Java Swing Question

[iccaros]

ok I have a simple pick a number game..

I want the screen background to change color when they are close or too far (blue for close, red for far), I got this no problem

I set up an array of type color

private final Color color[] = { Color.RED, Color.BLUE, Color.GREEN,
			Color.GRAY };

now I have tried two ways in my event handler to make it flash all the color (so they can be seen) before going to the information color (this is so you see that your input when in.. or feedback )

here is method one

  else if (compairNumber > numberToGuess
				&& compairNumber <= numberToGuess + 2) {
			for (int x = 0; x < 4; x++) {
				for (int y = 0; y < 100000; y++)
			;
				getContentPane().setBackground(color[x]);
			}
			getContentPane().setBackground(color[1]);

method two

else if (compairNumber < numberToGuess
				&& compairNumber < numberToGuess - 2) 
		{
			getContentPane().setBackground(color[1]);
			for(int x = 0; x > 1000000;x++)
		;
			getContentPane().setBackground(color[2]);
			for(int x = 0; x < 1000000;x++)
		;
			getContentPane().setBackground(color[3]);
			for(int x = 0; x < 1000000;x++)
		;
			getContentPane().setBackground(color[0]);
		  }

so what I need is for the windows to flash diffrent colors for a second before staying on one color

Edited June 10, 2006 by iccaros

[jcl]

javax.swing.Timer. Write the animation object as a little state machine, set the timer interval to the update frequency of the animation. Each tick the timer calls actionPerformed() on the object, the object changes the background color and transitions the next state. When it exits the final state it stops the timer.

[iccaros]

??? I'll look up javax.swing.Timer

but I did not understand much of that..

This is what I think I understand is set a timer trigered by my event that usese background change as an animation. and when the animation is done let the use enter another number..

sorry I can't post more code untill monday..

[jcl]

This is what I think I understand is set a timer trigered by my event that usese background change as an animation. and when the animation is done let the use enter another number..

Something like this (from memory, haven't tested it):

class C implements ActionListener {
  private int state = 0;

  public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
	switch (state) {
	  case 0:
		// set color
		// increment state
		break;
	  case 1:
		// set color
		// increment state
		break;
	  case // last state
		// set final color
		// disable timer. ((Timer)e.getSource()).stop() might work.
	}
  }
}

// elsewhere
	int interval = // update frequency in milliseconds
	Timer t = new Timer(interval, new C());
	t.start()

That's a classic procedural state machine. There are more object-oriented ways to do it but I think my fingers would fall off if I tried to use them.

Edit: A network somewhere in the back of my brain is screaming that this approach is all wrong but I've been doing so little OOP recently that I can't understand what it's saying. There's an obvious alternative that I'm missing....

Edited June 11, 2006 by jcl

[iccaros]

well here is my code.. had to wait as it was a schools assinment, but I wanted to make it better (I'm learnin here)

in case some one does not understand java, the file name need to be the same as the class or GuessGamePanel.java in this case.. the main method can be named what ever you want.

import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import java.util.Random;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;

public class GuessGamePanel extends JFrame {
	private JButton inButton;

	private JButton restartButton;

	private JTextField userInput;

	private JLabel label1;

	private JLabel blueLabel;

	private JLabel redLabel;

	private final Color color[] = { Color.RED, Color.BLUE, Color.GREEN,
			Color.GRAY };

	public int numberToGuess;

	public int compairNumber;

	public int counter;

	// construtor
	public GuessGamePanel() {
		super("Number Guessing game by William Huskey");
		setLayout(new FlowLayout());// set layout of JFrame componets
		getContentPane().setBackground(color[3]);

		counter = 1;

		label1 = new JLabel("Enter a Guess from 1 to 10");
		add(label1);

		userInput = new JTextField(2);
		userInput.setEditable(true);
		add(userInput);

		inButton = new JButton("OK");
		add(inButton);

		restartButton = new JButton("Restart Game");
		add(restartButton);

		numberToGuess = guessNumber();// create random number

		redLabel = new JLabel("the Color Red Means you are not close");
		add(redLabel);

		blueLabel = new JLabel("The Color Blue means you are close");
		add(blueLabel);

