A Java JComboBox example with ActionListener, addActionListener, actionPerformed, getSelectedItem

The following source code comes from Sun Microsystems, and shows a JComboBox, ActionListener, and methods like addActionListener, actionPerformed, getSelectedItem, and more.

Here’s the example Java source code:

/**
 * Copyright (c) 1995 - 2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
 *
 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
 * are met:
 *
 *   - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
 *     notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
 *
 *   - Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
 *     notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
 *     documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
 *
 *   - Neither the name of Sun Microsystems nor the names of its
 *     contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived
 *     from this software without specific prior written permission.
 *
 * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS
 * IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
 * THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
 * PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR
 * CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL,
 * EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
 * PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR
 * PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF
 * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING
 * NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
 * SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 */

import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Component;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.GridLayout;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Date;

import javax.swing.BorderFactory;
import javax.swing.Box;
import javax.swing.BoxLayout;
import javax.swing.JComboBox;
import javax.swing.JComponent;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;

/** ComboBoxDemo2.java requires no other files. */
public class ComboBoxDemo2 extends JPanel implements ActionListener {
  static JFrame frame;
  JLabel result;
  String currentPattern;

  public ComboBoxDemo2() {
    setLayout(new BoxLayout(this, BoxLayout.PAGE_AXIS));
    String[] patternExamples = { "dd MMMMM yyyy", "dd.MM.yy", "MM/dd/yy",
        "yyyy.MM.dd G 'at' hh:mm:ss z", "EEE, MMM d, ''yy", "h:mm a",
        "H:mm:ss:SSS", "K:mm a,z", "yyyy.MMMMM.dd GGG hh:mm aaa" };

    currentPattern = patternExamples[0];

    // Set up the UI for selecting a pattern.
    JLabel patternLabel1 = new JLabel("Enter the pattern string or");
    JLabel patternLabel2 = new JLabel("select one from the list:");

    JComboBox patternList = new JComboBox(patternExamples);
    patternList.setEditable(true);
    patternList.addActionListener(this);

    // Create the UI for displaying result.
    JLabel resultLabel = new JLabel("Current Date/Time", JLabel.LEADING); // ==
                                                                          // LEFT
    result = new JLabel(" ");
    result.setForeground(Color.black);
    result.setBorder(BorderFactory.createCompoundBorder(BorderFactory
        .createLineBorder(Color.black), BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(5, 5,
        5, 5)));

    // Lay out everything.
    JPanel patternPanel = new JPanel();
    patternPanel.setLayout(new BoxLayout(patternPanel, BoxLayout.PAGE_AXIS));
    patternPanel.add(patternLabel1);
    patternPanel.add(patternLabel2);
    patternList.setAlignmentX(Component.LEFT_ALIGNMENT);
    patternPanel.add(patternList);

    JPanel resultPanel = new JPanel(new GridLayout(0, 1));
    resultPanel.add(resultLabel);
    resultPanel.add(result);

    patternPanel.setAlignmentX(Component.LEFT_ALIGNMENT);
    resultPanel.setAlignmentX(Component.LEFT_ALIGNMENT);

    add(patternPanel);
    add(Box.createRigidArea(new Dimension(0, 10)));
    add(resultPanel);

    setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(10, 10, 10, 10));

    reformat();
  } // constructor

  public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
    JComboBox cb = (JComboBox) e.getSource();
    String newSelection = (String) cb.getSelectedItem();
    currentPattern = newSelection;
    reformat();
  }

  /** Formats and displays today's date. */
  public void reformat() {
    Date today = new Date();
    SimpleDateFormat formatter = new SimpleDateFormat(currentPattern);
    try {
      String dateString = formatter.format(today);
      result.setForeground(Color.black);
      result.setText(dateString);
    } catch (IllegalArgumentException iae) {
      result.setForeground(Color.red);
      result.setText("Error: " + iae.getMessage());
    }
  }

  /**
   * Create the GUI and show it. For thread safety, this method should be
   * invoked from the event-dispatching thread.
   */
  private static void createAndShowGUI() {
    // Create and set up the window.
    JFrame frame = new JFrame("ComboBoxDemo2");
    frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

    // Create and set up the content pane.
    JComponent newContentPane = new ComboBoxDemo2();
    newContentPane.setOpaque(true); // content panes must be opaque
    frame.setContentPane(newContentPane);

    // Display the window.
    frame.pack();
    frame.setVisible(true);
  }

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    // Schedule a job for the event-dispatching thread:
    // creating and showing this application's GUI.
    javax.swing.SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
      public void run() {
        createAndShowGUI();
      }
    });
  }
}