EasyApp - Simplified AWT Controls

-- What is it? --

EasyApp simplifies creation of AWT Java applications. EasyApp combines the IBIO input/output methods with the convenience of a GUI Builder like NetBeans or JBuilder.

Normally programmers must write at least 4 commands to create a control:

These are usually written in two separate places - creation in the global variables section, and the other 3 in the constructor.

This is annoying for a high school student who is just learning to program. So I wrote EasyApp to automate this process and allow the students to create, position, and link a control in a single command:

    Button bSave =	addButton("Save",100,50,80,30,this);

The addButton method (along with other add... methods) is implemented in EasyApp.

-- How to Use It --

The simplest way to use EasyApp is to do the following:

-- More Info --

EasyApp also implements the input and output commands specified in IBIO (IB Subject Guide Appendix). Since EasyApp runs as a GUI, the IBIO commands have been implemented as GUI dialogs, rather than the text-mode implementation in the subject guide.

There are also a few "convenience" methods that simplify some common GUI tasks:

 public Process runProgram(String programName)
     - runs the specified application (.exe file)
 public String chooseFile() |
   - opens a standard file-chooser dialog and returns the chosen file name
 public Image loadImage(String filename)
   -  loads a graphics file into an Image object

Since EasyApp encapsulates the control-creation commands, they do not appear in the Java program listing. If a student were using NetBeans, the auto-generated code for the controls would appear in the program listing and the student would need to identify this clearly in their dossier. Using EasyApp, it is clear that the student did not write the encapsulated commands.

-- More Examples --

There are numerous sample programs on my web-site  http://ibcomp.fis.edu
that illustrate the proper syntax for EasyApp commands.  

You can download EasyApp.java : http://ibcomp.fis.edu/Java/EasyApp.java
or copy the code below and paste it into your Java editor.

******************************************************************************

EasyApp.java Source Code Listing
//Easy GUI Apps, Components, IBIO
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.io.*;

//=========================================================================
//====  EasyApp - standard GUI app with standard IBIO routines ============
//=========================================================================

public class EasyApp extends Frame implements ActionListener, ItemListener, MouseListener, KeyListener
 {
   //--- Constructor -------

   MenuBar menubar = addMenuBar();

   public EasyApp()
   {
     setLayout(null);
     setSize(600,400);

     addWindowListener                    // enable [x] for closing app
     ( new WindowAdapter()
       { public void windowClosing(WindowEvent evt)
         { evt.getWindow().dispose(); }
       }
     );
     setVisible(true);
     toFront();
     requestFocus();
   }

   public MenuBar makeMenus(String[] menus)
   {
     for (int x=0;x<menus.length;x++)
     {  if (menus[x].length()>0)
        { int d = menus[x].indexOf("|");
          if (d<0) {d=menus[x].length();  }
          Menu newmenu = addMenu(menus[x].substring(0,d),menubar);

          while (d>=0 && d<menus[x].length())
          {
           int e = menus[x].indexOf("|",d+1);
            if (e<0) {e=menus[x].length();  }
            MenuItem newmi = addMenuItem(menus[x].substring(d+1,e),newmenu,this);
            newmi.setActionCommand(newmenu.getActionCommand()+"|"+newmi.getActionCommand());

            d = e;
          }
        }
      }
      return menubar;
   }

   //============================
   //--- Control Creators -------
   //============================

   public Button addButton(String text, int left, int top, int width, int height,
                           ActionListener listener)
   {
       Button newComp = new Button(text);
       add(newComp);
       newComp.setBounds(left,top,width,height);
       if (listener!=null)newComp.addActionListener(listener);
       return newComp;
   }

   public Checkbox addCheckbox(String text, int left, int top, int width, int height,
                               ItemListener listener)
   {
       Checkbox newComp = new Checkbox(text);
       add(newComp);
       newComp.setBounds(left,top,width,height);
       if (listener!=null)newComp.addItemListener(listener);
       return newComp;
   }

   public TextField addTextField(String text, int left, int top, int width, int height,
                                 ActionListener listener)
   {
       TextField newComp = new TextField(text);
       add(newComp);
       newComp.setBounds(left,top,width,height);
       if (listener!=null)newComp.addActionListener(listener);
       return newComp;
   }

   public TextArea addTextArea(String text, int left, int top, int width, int height,
                               KeyListener listener)
   {
       TextArea newComp = new TextArea(text);
       add(newComp);
       newComp.setBounds(left,top,width,height);
       if (listener!=null)newComp.addKeyListener(listener);
       return newComp;
   }

