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AddingaFileChoosertoaJavaApplication
ContributedbyPetrDvorak(Dec2009),maintainedbyAlyonaStashkova
ThistutorialshowshowtoaddafilechoosertoaJavaapplicationusingthe
javax.swing.JFileChoosercomponent.Youcouldcodeitallbyhand,butusingtheNetBeans
GUIBuilderisasmartwaythatwillsaveyouabitofwork.Aspartoftheexercise,youwill
createasmallJavaapplicationthatloadsa.txtfileintoaTextArea.
Youcandownloadtheresultingprojectwithafilechooser.
Contents

CreatingtheApplication
CreatingtheApplicationForm
AddingtheFileChooser
ConfiguringtheFileChooser
RunningtheApplication
Tocompletethistutorial,youneedthefollowingsoftwareandresources.
SoftwareorResource
VersionRequired
NetBeansIDE
Version7.0ormorerecent
JavaDevelopmentKit(JDK) Version6,7,or8

CreatingtheApplication
FirstyoucreateanewJavaApplication:

1.Fromthemainmenu,chooseFile>NewProject.ChoosetheJavacategoryandtheJava
Applicationprojecttype.ClickNext.
2.ForProjectName,typeJFileChooserDemoandspecifytheprojectlocation.
3.DeselecttheCreateMainClasscheckbox.

4.ClickFinish.

CreatingtheApplicationForm
Inthissection,youcreateaJFramecontainerandaddafewcomponentstoit.
TocreatetheJFrameform:
1.RightclicktheSourcePackagesnodeandchooseNew>Other.ChoosetheSwingGUI
FormscategoryandtheJFrameFormfiletype.ClickNext.
2.ForClassName,typeJFileChooserDemo.
3.ForPackage,typejfilechooserdemo.resources.

4.ClickFinish.
5.InthePropertieswindow,enterDemoapplicationfortheTitlepropertyandpressEnterto
confirm.
ToaddcomponentstotheJFrameform:
1.InthePalette,opentheSwingMenuscategory,selecttheMenuBarcomponentanddrag
ittothelefttopcorneroftheJFrame.
Note:IfyoudonotseethePalette,selectWindow>Palettefromthemainmenu.

2.RightclicktheEdititemoftheMenuBarcomponentandselectDeleteinthecontext
menu.
3.ToaddamenuitemthatallowstoopenFileChooserfromtherunningapplication,inthe
SwingMenuscategoryinthePalette,selectanewMenuItem(JMenuItem1),dragitto
theMenuBar,anddropittotheFileitemoftheMenuBar.

Note:MakesuretheMenuBarisselectedbeforedragginganotherMenuItemtherein
ordertohavethelatteraddedtotheMenuBar.
4.RightclickthejMenuItem1intheDesignviewandchooseChangeVariableNamefrom
thecontextmenu.RenametheitemtoOpenandclickOK.
5.MakesurethatthejMenuItem1isstillselectedintheDesignview.PresstheSpacebarto
editthetextofthecomponent.ChangethetexttoOpenandpressEntertoconfirm.
6.SpecifytheactionhandlerfortheOpenmenuitem.Rightclickthemenuitemandchoose
Events>Action>actionPerformedfromthecontextmenu.TheGUIBuilder
automaticallyswitchestotheSourceviewandaneweventhandlermethodnamed
OpenActionPerformed()isgenerated.TheNavigatorwindowshouldlookasfollows:

7.ToaddamenuitemtoexitFileChooserfromtheapplicationbeingcreated,switchback
intotheDesignmode,intheSwingMenuscategoryinthePalette,selectaMenuItem
(JMenuItem1)anddragittotheMenuBarbelowtheOpenmenuitem.Noticeorange
highlightingthatindicateswheretheJMenuItem1isgoingtobeplaced.

8.RightclickjMenuItem1intheDesignviewandchooseChangeVariableNamefromthe
contextmenu.RenametheitemtoExitandclickOK.
9.MakesurethatthejMenuItem1isstillselectedintheDesignview.PresstheSpacebarto
editthetextofthecomponent.ChangethetexttoExitandpressEntertoconfirm.
10.SpecifytheactionhandlerfortheExitmenuitem.Rightclickthemenuitemandchoose
Events>Action>actionPerformedfromthecontextmenu.TheGUIBuilder
automaticallyswitchestotheSourceviewandaneweventhandlermethodisgenerated
whichisnamedExitActionPerformed().TheExitActionPerformednodeappearsinthe
NavigatorwindowbelowtheOpenActionPerformed()node.
JavaProgramming
11.TomaketheExitmenuitemwork,youincludethefollowingsourceintothe
Language
ExitActionPerformed()methodbody:

Training

System.exit(0);

12.SwitchbackintoDesignmode.FromtheSwingControlscategoryofthePalette,draga
TextArea(JTextArea)intotheformlikeshowninthepicturebelow.

