CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javadesign-patternsjavafx
G.Spansky
G.Spansky

Reputation: 902

JavaFx how to avoid creating one huge controller

I have an app in JavaFX, which has main scene with menu and toolbar, and smaller scenes, which are injected into this main scene, after one of menu buttons are being pressed.

Now, HomeCntroller is responsible for either scene components: Home Scene (with toolbar and menu), and injected scene. This leads me to create massive, huge and very unprofessional controller if number of injected scenes is more than one.

How to split controller responsibility?

Now my Controller looks like this: changeDashboardPane method injects smaller Pane into my main HomePane.

@Component
@RequiredArgsConstructor(onConstructor = @__(@Autowired) )
public class HomeController extends AbstractController {
    private static final Logger LOG = Logger.getLogger(HomeController.class);

    private final BudgetProfileService budgetProfileService;

    @FXML
    private Label usernameLabel;

    @FXML
    private ComboBox<String> budgetProfilesComboBox; 

    @FXML
    private AnchorPane dashBoardPane;

    @FXML
    public void initialize() {
        refreshUsernameLabel();
        getAllBudgetProfiles();
        changeDashboardPane(PaneFactoryKeys.FINANCES_PANE);
    }

    private void refreshUsernameLabel() {
        String username = UserAccountProvider.getLoggedUser().getUsername();
        usernameLabel.setText(username);
    }

    private void getAllBudgetProfiles() {
        List<String> budgetProfileNames = budgetProfileService.getAllBudgetProfileNames();
        if (!budgetProfileNames.isEmpty()) {
            budgetProfilesComboBox.getItems().clear();
            budgetProfilesComboBox.getItems().addAll(budgetProfileNames);
        }
    }

    @FXML
    public void handleFinancesButtonAction() {
        changeDashboardPane(PaneFactoryKeys.FINANCES_PANE);
    }

    @FXML
    public void handlePeriodButtonAction() {
        changeDashboardPane(PaneFactoryKeys.PERIOD_PANE);
    }

    @FXML
    public void handleStatisticsButtonAction() {
        changeDashboardPane(PaneFactoryKeys.STATISTICS_PANE);
    }

    @FXML
    public void handleSettingsButtonAction() {
        changeDashboardPane(PaneFactoryKeys.SETTINGS_PANE);
    }

    private final void changeDashboardPane(String paneFactoryKey) {
        double injectedPanePosition = 0.0;
        Pane paneToChange = getPaneFromFactory(paneFactoryKey);
        dashBoardPane.getChildren().clear();
        AnchorPane.setTopAnchor(paneToChange, injectedPanePosition);
        dashBoardPane.getChildren().add(paneToChange);
    }

}

To get this more clear, screens:

without injected second pane with injected second pane

Any ideas guys?

Upvotes: 4

Views: 2893

Answers (3)

User8461
User8461

Reputation: 438

To avoid a huge contoller class, as I am using multiple tabs, I split the tabs to single java files.

My solution was to create a cascade of classes:

  • Base: Containing all defs for FX types
  • Tab1 extends Base: Tab one implementation
  • Tab2 extends Tab1: Tab two implementation
  • Controller extends Tab2 implements Initializable: Implements initialize(URL url, ResourceBundle resourceBundle)

Important: Any accessed object must be definded in the current tab or before. Any Objects in Base are available in Controller whereas no object of Controller is accessable in Base, Tab1 or Tab2.

Feel free to add your opinion as comment or submit a improvement.

Upvotes: 1

Johan Duke
Johan Duke

Reputation: 209

I would recommend you to divide your main scene in smaller ones, for example you can have a tools scene, a header scene, a content scene and so on. Then you should have one controller for every scene.

After that I would use a publisher-subscriber pattern to deal with behaviors, like when you press a button on settings scene, it triggers an event that other scenes listen to and then they handle it changing their state accordingly.

I hope it was clear and can help!

Upvotes: 5

Tomas Bisciak
Tomas Bisciak

Reputation: 2841

Create multiple controllers , multiple FXML files - to continue on my answer that i provided you before, JavaFX how to inject new FXML content to current Scene each of those views that have separate fxml file also has 

fx:controller="appplication.ExampleViewController"

attached to it.So what you do is create main controller as was mentioned , that is basically the FRAME CONTAINER that encapsulates controls to change your dynamic container.If your application is really ui rich and have a lot of functionality in one controller , you can break down your view even further:

For instance take out menu and put it into separated controller , and insert it into your main view with main controller

/same way as in method setView()/

, what you are doing is just taking it away to keep controller code smaller, YOU DONT DECREASE/INCREASE SCENE GRAPH THIS WAY, doesnt have a drawback its just a personal preference.

You gonna end up with more fxml files and controllers in the end.Its all the same thing as from your previous question there is no additional code needed you can actually reuse what was already provided.

Data between controllers are passed thru MODEL. - look more into MVC dont work with application data in controllers only care about view or passing them from/into model

Upvotes: 1

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