   public Label addLabel(String text, int left, int top, int width, int height,
                         MouseListener listener)
   {
       Label newComp = new Label(text);
       add(newComp);
       newComp.setBounds(left,top,width,height);
       if (listener!=null)newComp.addMouseListener(listener);
       return newComp;
   }

   public JLabel addJLabel(ImageIcon img, int left, int top, int width, int height,
                         MouseListener listener)
   {
       JLabel newComp = new JLabel(img);
       add(newComp);
       newComp.setBounds(left,top,width,height);
       if (listener!=null)newComp.addMouseListener(listener);
       return newComp;
   }

   public List addList(String words,int left, int top, int width, int height,
                       ItemListener listener)
   {
       List newComp = new List();
       while (words.length()>0)
       { int s = words.indexOf("|");
         if (s<0)
         { newComp.add(words);
           words = "";
         }
         else
         { newComp.add(words.substring(0,s));
           words = words.substring(s+1);
         }
       }
       add(newComp);
       newComp.setBounds(left,top,width,height);
       if (listener!=null)newComp.addItemListener(listener);
       return newComp;
   }

   public Choice addChoice(String words,int left, int top, int width, int height,
                           ItemListener listener)
   {
       Choice newComp = new Choice();
       while (words.length()>0)
       { int s = words.indexOf("|");
         if (s<0)
         { newComp.add(words);
           words = "";
         }
         else
         { newComp.add(words.substring(0,s));
           words = words.substring(s+1);
         }
       }
       add(newComp);
       newComp.setBounds(left,top,width,height);
       if (listener!=null)newComp.addItemListener(listener);
       return newComp;
   }
  
   public JTable addJTable(String[][] data, int left, int top, int width, int height,
                         ActionListener listener)
   {
       String[] heads = new String[data[0].length];
       for(int s=0; s<heads.length; s++){ heads[s] = ""; }
       JTable newComp = new JTable(data , heads);
       JScrollPane newComps = new JScrollPane(newComp);
       add(newComps);
       newComps.setBounds(left,top,width,height);
       // if (listener!=null)newComp.addActionListener(listener);
       return newComp;
   }
   
   public MenuItem addMenuItem(String mText,Menu mu,ActionListener listener)
   {  MenuItem c = new MenuItem(mText);
      mu.add(c);
      if (listener!=null)c.addActionListener(listener);
      return c;
   }

   public Menu addMenu(String mText,Menu mu)
   {
      Menu c = new Menu(mText);
      mu.add(c);
      return c;
   }

   public Menu addMenu(String mText,MenuBar mb)
   {
      Menu c = new Menu(mText);
      mb.add(c);
      return c;
   }

   public Menu addMenu(String mText)
   {
      int d = mText.indexOf("|");
      if (d<0){d=mText.length();}
      String id = mText.substring(0,d);
      Menu c = new Menu(id);
      menubar.add(c);
      while (d<mText.length())
      { int e = mText.indexOf("|",d+1);
        if (e<0){e = mText.length();}
        String cmd = mText.substring(d+1,e);
        MenuItem mi = addMenuItem(cmd,c,this);
        mi.setActionCommand(id+"|"+cmd);
        c.add(mi);
        d = e;
      }
      return c;
   }

   public MenuBar addMenuBar()
   {  MenuBar c = new MenuBar();
      setMenuBar(c);
      return c;
   }

  //==================================
  //=== Simplified Command Library ===
  //==================================

  public Process runProgram(String programName)
  {
      Process handle = null;
      try
      { handle = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(programName);
      }
      catch(IOException ex)
      { };
      return handle;
  }

  public String chooseFile()
  { FileDialog fd = new FileDialog(this);
    fd.setVisible(true);
    return fd.getDirectory() + fd.getFile();
  }

  public Image loadImage(String filename)
  {  ImageIcon im = new ImageIcon(filename);
     int c = 0;
     do
     { c++;
     } while (c<100000 && im.getImageLoadStatus()!=MediaTracker.COMPLETE);
     return im.getImage();
  }

  public boolean loadList(List list,String filename)
  {
   try
   { list.removeAll();
     BufferedReader infile = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(filename));
      while(infile.ready())
     { list.add(infile.readLine());
     }
     infile.close();
     return true;
   }
   catch(IOException e)
   { output(e.toString());
     return false;
   }
  }

  public boolean saveList(String filename,List list)
  {
   try
   { PrintWriter outfo = new PrintWriter(new FileWriter(filename));
     for (int c=0;c<list.getItemCount();c++)
     { outfo.println(list.getItem(c));
     }
     outfo.close();
     return true;
    }
    catch(IOException e)
    { output(e.toString());
      return false;
    }
  }

