            int numRows = getRowCount();
            int numCols = getColumnCount();

            for (int i=0; i < numRows; i++) {
                System.out.print("    row " + i + ":");
                for (int j=0; j < numCols; j++) {
                    System.out.print("  " + data[i][j]);
                }
                System.out.println();
            }
            System.out.println("--------------------------");
        }
    }

    /**
     * Create the GUI and show it.  For thread safety,
     * this method should be invoked from the
     * event-dispatching thread.
     */
    private static void createAndShowGUI() {
        //Create and set up the window.
        JFrame frame = new JFrame("TableDemo");
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

        //Create and set up the content pane.
        TestJTable newContentPane = new TestJTable();
        newContentPane.setOpaque(true); //content panes must be opaque
        frame.setContentPane(newContentPane);

        //Display the window.
        frame.pack();
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        javax.swing.SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            public void run() {
                createAndShowGUI();
            }
        });
    }
}

/**
 * code to create the Select All check box at top of table.
 */
class CreateSelectAllCheckBox extends JPanel {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

    public static JCheckBox selectAllCheckBox;

    public CreateSelectAllCheckBox() {

        selectAllCheckBox = new JCheckBox("Select All");
        selectAllCheckBox.setFocusable(true);
        selectAllCheckBox.setEnabled(true);
        selectAllCheckBox.setSelected(false);
        selectAllCheckBox.setOpaque(true);
        selectAllCheckBox.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_A);

        selectAllCheckBox.addActionListener(new SelectAllActionListener());


        this.setLayout(new BorderLayout());

        this.add(selectAllCheckBox, BorderLayout.PAGE_START);
    }
}

/**
 * Listener for Select All check box. Will select all or unselect all check boxes in column 5 when toggled.
 */
class SelectAllActionListener implements ActionListener {

    private static JTable table = TestJTable.table;

    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {

        if (CreateSelectAllCheckBox.selectAllCheckBox.isSelected()){
            TableModel model = table.getModel();

            for (int row = 0; row < model.getRowCount(); row++) {
                model.setValueAt(Boolean.valueOf(true), row, 4);
            }

        } 
        if (!CreateSelectAllCheckBox.selectAllCheckBox.isSelected()){
            TableModel model = table.getModel();

            for (int row = 0; row < model.getRowCount(); row++) {
                model.setValueAt(Boolean.valueOf(false), row, 4);
            }
        }
    }
}

EDIT BELOW -- Problem Solved, change the Listener class to the below code. The additional code is that cancelCellEditing() is called before setting the value. It doesn't stop the cell from being still editable after the value is set with the listener. Thank you Dodd10x for the code :)

/**
 * Listener for Select All check box. Will select all or unselect all check boxes in column 5 when toggled.
 */
class SelectAllActionListener implements ActionListener {

    private static JTable table = TestJTable.table;

    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {

        TableCellEditor editor = table.getCellEditor();
        if (editor != null) {
            editor.cancelCellEditing();
        }

        if (CreateSelectAllCheckBox.selectAllCheckBox.isSelected()){
            TableModel model = table.getModel();

            for (int row = 0; row < model.getRowCount(); row++) {
                model.setValueAt(Boolean.valueOf(true), row, 4);
            }

        } 
        if (!CreateSelectAllCheckBox.selectAllCheckBox.isSelected()){
            TableModel model = table.getModel();

            for (int row = 0; row < model.getRowCount(); row++) {
                model.setValueAt(Boolean.valueOf(false), row, 4);
            }
        }

    }
}

Answer 1

The cell you have selected is in an editing state so it won't be updated. In the select/deselect all command, you need to first get the currently selected cell and tell it to stop editing.

TableCellEditor editor = getCellEditor();
if (editor != null) {
    editor.cancelCellEditing();
}