CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javaswingjframejpaneljtextarea
Henry Jeff
Henry Jeff

Reputation: 57

Making a text area that can be printed to from another class

I'm trying to use my program's output text area UI element to print progress and updates for my program rather than using the console output inside of Eclipse. Is a way I could say: 

System.out.println(string);

but instead of printing to the console, print to my own text area on the UI. My code looks a little something like this (I've removed my other panel elements to focus more on this):

This is my MainPanel class, where I make the element I want to print to:

public class MainPanel extends JPanel{

    private JTextArea consoleOutput;
    private JButton submitButton;       

    public MainPanel(){

        setLayout(null);
        Border border = BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.LIGHT_GRAY);
        Font f1 = new Font("Arial", Font.PLAIN, 14);

        consoleOutput = new JTextArea();
        consoleOutput.setBounds(199, 122, 375 , 210);
        consoleOutput.setBorder(BorderFactory.createCompoundBorder(border, BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(3, 4, 0, 0)));
        consoleOutput.setEditable(false);
        consoleOutput.setFont(f1);

        submitButton = new JButton("Get Cards");
        submitButton.setBounds(35, 285, 107, 49);
        submitButton.setFont(f2);

        submitButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
            String username = "HenryJeff";
            String password = "Password";
            Cards cards = new Cards();
            cards.openTabs(username,password);
            }
        });
        add(consoleOutput);
        add(submitButton);
        }   
}

This is my Cards class: 

public class Cards{

    public void openTabs(String username, String password){
         System.out.println(username + ", " + password);
    }

How can I replace the System.out.println(); to print to my text area? I've tried making my Cards class extend my JPanel and have the console text area be made and created in there, and then adding a write to method that writes to the text area but it didn't work. Any help is appreciated!

Upvotes: 1

Views: 54

Answers (2)

sh0rug0ru
sh0rug0ru

Reputation: 1626

You can do that, by creating a bridge between the Document of a JTextArea and a Writer:

public class PlainDocumentWriter extends PlainDocument implements Writer {
    public Writer append(char c) {
        // Note: is thread-safe. can share between threads.
        insertString(getLength(), Char.toString(c), new SimpleAttributeSet());
    }

    public Writer append(CharSequence csq) {
        insertString(getLength(), csq.toString(), new SimpleAttributeSet());
    }

    // etc.
}

Then:

PlainDocumentWriter w = new PlainDocumentWriter();
consoleOutput = new JTextArea(w);
PrintWriter pw = new PrintWriter(w);

And then:

pw.println(username + ", " + password);

Now, anything you write to the PrintWriter will show up in the text area.

Upvotes: 1

SatyaTNV
SatyaTNV

Reputation: 4135

In your MainPanel class

cards.openTabs(username,password,this);

and specify your consoleOutput as non private some default.

Change your Cards class

public class Cards{

public void openTabs(String username, String password, MainPanel panel){
panel.consoleOutput.setText(username + ", " + password);
//now both user name and password will be displayed in text area of MainPanel class.
}

Upvotes: 1

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