/*
 * Copyright (c) 1997, 2014, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
 *
 * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
 * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
 * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Oracle designates this
 * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
 * by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.
 *
 * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
 * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
 * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
 * accompanied this code).
 *
 * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
 * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
 * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
 *
 * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
 * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
 * questions.
 */

package javax.swing;

import java.util.EventObject;
import javax.swing.event.*;

This interface defines the methods any general editor should be able to implement.

Having this interface enables complex components (the client of the editor) such as JTree and JTable to allow any generic editor to edit values in a table cell, or tree cell, etc. Without this generic editor interface, JTable would have to know about specific editors, such as JTextField, JCheckBox, JComboBox, etc. In addition, without this interface, clients of editors such as JTable would not be able to work with any editors developed in the future by the user or a 3rd party ISV.

To use this interface, a developer creating a new editor can have the new component implement the interface. Or the developer can choose a wrapper based approach and provide a companion object which implements the CellEditor interface (See DefaultCellEditor for example). The wrapper approach is particularly useful if the user want to use a 3rd party ISV editor with JTable, but the ISV didn't implement the CellEditor interface. The user can simply create an object that contains an instance of the 3rd party editor object and "translate" the CellEditor API into the 3rd party editor's API.

Author:Alan Chung
See Also:
  • CellEditorListener
/** * This interface defines the methods any general editor should be able * to implement. <p> * * Having this interface enables complex components (the client of the * editor) such as <code>JTree</code> and * <code>JTable</code> to allow any generic editor to * edit values in a table cell, or tree cell, etc. Without this generic * editor interface, <code>JTable</code> would have to know about specific editors, * such as <code>JTextField</code>, <code>JCheckBox</code>, <code>JComboBox</code>, * etc. In addition, without this interface, clients of editors such as * <code>JTable</code> would not be able * to work with any editors developed in the future by the user * or a 3rd party ISV. <p> * * To use this interface, a developer creating a new editor can have the * new component implement the interface. Or the developer can * choose a wrapper based approach and provide a companion object which * implements the <code>CellEditor</code> interface (See * <code>DefaultCellEditor</code> for example). The wrapper approach * is particularly useful if the user want to use a 3rd party ISV * editor with <code>JTable</code>, but the ISV didn't implement the * <code>CellEditor</code> interface. The user can simply create an object * that contains an instance of the 3rd party editor object and "translate" * the <code>CellEditor</code> API into the 3rd party editor's API. * * @see javax.swing.event.CellEditorListener * * @author Alan Chung */
public interface CellEditor {
Returns the value contained in the editor.
Returns:the value contained in the editor
/** * Returns the value contained in the editor. * @return the value contained in the editor */
public Object getCellEditorValue();
Asks the editor if it can start editing using anEvent. anEvent is in the invoking component coordinate system. The editor can not assume the Component returned by getCellEditorComponent is installed. This method is intended for the use of client to avoid the cost of setting up and installing the editor component if editing is not possible. If editing can be started this method returns true.
Params:
  • anEvent – the event the editor should use to consider whether to begin editing or not
See Also:
Returns: true if editing can be started
/** * Asks the editor if it can start editing using <code>anEvent</code>. * <code>anEvent</code> is in the invoking component coordinate system. * The editor can not assume the Component returned by * <code>getCellEditorComponent</code> is installed. This method * is intended for the use of client to avoid the cost of setting up * and installing the editor component if editing is not possible. * If editing can be started this method returns true. * * @param anEvent the event the editor should use to consider * whether to begin editing or not * @return true if editing can be started * @see #shouldSelectCell */
public boolean isCellEditable(EventObject anEvent);
Returns true if the editing cell should be selected, false otherwise. Typically, the return value is true, because is most cases the editing cell should be selected. However, it is useful to return false to keep the selection from changing for some types of edits. eg. A table that contains a column of check boxes, the user might want to be able to change those checkboxes without altering the selection. (See Netscape Communicator for just such an example) Of course, it is up to the client of the editor to use the return value, but it doesn't need to if it doesn't want to.
Params:
  • anEvent – the event the editor should use to start editing
See Also:
Returns: true if the editor would like the editing cell to be selected; otherwise returns false
/** * Returns true if the editing cell should be selected, false otherwise. * Typically, the return value is true, because is most cases the editing * cell should be selected. However, it is useful to return false to * keep the selection from changing for some types of edits. * eg. A table that contains a column of check boxes, the user might * want to be able to change those checkboxes without altering the * selection. (See Netscape Communicator for just such an example) * Of course, it is up to the client of the editor to use the return * value, but it doesn't need to if it doesn't want to. * * @param anEvent the event the editor should use to start * editing * @return true if the editor would like the editing cell to be selected; * otherwise returns false * @see #isCellEditable */
public boolean shouldSelectCell(EventObject anEvent);
Tells the editor to stop editing and accept any partially edited value as the value of the editor. The editor returns false if editing was not stopped; this is useful for editors that validate and can not accept invalid entries.
Returns: true if editing was stopped; false otherwise
/** * Tells the editor to stop editing and accept any partially edited * value as the value of the editor. The editor returns false if * editing was not stopped; this is useful for editors that validate * and can not accept invalid entries. * * @return true if editing was stopped; false otherwise */
public boolean stopCellEditing();
Tells the editor to cancel editing and not accept any partially edited value.
/** * Tells the editor to cancel editing and not accept any partially * edited value. */
public void cancelCellEditing();
Adds a listener to the list that's notified when the editor stops, or cancels editing.
Params:
  • l – the CellEditorListener
/** * Adds a listener to the list that's notified when the editor * stops, or cancels editing. * * @param l the CellEditorListener */
public void addCellEditorListener(CellEditorListener l);
Removes a listener from the list that's notified
Params:
  • l – the CellEditorListener
/** * Removes a listener from the list that's notified * * @param l the CellEditorListener */
public void removeCellEditorListener(CellEditorListener l); }