JavaTM 2 Platform
Std. Ed. v1.4.1

javax.swing
Class LookAndFeel

java.lang.Object
  |
  +--javax.swing.LookAndFeel
Direct Known Subclasses:
BasicLookAndFeel, MultiLookAndFeel

public abstract class LookAndFeel
extends Object

Completely characterizes a look and feel from the point of view of the pluggable look and feel components.


Constructor Summary
LookAndFeel()
           
 
Method Summary
 UIDefaults getDefaults()
          This method is called once by UIManager.setLookAndFeel to create the look and feel specific defaults table.
abstract  String getDescription()
          Return a one line description of this look and feel implementation, e.g.
static Object getDesktopPropertyValue(String systemPropertyName, Object fallbackValue)
          Returns the value of the specified system desktop property by invoking Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getDesktopProperty().
abstract  String getID()
          Return a string that identifies this look and feel.
abstract  String getName()
          Return a short string that identifies this look and feel, e.g.
 boolean getSupportsWindowDecorations()
          Returns true if the LookAndFeel returned RootPaneUI instances support providing Window decorations in a JRootPane.
 void initialize()
          UIManager.setLookAndFeel calls this method before the first call (and typically the only call) to getDefaults().
static void installBorder(JComponent c, String defaultBorderName)
          Convenience method for installing a component's default Border object on the specified component if either the border is currently null or already an instance of UIResource.
static void installColors(JComponent c, String defaultBgName, String defaultFgName)
          Convenience method for initializing a component's foreground and background color properties with values from the current defaults table.
static void installColorsAndFont(JComponent c, String defaultBgName, String defaultFgName, String defaultFontName)
          Convenience method for initializing a components foreground background and font properties with values from the current defaults table.
abstract  boolean isNativeLookAndFeel()
          If the underlying platform has a "native" look and feel, and this is an implementation of it, return true.
abstract  boolean isSupportedLookAndFeel()
          Return true if the underlying platform supports and or permits this look and feel.
static void loadKeyBindings(InputMap retMap, Object[] keys)
          Loads the bindings in keys into retMap.
static ComponentInputMap makeComponentInputMap(JComponent c, Object[] keys)
          Creates a ComponentInputMap from keys.
static Object makeIcon(Class baseClass, String gifFile)
          Utility method that creates a UIDefaults.LazyValue that creates an ImageIcon UIResource for the specified gifFile filename.
static InputMap makeInputMap(Object[] keys)
          Creates a InputMap from keys.
static JTextComponent.KeyBinding[] makeKeyBindings(Object[] keyBindingList)
          Convenience method for building lists of KeyBindings.
 void provideErrorFeedback(Component component)
          Invoked when the user attempts an invalid operation, such as pasting into an uneditable JTextField that has focus.
 String toString()
          Returns a string that displays and identifies this object's properties.
 void uninitialize()
          UIManager.setLookAndFeel calls this method just before we're replaced by a new default look and feel.
static void uninstallBorder(JComponent c)
          Convenience method for un-installing a component's default border on the specified component if the border is currently an instance of UIResource.
 
Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait
 

Constructor Detail

LookAndFeel

public LookAndFeel()
Method Detail

installColors

public static void installColors(JComponent c,
                                 String defaultBgName,
                                 String defaultFgName)
Convenience method for initializing a component's foreground and background color properties with values from the current defaults table. The properties are only set if the current value is either null or a UIResource.

Parameters:
c - the target component for installing default color/font properties
defaultBgName - the key for the default background
defaultFgName - the key for the default foreground
See Also:
installColorsAndFont(javax.swing.JComponent, java.lang.String, java.lang.String, java.lang.String), UIManager.getColor(java.lang.Object)

installColorsAndFont

public static void installColorsAndFont(JComponent c,
                                        String defaultBgName,
                                        String defaultFgName,
                                        String defaultFontName)
Convenience method for initializing a components foreground background and font properties with values from the current defaults table. The properties are only set if the current value is either null or a UIResource.

Parameters:
c - the target component for installing default color/font properties
defaultBgName - the key for the default background
defaultFgName - the key for the default foreground
defaultFontName - the key for the default font
See Also:
installColors(javax.swing.JComponent, java.lang.String, java.lang.String), UIManager.getColor(java.lang.Object), UIManager.getFont(java.lang.Object)

installBorder

public static void installBorder(JComponent c,
                                 String defaultBorderName)
Convenience method for installing a component's default Border object on the specified component if either the border is currently null or already an instance of UIResource.

Parameters:
c - the target component for installing default border
defaultBorderName - the key specifying the default border

uninstallBorder

public static void uninstallBorder(JComponent c)
Convenience method for un-installing a component's default border on the specified component if the border is currently an instance of UIResource.

Parameters:
c - the target component for uninstalling default border

makeKeyBindings

public static JTextComponent.KeyBinding[] makeKeyBindings(Object[] keyBindingList)
Convenience method for building lists of KeyBindings.

Return an array of KeyBindings, one for each KeyStroke,Action pair in keyBindingList. A KeyStroke can either be a string in the format specified by the KeyStroke.getKeyStroke method or a KeyStroke object.

