Standard gnome "open file" dialog box

[tornadof3]

Hello

I'm fairly experienced on an amateur basis with languages like PHP, Perl etc but thought it about time to learn a proper 'full blown' language that would allow me to make a desktop GUI application. The fairly obvious choice is Java and using the NetBeans IDE seems to be the way to go. I've just bought a book from Amazon which hopefully will explain all, but in the meantime...

Using the examples and after a bit of googling, I've managed to knock up a sample app in NetBeans. However, the only "file chooser" dialog I can seem to muster uses the Swing package and its GTK filechoose widget (as in the sort of thing you'd get from a standard File -> Open operation). Is it possible to use a standard gnome filechoose box that includes the "Places" widget, (eg has memory sticks and common things listed)? I can't seem to get my head around it.

Any help appreciated.

Here is my code for the application window. It just has a few controls on so I can play with their properties:


/*
* Test_Application1View.java
*/

package test_application1;

import org.jdesktop.application.Action;
import org.jdesktop.application.ResourceMap;
import org.jdesktop.application.SingleFrameApplication;
import org.jdesktop.application.FrameView;
import org.jdesktop.application.TaskMonitor;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javax.swing.Timer;
import javax.swing.Icon;
import javax.swing.JDialog;
import javax.swing.JFrame;

/**
* The application's main frame.
*/
public class Test_Application1View extends FrameView {

public Test_Application1View(SingleFrameApplication app) {
super(app);

initComponents();

// status bar initialization - message timeout, idle icon and busy animation, etc
ResourceMap resourceMap = getResourceMap();
int messageTimeout = resourceMap.getInteger("StatusBar.messageTimeout");
messageTimer = new Timer(messageTimeout, new ActionListener() {
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
statusMessageLabel.setText("");
}
});
messageTimer.setRepeats(false);
int busyAnimationRate = resourceMap.getInteger("StatusBar.busyAnimationRate");
for (int i = 0; i < busyIcons.length; i++) {
busyIcons[i] = resourceMap.getIcon("StatusBar.busyIcons[" + i + "]");
}
busyIconTimer = new Timer(busyAnimationRate, new ActionListener() {
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
busyIconIndex = (busyIconIndex + 1) % busyIcons.length;
statusAnimationLabel.setIcon(busyIcons[busyIconIndex]);
}
});
idleIcon = resourceMap.getIcon("StatusBar.idleIcon");
statusAnimationLabel.setIcon(idleIcon);
progressBar.setVisible(false);

// connecting action tasks to status bar via TaskMonitor
TaskMonitor taskMonitor = new TaskMonitor(getApplication().getContext());
taskMonitor.addPropertyChangeListener(new java.beans.PropertyChangeListener() {
public void propertyChange(java.beans.PropertyChangeEvent evt) {
String propertyName = evt.getPropertyName();
if ("started".equals(propertyName)) {
if (!busyIconTimer.isRunning()) {
statusAnimationLabel.setIcon(busyIcons[0]);
busyIconIndex = 0;
busyIconTimer.start();
}
progressBar.setVisible(true);
progressBar.setIndeterminate(true);
} else if ("done".equals(propertyName)) {
busyIconTimer.stop();
statusAnimationLabel.setIcon(idleIcon);
progressBar.setVisible(false);
progressBar.setValue(0);
} else if ("message".equals(propertyName)) {
String text = (String)(evt.getNewValue());
statusMessageLabel.setText((text == null) ? "" : text);
messageTimer.restart();
} else if ("progress".equals(propertyName)) {
int value = (Integer)(evt.getNewValue());
progressBar.setVisible(true);
progressBar.setIndeterminate(false);
progressBar.setValue(value);
}
}
});
}

@Action
public void showAboutBox() {
if (aboutBox == null) {
JFrame mainFrame = Test_Application1.getApplication().getMainFrame();
aboutBox = new Test_Application1AboutBox(mainFrame);
aboutBox.setLocationRelativeTo(mainFrame);
}
Test_Application1.getApplication().show(aboutBox);
}

/** This method is called from within the constructor to
* initialize the form.
* WARNING: Do NOT modify this code. The content of this method is
* always regenerated by the Form Editor.
*/
@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
// <editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc="Generated Code">
private void initComponents() {

mainPanel = new javax.swing.JPanel();
jSlider1 = new javax.swing.JSlider();
jFileChooser1 = new javax.swing.JFileChooser();
jTextField1 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
menuBar = new javax.swing.JMenuBar();
javax.swing.JMenu fileMenu = new javax.swing.JMenu();
javax.swing.JMenuItem exitMenuItem = new javax.swing.JMenuItem();
javax.swing.JMenu helpMenu = new javax.swing.JMenu();
javax.swing.JMenuItem aboutMenuItem = new javax.swing.JMenuItem();
statusPanel = new javax.swing.JPanel();
javax.swing.JSeparator statusPanelSeparator = new javax.swing.JSeparator();
statusMessageLabel = new javax.swing.JLabel();
statusAnimationLabel = new javax.swing.JLabel();
progressBar = new javax.swing.JProgressBar();

org.jdesktop.application.ResourceMap resourceMap = org.jdesktop.application.Application.getInstance(t est_application1.Test_Application1.class).getConte xt().getResourceMap(Test_Application1View.class);
mainPanel.setBackground(resourceMap.getColor("mainPanel.background")); // NOI18N
mainPanel.setName("mainPanel"); // NOI18N

jSlider1.setName("jSlider1"); // NOI18N
jSlider1.addMouseListener(new java.awt.event.MouseAdapter() {
public void mouseExited(java.awt.event.MouseEvent evt) {
jSlider1MouseExited(evt);
}
});

