Java Doc for LookAndFeelFactory.java in  » Swing-Library » jide-common » com » jidesoft » plaf » Java Source Code / Java DocumentationJava Source Code and Java Documentation

Before using any JIDE components, please make you call one of the two LookAndFeelFactory.installJideExtension(...) methods. Bascially, you set L&F using UIManager first just like before, then call installJideExtension. See code below for an example.

 UIManager.setLookAndFeel(WindowsLookAndFeel.class.getName()); // you need to catch the exceptions on this call.
 LookAndFeelFactory.installJideExtension();
 

• OS: Windows XP with XP theme on, L&F: Windows L&F => OFFICE2003_STYLE
• OS: any Windows, L&F: Windows L&F => VSNET_STYLE
• OS: Linux, L&F: any L&F based on Metal L&F => VSNET_STYLE
• OS: Mac OSX, L&F: Aqua L&F => AQUA_STYLE
• OS: any OS, L&F: Quaqua L&F => AQUA_STYLE
• Otherwise => VSNET_STYLE

LookAndFeelFactory supports a number of known L&Fs. You can see those L&Fs as constants whose names are something like "_LNF" such as WINDOWS_LNF.

If you are using a 3rd party L&F we are not officially supporting, we might need to customize it. Here are two classes you can use. The first one is UIDefaultsCustomizer . You can add a number of customizers to LookAndFeelFactory. After LookAndFeelFactory installJideExtension method is called, we will call customize() method on each UIDefaultsCustomizer to add additional UIDefaults you specified. You can use UIDefaultsCustomizer to do things like small tweaks to UIDefaults without the hassle of creating a new style.

Most likely, we will not need to use UIDefaultsInitializer if you are use L&Fs such as WindowsLookAndFeel, any L&Fs based on MetalLookAndFeel, or AquaLookAndFeel etc. The only exception is Synth L&F and any L&Fs based on it. The reason is we calcualte all colors we will use in JIDE components from existing wel-known UIDefaults. For example, we will use UIManagerLookup.getColor("activeCaption") to calculate a color that we can use in dockable frame's title pane. We will use UIManagerLookup.getColor("control") to calculate a color that we can use as background of JIDE component. Most L&Fs will fill those UIDefaults. However in Synth L&F, those UIDefaults may or may not have a valid value. You will end up with NPE later in the code when you call installJideExtension. In this case, you can add those extra UIDefaults in UIDefaultsInitializer. We will call it before installJideExtension is called so that those UIDefaults are there ready for us to use. This is how added support to GTK L&F and Synthethica L&F.

LookAndFeelFactory.installJideExtension() method will only add the additional UIDefaults to current ClassLoader. If you have several class loaders in your system, you probably should tell the UIManager to use the class loader that called installJideExtension. Otherwise, you might some unexpected errors. Here is how to specify the class loaders.

 UIManager.put("ClassLoader", currentClass.getClassLoader()); // currentClass is the class where the code is.
 LookAndFeelFactory.installDefaultLookAndFeelAndExtension(); // or installJideExtension()
 

Office2003 style looks great on Windows XP when Windows or Windows XP L&F from Sun JDK is used.

Vsnet style is a very simple style with no gradient.

Xerto style looks great on Windows XP when Windows XP L&F from Sun JDK is used.

Here is the code to set to Windows L&F with Xerto style extension.

 UIManager.setLookAndFeel(WindowsLookAndFeel.class.getName()); // you need to catch the exceptions on this call.
 LookAndFeelFactory.installJideExtension(LookAndFeelFactory.XERTO_STYLE);
 

Eclipse 3x style works for almost all L&Fs and on any operating systems, although it looks the best on Windows. For any other OS's we suggest you to use XERTO_STYLE or VSNET_STYLE.

 UIManager.setLookAndFeel(AnyLookAndFeel.class.getName()); // you need to catch the exceptions on this call.
 LookAndFeelFactory.installJideExtension(LookAndFeelFactory.ECLIPSE3X_STYLE);
 

Eclipse style works for almost all L&Fs and on any operating systems, although it looks the best on Windows. For any other operating systems we suggest you to use XERTO_STYLE or VSNET_STYLE.

Here is the code to set to any L&F with Eclipse style extension.