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13.ResizetheaddedcomponenttomakeroomforthetextdisplayedbytheFileChooser
later.Renamethevariabletotextarea.Theformshouldlooklikethefollowing
screenshot:

SampleApplications
DemosandScreencasts

More
FAQs
Contribute
Documentation!
DocsforEarlierReleases

YouhavesetupasimpleJavaapplicationasabaseforthistutorial.NextyouaddtheactualFile
Chooser.

AddingtheFileChooser
1.ChooseWindow>Navigating>NavigatortoopentheNavigatorwindow,ifitisnotopen
yet.
2.IntheNavigator,rightclicktheOtherComponentsnode.ChooseAddFromPalette>
SwingWindows>FileChooserfromthecontextmenu
AsanalternativetotheAddFromPalettecontextmenu,youcanalsodraganddropa
JFileChoosercomponentfromtheSwingWindowcategoryofthePalettetothewhite
areaoftheGUIbuilder.Itwillhavethesameresult,butitisabitharder,becausethe

previewoftheJFileChooserisratherbigandyoumightaccidentallyinsertthewindow
intooneofthepanels,whichisnotwhatyouwant.
3.AlookintheNavigatorconfirmsthataJFileChooserwasaddedtotheform.
4.RightclicktheJFileChoosernodeandrenamethevariabletofileChooser.

YouhaveaddedaFileChooser.NextyoutunetheFileChoosertodisplaythetitlethatyou
want,addacustomfilefilter,andintegratetheFileChooserintoyourapplication.

ConfiguringtheFileChooser
ImplementingtheOpenAction
1.ClicktoselecttheJFileChooserintheNavigatorwindow,andthenedititspropertiesin
thePropertiesdialogbox.ChangethedialogTitlepropertytoThisismyopendialog,
pressEnterandclosethePropertiesdialogbox.
2.ClicktheSourcebuttonintheGUIBuildertoswitchtotheSourcemode.Tointegratethe
FileChooserintoyourapplication,pastethefollowingcodesnippetintotheexisting
OpenActionPerformed()method.
privatevoidOpenActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEventevt){
intreturnVal=fileChooser.showOpenDialog(this);
if(returnVal==JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION){
Filefile=fileChooser.getSelectedFile();
try{
//Whattodowiththefile,e.g.displayitinaTextArea
textarea.read(newFileReader(file.getAbsolutePath()),null);
}catch(IOExceptionex){
System.out.println("problemaccessingfile"+file.getAbsolutePath());
}
}else{
System.out.println("Fileaccesscancelledbyuser.");
}
}

Note:Removethefirstandlastlinesofthecodesnippetthatduplicatetheexistingones
inthesourcefile.
3.Iftheeditorreportserrorsinyourcode,rightclickanywhereinthecodeandselectFix
ImportsorpressCtrl+Shift+I.IntheFixAllImportsdialogboxacceptthedefaultsto
updatetheimportstatementsandclickOK.
Asyoucansee,youcalltheFileChooser'sgetSelectedFile()methodtodeterminewhichfile
theuserclicked,soyoucanworkwithit.Thisexamplereadsthefilecontentsanddisplaysthem
intheTextArea.

ImplementingaFileFilter

NowyouaddacustomfilefilterthatmakestheFileChooserdisplayonly*.txtfiles.
1.SwitchtotheDesignmodeandselectthefileChooserintheNavigatorwindow.
2.InthePropertieswindow,clicktheelipsis("...")buttonnexttothefileFilterproperty.
3.IntheFileFilterdialogbox,selectCustomCodefromthecombobox.

4.Typethefollowinginthetextfield:
newMyCustomFilter()

5.ClickOK.
6.Tomakethecustomcodework,youwriteaninner(orouter)classMyCustomFilterthat
extendstheFileFilterclass.Copyandpastethefollowingcodesnippetintothesource
ofyourclassbelowtheimportstatementstocreateaninnerclassimplementingthefilter.
classMyCustomFilterextendsjavax.swing.filechooser.FileFilter{
@Override
publicbooleanaccept(Filefile){
//Allowonlydirectories,orfileswith".txt"extension
returnfile.isDirectory()||file.getAbsolutePath().endsWith(".txt");
}
@Override
publicStringgetDescription(){
//Thisdescriptionwillbedisplayedinthedialog,
//hardcoded=ugly,shouldbedoneviaI18N
return"Textdocuments(*.txt)";
}
}

Note:Tolearnhowtoimplementsmarter,switchablefilefilters,havealookatthe
addChoosableFileFiltermethod.

RunningtheApplication
1.RightclicktheJFileChooserDemoprojectandselectRuntostartthesampleproject.
2.IntheRunProjectdialogboxselectthejfilechooserdemo.resources.JFileChooserDemo
mainclassandclickOK.

3.IntherunningDemoapplication,chooseOpenintheFilemenutotriggertheaction.The
resultshouldlooklikethis:

4.Toclosetheapplication,selectExitintheFilemenu.
HavealookatotherusefulSwingwindowsanddialogsliketheColorChooserorthe
OptionPaneintheGUIPalette.
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JavaTutorial:HowtouseFileChoosers

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