Actions are strings. Here's an example:

 	JTextComponent.KeyBinding[] multilineBindings = makeKeyBindings( new Object[] {
          "UP", DefaultEditorKit.upAction,
        "DOWN", DefaultEditorKit.downAction,
     "PAGE_UP", DefaultEditorKit.pageUpAction,
   "PAGE_DOWN", DefaultEditorKit.pageDownAction,
       "ENTER", DefaultEditorKit.insertBreakAction,
         "TAB", DefaultEditorKit.insertTabAction
  });
 

Parameters:
keyBindingList - an array of KeyStroke,Action pairs
Returns:
an array of KeyBindings

makeInputMap

public static InputMap makeInputMap(Object[] keys)
Creates a InputMap from keys. keys describes the InputMap, with every even number item being a String giving the KeyStroke as speced in KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(String) (or a KeyStroke), and every odd number item the Object used to determine the associated Action in an ActionMap.

Since:
1.3

makeComponentInputMap

public static ComponentInputMap makeComponentInputMap(JComponent c,
                                                      Object[] keys)
Creates a ComponentInputMap from keys. keys describes the InputMap, with every even number item being a String giving the KeyStroke as speced in KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(String) (or a KeyStroke), and every odd number item the Object used to determine the associated Action in an ActionMap.

Since:
1.3

loadKeyBindings

public static void loadKeyBindings(InputMap retMap,
                                   Object[] keys)
Loads the bindings in keys into retMap. This does not remove any existing bindings in retMap. keys describes the InputMap, with every even number item being a String giving the KeyStroke as speced in KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(String) (or a KeyStroke), and every odd number item the Object used to determine the associated Action in an ActionMap.

Since:
1.3

makeIcon

public static Object makeIcon(Class baseClass,
                              String gifFile)
Utility method that creates a UIDefaults.LazyValue that creates an ImageIcon UIResource for the specified gifFile filename.


provideErrorFeedback

public void provideErrorFeedback(Component component)
Invoked when the user attempts an invalid operation, such as pasting into an uneditable JTextField that has focus. The default implementation beeps. Subclasses that wish different behavior should override this and provide the additional feedback.

Parameters:
component - Component the error occured in, may be null indicating the error condition is not directly associated with a Component.

getDesktopPropertyValue

public static Object getDesktopPropertyValue(String systemPropertyName,
                                             Object fallbackValue)
Returns the value of the specified system desktop property by invoking Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getDesktopProperty(). If the current value of the specified property is null, the fallbackValue is returned.

Parameters:
systemPropertyName - the name of the system desktop property being queried
fallbackValue - the object to be returned as the value if the system value is null
Returns:
the current value of the desktop property
See Also:
Toolkit.getDesktopProperty(java.lang.String)

getName

public abstract String getName()
Return a short string that identifies this look and feel, e.g. "CDE/Motif". This string should be appropriate for a menu item. Distinct look and feels should have different names, e.g. a subclass of MotifLookAndFeel that changes the way a few components are rendered should be called "CDE/Motif My Way"; something that would be useful to a user trying to select a L&F from a list of names.


getID

public abstract String getID()
Return a string that identifies this look and feel. This string will be used by applications/services that want to recognize well known look and feel implementations. Presently the well known names are "Motif", "Windows", "Mac", "Metal". Note that a LookAndFeel derived from a well known superclass that doesn't make any fundamental changes to the look or feel shouldn't override this method.


getDescription

public abstract String getDescription()
Return a one line description of this look and feel implementation, e.g. "The CDE/Motif Look and Feel". This string is intended for the user, e.g. in the title of a window or in a ToolTip message.


getSupportsWindowDecorations

public boolean getSupportsWindowDecorations()
Returns true if the LookAndFeel returned RootPaneUI instances support providing Window decorations in a JRootPane.

The default implementation returns false, subclasses that support Window decorations should override this and return true.

Returns:
True if the RootPaneUI instances created support client side decorations
Since:
1.4
See Also:
JDialog.setDefaultLookAndFeelDecorated(boolean), JFrame.setDefaultLookAndFeelDecorated(boolean), JRootPane.setWindowDecorationStyle(int)

isNativeLookAndFeel

public abstract boolean isNativeLookAndFeel()
If the underlying platform has a "native" look and feel, and this is an implementation of it, return true. For example a CDE/Motif look and implementation would return true when the underlying platform was Solaris.


isSupportedLookAndFeel

public abstract boolean isSupportedLookAndFeel()
Return true if the underlying platform supports and or permits this look and feel. This method returns false if the look and feel depends on special resources or legal agreements that aren't defined for the current platform.

See Also:
UIManager.setLookAndFeel(javax.swing.LookAndFeel)

initialize

public void initialize()
UIManager.setLookAndFeel calls this method before the first call (and typically the only call) to getDefaults(). Subclasses should do any one-time setup they need here, rather than in a static initializer, because look and feel class objects may be loaded just to discover that isSupportedLookAndFeel() returns false.

See Also:
uninitialize(), UIManager.setLookAndFeel(javax.swing.LookAndFeel)

uninitialize

public void uninitialize()
UIManager.setLookAndFeel calls this method just before we're replaced by a new default look and feel. Subclasses may choose to free up some resources here.

See Also:
initialize()

getDefaults

public UIDefaults getDefaults()
This method is called once by UIManager.setLookAndFeel to create the look and feel specific defaults table. Other applications, for example an application builder, may also call this method.

See Also:
initialize(), uninitialize(), UIManager.setLookAndFeel(javax.swing.LookAndFeel)

toString

public String toString()
Returns a string that displays and identifies this object's properties.

Overrides:
toString in class Object
Returns:
a String representation of this object

JavaTM 2 Platform
Std. Ed. v1.4.1

Submit a bug or feature
For further API reference and developer documentation, see Java 2 SDK SE Developer Documentation. That documentation contains more detailed, developer-targeted descriptions, with conceptual overviews, definitions of terms, workarounds, and working code examples.

Copyright 2002 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved. Use is subject to license terms.