  public boolean loadArray(String[] array,String filename)
  {
   try
   {
     BufferedReader countFile = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(filename));
     int s = 0;
     while(countFile.ready())
     { array[s] = countFile.readLine();
       s++;
     }
     array[s] = null;
     countFile.close();
     return true;
   }
   catch(Exception e)
   { output(e.toString());
     return false;
   }
  }

  public boolean saveArray(String filename,String[] array)
  {
   try
   { PrintWriter outfo = new PrintWriter(new FileWriter(filename));
     int c = 0;
     while (array[c]!=null)
     { outfo.println(array[c]);
       c++;
     }
     outfo.close();
     return true;
    }
    catch(IOException e)
    { output(e.toString());
      return false;
    }
  }

  public void sortArray(String[] arr)
  {
   int swaps = 0 ;
    do
    { swaps = 0;
      int c = 0;
      while (arr[c+1]!=null)
      { if (arr[c].compareTo(arr[c+1])>0)
        { String temp = arr[c];
          arr[c] = arr[c+1];
          arr[c+1] = temp;
          swaps++;
        }
        c++;
      }
    } while (swaps != 0);
  }

  public String getType(Object ob)
  {
     String c = ob.getClass().toString();
     int p = c.lastIndexOf(".");
     if (p<0) {p=-1;}
     return c.substring(p+1);
  }

  //=== Stub versions of Listeners to satisfy interfaces ===
   public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent evt)
   { actions(evt.getSource(),evt.getActionCommand());
   }

   public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent evt)
   { Object source = evt.getSource();
     String t = getType(source);
     String command = "";
     if (t.equals("List")) { command = ((List)source).getSelectedItem(); }
     else if (t.equals("Choice")){ command = ((Choice)source).getSelectedItem(); }
     else {command = evt.getItem().toString();}
     actions(source,command);
   }

   public void actions(Object source,String command)
   {
      output(source.toString()+":"+command);
   }

   public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e)
   { Object source = e.getSource();
     actions(source,"");
   }
   public void mouseEntered(MouseEvent e){}
   public void mouseExited(MouseEvent e){}
   public void mousePressed(MouseEvent e){}
   public void mouseReleased(MouseEvent e){}

   public void keyTyped(KeyEvent e)
   { Object source = e.getSource();
     actions(source,e.getKeyChar()+"");
   }
   public void keyPressed(KeyEvent e){}
   public void keyReleased(KeyEvent e){}


 //===========================================================
 //=== IBIO simplified input/output commands - GUI version ===
 //===========================================================
   public void output(String message)
   {  JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(this,message);  }

   public void outputString(String message)
   {  output(message);  }

   public void output(char info)
   {  output(info + ""); }

   public void output(byte info)
   {  output(info + ""); }

   public void output(int info)
   {  output(info + ""); }

   public void output(long info)
   {  output(info + ""); }

   public void output(double info)
   {  output(info + ""); }

   public void output(boolean info)
   {  output(info + ""); }

   //----- Numerical input methods return 0 on error ------------
   public String input(String prompt)
   {  return JOptionPane.showInputDialog(this,prompt);  }

   public String inputString(String prompt)
   { return input(prompt);  }

   public String input()
   { return input("");     }

   public char inputChar(String prompt)
   { char result=(char)0;
     try{result=input(prompt).charAt(0);}
     catch (Exception e){result = (char)0;}
     return result;
   }

   public byte inputByte(String prompt)
   { byte result=0;
     try{result=Byte.valueOf(input(prompt).trim()).byteValue();}
     catch (Exception e){result = 0;}
     return result;
   }

   public int inputInt(String prompt)
   {  int result=0;
      try{result=Integer.valueOf(
                        input(prompt).trim()).intValue();}
      catch (Exception e){result = 0;}
      return result;
   }

   public long inputLong(String prompt)
   {  long result=0;
      try{result=Long.valueOf(input(prompt).trim()).longValue();}
      catch (Exception e){result = 0;}
      return result;
   }

   public double inputDouble(String prompt)
   {  double result=0;
      try{result=Double.valueOf(
                          input(prompt).trim()).doubleValue();}
      catch (Exception e){result = 0;}
      return result;
   }

   public boolean inputBoolean(String prompt)
   {  boolean result=false;
      try{result=Boolean.valueOf(
                         input(prompt).trim()).booleanValue();}
      catch (Exception e){result = false;}
      return result;
   }
  //============================================================
  //=========== end IBIO =======================================
  //============================================================

 }