 UIManager.setLookAndFeel(AnyLookAndFeel.class.getName()); // you need to catch the exceptions on this call.
 LookAndFeelFactory.installJideExtension(LookAndFeelFactory.ECLIPSE_STYLE);
 

Office2003 style looks great on Windows XP when Windows or Windows XP L&F from Sun JDK is used. It replicated the exact same style as Microsoft Office 2003, to give your end user a familar visual style.

Here is the code to set to Windows L&F with Office2003 style extension.

 UIManager.setLookAndFeel(WindowsLookAndFeel.class.getName()); // you need to catch the exceptions on this call.
 LookAndFeelFactory.installJideExtension(LookAndFeelFactory.OFFICE2003_STYLE);
 

Office2003 style doesn't work on any operating systems other than Windows mainly because the design of Office2003 style is so centric to Windows that it doesn't look good on other operating systems.

Vsnet style is a very simple style with no gradient. Although it works on almost all L&Fs in any operating systems, it looks the best on Windows 2000 or 98, or on Windows XP when XP theme is not on. If XP theme is on, we suggest you use Office2003 style or Xerto style. Since the style is so simple, it works with a lot of the 3rd party L&F such as Tonic, Pgs, Alloy etc without causing too much noice. That's why this is also the default style for any L&Fs we don't recognize when you call LookAndFeelFactory.installJideExtension() , the one with out style parameter. If you would like another style to be used as the default style, you can call LookAndFeelFactory.setDefaultStyle(int) method.

Here is the code to set to Windows L&F with Vsnet style extension.

 UIManager.setLookAndFeel(WindowsLookAndFeel.class.getName()); // you need to catch the exceptions on this call.
 LookAndFeelFactory.installJideExtension(LookAndFeelFactory.VSNET_STYLE);
 

 System.setProperty("shadingtheme", "true");
 

See Also:   LookAndFeelFactory.VSNET_STYLE

Xerto style looks great on Windows XP when Windows XP L&F from Sun JDK is used.

Here is the code to set to Windows L&F with Xerto style extension.

 UIManager.setLookAndFeel(WindowsLookAndFeel.class.getName()); // you need to catch the exceptions on this call.
 LookAndFeelFactory.installJideExtension(LookAndFeelFactory.XERTO_STYLE);
 

See Also:   LookAndFeelFactory.XERTO_STYLE

Here is how you use it. For example, we use the color of UIDefault "activeCaption" to get the active title color which we will use for active title bar color in JIDE components. If the L&F you are using doesn't set this UIDefault, we might throw NPE later in the code. To avoid this, you call

 LookAndFeelFactory.addUIDefaultsInitializer(new LookAndFeelFactory.UIDefaultsInitializer() {
 public void initialize(UIDefaults defaults) {
 defaults.put("activeCaption", whateverColor);
 }
 });
 UIManager.setLookAndFeel(...); // set whatever L&F
 LookAndFeelFactory.installJideExtension(); // install the UIDefaults needed by the JIDE components
 

 try {
 UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
 }
 catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
 e.printStackTrace();
 }
 catch (InstantiationException e) {
 e.printStackTrace();
 }
 catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
 e.printStackTrace();
 }
 catch (UnsupportedLookAndFeelException e) {
 e.printStackTrace();
 }
 

 // to add attitional UIDefault for JIDE components
 LookAndFeelFactory.installJideExtension(); // use default style VSNET_STYLE. You can change to a different style
 using setDefaultStyle(int style) and then call this method. Or simply call installJideExtension(style).
 

 // call updateComponentTreeUI
 frame.getDockableBarManager().updateComponentTreeUI();
 frame.getDockingManager().updateComponentTreeUI();
 

 try {
 UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
 }
 catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
 e.printStackTrace();
 }
 catch (InstantiationException e) {
 e.printStackTrace();
 }
 catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
 e.printStackTrace();
 }
 catch (UnsupportedLookAndFeelException e) {
 e.printStackTrace();
 }
 

 // to add attitional UIDefault for JIDE components
 LookAndFeelFactory.installJideExtension(LookAndFeelFactory.OFFICE2003_STYLE);
 

 // call updateComponentTreeUI
 frame.getDockableBarManager().updateComponentTreeUI();
 frame.getDockingManager().updateComponentTreeUI();