		// create Handling for Buttons
		ButtonHandler bHandler = new ButtonHandler();
		inButton.addActionListener(bHandler);
		restartButton.addActionListener(bHandler);

		TextHandler tHandler = new TextHandler();
		userInput.addActionListener(tHandler);

	}// end GuessGamePanel Construtor

	// Button events
	private class ButtonHandler implements ActionListener {
		public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event) {
			if (event.getSource() == inButton) {
				checkWin();
			}// endif

			else if (event.getSource() == restartButton) {
				userInput.setEditable(true);
				numberToGuess = guessNumber();// create random number
				counter = 1;
			}
		}
	}// end ButtonHandler

	// JText events --aka press enter
	private class TextHandler implements ActionListener {
		public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event) {
			checkWin();
		}
	}// end TextHandler

	public int guessNumber() {
		Random number = new Random();
		return 1 + number.nextInt(10);
	}// end methid GuessNumber

	// check to see if user inputed a winning guess
	public void checkWin() {
		compairNumber = Integer.parseInt(userInput.getText());

		if (compairNumber == numberToGuess) {
			getContentPane().setBackground(color[2]);
			userInput.setEditable(false);
			JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Press Restart To Play Agian",
					"You Win!!!", JOptionPane.PLAIN_MESSAGE);}

		 else if (compairNumber > numberToGuess
				&& compairNumber > numberToGuess + 2) 
		 {
			 repaint();
			 getContentPane().setBackground(color[0]);
		 }


		else if (compairNumber < numberToGuess
				&& compairNumber < numberToGuess - 2) 
		{
			 repaint();
			 getContentPane().setBackground(color[0]);
		 }


		 else if (compairNumber > numberToGuess
				&& compairNumber <= numberToGuess + 2) 
			 	getContentPane().setBackground(color[1]);

		 else if (compairNumber < numberToGuess
				&& compairNumber >= numberToGuess - 2) 
			getContentPane().setBackground(color[1]);

	if (counter == 1) {

		for (int x = 0; x < 4; x++)
			getContentPane().setBackground(color[x]);
		getContentPane().setBackground(color[0]);// overrides close
		// colors on first try
		counter = 0;
	}
}
}// end Class GuessGamePanel

and here is the main class to run it

import javax.swing.JFrame;
public class william_huskey_program5
{
		public static void main(String[] args)
		{
				GuessGamePanel guessGame = new GuessGamePanel();
				guessGame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
				guessGame.setSize(450,150);
				guessGame.setVisible(true);

		}//end main

}//end class

I know I need more comments..

I will try to add what you said JCL.. once I understand it.. that is..

Thanks

Edited June 12, 2006 by iccaros

[jcl]

Little sample, simpler than what I posted above.

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class Blink
{
	static class ColorChanger implements ActionListener
	{
		private Color[]	 colors_;
		private Container   pane_;
		private int		 state_;

		public ColorChanger(Container pane, Color[] colors)
		{
			pane_ = pane;
			colors_ = colors;
			state_ = 0;
		}

		public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
		{
			pane_.setBackground(colors_[state_++]);
			if (state_ >= colors_.length) {
				((Timer)e.getSource()).stop();
			}
		}
	}

	public static void main(String[] args)
	{
		Runnable r = new Runnable() { public void run() { init(); } };
		SwingUtilities.invokeLater(r);
	}

	public static void init()
	{
		JFrame.setDefaultLookAndFeelDecorated(true);

		Color[] colors = { Color.RED, Color.BLUE, Color.GREEN };

		JFrame frame = new JFrame("Blink");
		frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

		ColorChanger changer = new ColorChanger(frame.getContentPane(), colors);
		Timer t = new Timer(500, changer);
		// Wait 5 seconds to let you find and resize the window
		t.setInitialDelay(5000);
		t.start();

		frame.pack();
		frame.setVisible(true);
	}
}