Serge NOEL
178 lines
7.4 KiB
Plaintext
178 lines
7.4 KiB
Plaintext
<!DOCTYPE html>
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<html lang="en">
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<meta name="generator" content="HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Apple macOS version 5.8.0">
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<title>Using the NetBeans Swing GUI Builder</title>
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<meta name="author" content="Bob Jacobsen">
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<meta name="keywords" content="JMRI technical code NetBeans GUI">
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<div id="mBody">
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<h1>JMRI Code: Using the NetBeans Swing GUI Builder</h1>
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<!-- - - - - - - - - -->
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<p>Portions of the JMRI Graphical User Interface (GUI) code are maintained using the <a href=
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"https://netbeans.org/features/java/swing.html">NetBeans Swing GUI Builder</a> (the
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"Builder"). This page is a guide to using the Builder tool. See <a href=
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"NetBeans.shtml">Building with NetBeans</a> for a general introduction to using NetBeans for
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maintaining JMRI.</p>
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<!-- - - - - - - - - -->
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<ul>
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<li>
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<a href="#intro">Introduction</a>
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</li>
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<li>
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<a href="#usage">Using the Builder</a>
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</li>
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<li>
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<a href="#code">Examining the Code</a>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<a href="#java">.java File</a>
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</li>
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<li>
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<a href="#form">.form File</a>
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</li>
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</ul>
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</li>
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<li>
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<a href="#references">See Also</a>
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</li>
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</ul>
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<h2 id="intro">Introduction</h2>
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<p>NetBeans 7.4 or 8.0 includes a Swing GUI Builder that makes it easier to maintain a Java
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Swing-based GUI (such as JMRI) than writing the user interface entirely by hand.</p>
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<p>This tool can create code that is not ideally separated into human-maintained and
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generated Java code. If you use NetBeans, you are protected from this, as the Builder does a
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good job of integrating its views with the source editor. However, if you use another editor,
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you will be exposed to this.</p>
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<h2 id="usage">Using the Builder</h2>
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<p>The NetBeans IDE editor toolbar will automatically contain a button labeled
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<strong>Design</strong> if the Class being edited can also be edited in the Swing GUI
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Builder.</p>
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<p>Clicking the <strong>Design</strong> button will present the ability to drag buttons,
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labels, panels, and other objects onto a window to visually place them. Any object that
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conforms to the <a href=
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"http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/documentation/spec-136004.html">JavaBean</a>
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standard can be placed on the window and linked to other objects on the window, even if it
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does not have a visual representation.</p>
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<p>Where the Builder cannot automatically generate code, it provides empty, or stub, methods
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that can be completed to implement the desired logic, and will automatically switch to the
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code view as needed.</p>
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<h2 id="code">Examining the Code</h2>
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<p>The Builder maintains two files: a .java file, containing compilable code, and a .form
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file, containing an XML representation of GUI along with code that is used to create the
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initComponents() method in the .java file.</p>
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<h3><a href="java">.java File</a>
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</h3>
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<p>In NetBeans, the code generated by the Builder, looks just like any other Java code,
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although portions of it cannot be edited (NetBeans simply does not allow the code to be
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changed). Stub methods will be editable, however, it will not be possible to change the
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method signatures (name, parameters, return values, or throws clauses).</p>
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<p>A method, <code>private void initComponents()</code></p>
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<p>Other tools, however, will display the code very differently, and the code will contain
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the following non-standard, though valid, markings as comments that are hidden in
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NetBeans:</p>
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<dl>
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<dt>// <editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc="Generated Code"></dt>
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<dd>Hides everything between it and <code>// </editor-fold></code> with the
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description <em>Generated Code</em> in NetBeans and other editors that recognize it. Code
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between these two comments can be viewed by clicking the <strong>+</strong> icon to the
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left of the description in those editors. It is used to hide code that should not be edited
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by hand.</dd>
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<dt>// </editor-fold></dt>
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<dd>Used with <code>// <editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc="Generated
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Code"></code>. See that comment's description for more information.</dd>
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<dt>//GEN-BEGIN:<em><token></em></dt>
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<dd>Precedes a method or block of variables that is completely generated by the Builder.
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Such a method or block is followed by a corresponding
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<code>//GEN-END:<em><token></em></code> comment.</dd>
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<dt>//GEN-END:<em><token></em></dt>
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<dd>Follows a method or block of variables that is completely generated by the Builder.
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Such a method or block is preceded by a corresponding
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<code>//GEN-BEGIN:<em><token></em></code> comment.</dd>
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<dt>//GEN-FIRST:<em><token></em></dt>
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<dd>Precedes a method that generated code calls, but the body of which is written by a
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developer. Such a method is followed by a corresponding
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<code>//GEN-LAST:<em><token></em></code> comment. The token is often
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<code>event_<em><methodName></em></code>.</dd>
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<dt>//GEN-LAST:<em><token></em></dt>
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<dd>Follows a method that generated code calls, but the body of which is written by a
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developer. This comment marks the closing curly brace in the method preceded by the
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corresponding <code>//GEN-FIRST:<em><token></em></code> comment.</dd>
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</dl>
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<h3><a href="form">.form File</a>
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</h3>
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<p>The .form file is completely hidden within the NetBeans IDE. Opening a .java file with a
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corresponding .form file (the same file name in the same package) will add the
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<strong>Design</strong> button to the editor tool bar, allowing the Builder to be used.</p>
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<p>The .form file is an XML file adhering to the DTD in <a href=
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"http://hg.netbeans.org/core-main/file/tip/form/src/org/netbeans/modules/form/forminfo/forms.dtd">
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the NetBeans source code</a> (linked to the head of the NetBeans trunk). NetBeans uses this
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file to store additional information outside the JavaBeans specification that is required to
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correctly generate the <code>initComponents()</code> method, stub methods, and variable
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lists. In the absence of other changes to the .java file, this file could be used to
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completely generate a new .java file, should that be necessary.</p>
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<p>This file should not be edited by hand, but should be generated by the Builder.</p>
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<h2 id="references">See Also</h2>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<a href="https://netbeans.org/kb/docs/java/quickstart-gui.html">Designing a Swing GUI in
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NetBeans IDE</a>
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</li>
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<li>
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<a href="https://netbeans.org/kb/trails/matisse.html">Java GUI Applications Learning
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Trail</a>
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</li>
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</ul>
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