jFileChooser1.setName("jFileChooser1"); // NOI18N

jTextField1.setText(resourceMap.getString("jTextField1.text")); // NOI18N
jTextField1.setName("jTextField1"); // NOI18N

javax.swing.GroupLayout mainPanelLayout = new javax.swing.GroupLayout(mainPanel);
mainPanel.setLayout(mainPanelLayout);
mainPanelLayout.setHorizontalGroup(
mainPanelLayout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.Gr oupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
.addGroup(mainPanelLayout.createSequentialGroup()
.addContainerGap()
.addGroup(mainPanelLayout.createParallelGroup(java x.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
.addGroup(mainPanelLayout.createSequentialGroup()
.addComponent(jFileChooser1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
.addGap(35, 35, 35)
.addComponent(jTextField1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 260, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE))
.addComponent(jSlider1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE))
.addContainerGap(54, Short.MAX_VALUE))
);
mainPanelLayout.setVerticalGroup(
mainPanelLayout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.Gr oupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
.addGroup(mainPanelLayout.createSequentialGroup()
.addGroup(mainPanelLayout.createParallelGroup(java x.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
.addGroup(mainPanelLayout.createSequentialGroup()
.addGap(53, 53, 53)
.addComponent(jFileChooser1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
.addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.Component Placement.UNRELATED)
.addComponent(jSlider1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE))
.addGroup(mainPanelLayout.createSequentialGroup()
.addGap(79, 79, 79)
.addComponent(jTextField1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)))
.addContainerGap(26, Short.MAX_VALUE))
);

menuBar.setBackground(resourceMap.getColor("menuBar.background")); // NOI18N
menuBar.setName("menuBar"); // NOI18N

fileMenu.setText(resourceMap.getString("fileMenu.text")); // NOI18N
fileMenu.setName("fileMenu"); // NOI18N

exitMenuItem.setName("exitMenuItem"); // NOI18N
fileMenu.add(exitMenuItem);

menuBar.add(fileMenu);

helpMenu.setText(resourceMap.getString("helpMenu.text")); // NOI18N
helpMenu.setName("helpMenu"); // NOI18N

javax.swing.ActionMap actionMap = org.jdesktop.application.Application.getInstance(t est_application1.Test_Application1.class).getConte xt().getActionMap(Test_Application1View.class, this);
aboutMenuItem.setAction(actionMap.get("showAboutBox")); // NOI18N
aboutMenuItem.setName("aboutMenuItem"); // NOI18N
helpMenu.add(aboutMenuItem);

menuBar.add(helpMenu);

statusPanel.setName("statusPanel"); // NOI18N

statusPanelSeparator.setName("statusPanelSeparator"); // NOI18N

statusMessageLabel.setName("statusMessageLabel"); // NOI18N

statusAnimationLabel.setHorizontalAlignment(javax. swing.SwingConstants.LEFT);
statusAnimationLabel.setName("statusAnimationLabel"); // NOI18N

progressBar.setName("progressBar"); // NOI18N

javax.swing.GroupLayout statusPanelLayout = new javax.swing.GroupLayout(statusPanel);
statusPanel.setLayout(statusPanelLayout);
statusPanelLayout.setHorizontalGroup(
statusPanelLayout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing. GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
.addComponent(statusPanelSeparator, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, 796, Short.MAX_VALUE)
.addGroup(statusPanelLayout.createSequentialGroup( )
.addContainerGap()
.addComponent(statusMessageLabel)
.addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.Component Placement.RELATED, 610, Short.MAX_VALUE)
.addComponent(progressBar, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
.addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.Component Placement.RELATED)
.addComponent(statusAnimationLabel)
.addContainerGap())
);
statusPanelLayout.setVerticalGroup(
statusPanelLayout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing. GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
.addGroup(statusPanelLayout.createSequentialGroup( )
.addComponent(statusPanelSeparator, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 2, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
.addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.Component Placement.RELATED, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, Short.MAX_VALUE)
.addGroup(statusPanelLayout.createParallelGroup(ja vax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.BASELINE)
.addComponent(statusMessageLabel)
.addComponent(statusAnimationLabel)
.addComponent(progressBar, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE))
.addGap(3, 3, 3))
);

setComponent(mainPanel);
setMenuBar(menuBar);
setStatusBar(statusPanel);
}// </editor-fold>

private void jSlider1MouseExited(java.awt.event.MouseEvent evt) {
// TODO add your handling code here:
//jTextField1.setText (jSlider1.getValue());
jTextField1.setText ("testing");

}

// Variables declaration - do not modify
private javax.swing.JFileChooser jFileChooser1;
private javax.swing.JSlider jSlider1;
private javax.swing.JTextField jTextField1;
private javax.swing.JPanel mainPanel;
private javax.swing.JMenuBar menuBar;
private javax.swing.JProgressBar progressBar;
private javax.swing.JLabel statusAnimationLabel;
private javax.swing.JLabel statusMessageLabel;
private javax.swing.JPanel statusPanel;
// End of variables declaration

private final Timer messageTimer;
private final Timer busyIconTimer;
private final Icon idleIcon;
private final Icon[] busyIcons = new Icon[15];
private int busyIconIndex = 0;

private JDialog aboutBox;
}

[ziekfiguur]

To do what you want i think you would have to install and use java-gnome. Take a look at http://java-gnome.sourceforge.net/
However, I would actually advice on using python or C/C++ instead of java for desktop applications.

Python has an excellent binding to gnome called PyGTK which is part op the ubuntu standard installation. Because of that users of your program will not have to install additional packages like java or java-gnome. And because it is python your programs will be readable and easily editable for users too.

C++ might be better when you have to do some heavy calculations or make extensive use of hardware accelerated graphics (although python has some great libraries for those things too). And, because it is linked to the same libraries other gnome programs use, your users would not have to install any additional packages as well.