public interface

RootPaneContainer

javax.swing.RootPaneContainer
Known Indirect Subclasses

Class Overview

This interface is implemented by components that have a single JRootPane child: JDialog, JFrame, JWindow, JApplet, JInternalFrame. The methods in this interface are just covers for the JRootPane properties, e.g. getContentPane() is generally implemented like this:

     public Container getContentPane() {
         return getRootPane().getContentPane();
     }
 
This interface serves as a marker for Swing GUI builders that need to treat components like JFrame, that contain a single JRootPane, specially. For example in a GUI builder, dropping a component on a RootPaneContainer would be interpreted as frame.getContentPane().add(child).

For conveniance JFrame, JDialog, JWindow, JApplet and JInternalFrame, by default, forward, by default, all calls to the add, remove and setLayout methods, to the contentPane. This means you can call:

 rootPaneContainer.add(component);
 
instead of:
 rootPaneContainer.getContentPane().add(component);
 

The behavior of the add and setLayout methods for JFrame, JDialog, JWindow, JApplet and JInternalFrame is controlled by the rootPaneCheckingEnabled property. If this property is true (the default), then calls to these methods are forwarded to the contentPane; if false, these methods operate directly on the RootPaneContainer. This property is only intended for subclasses, and is therefore protected.

Summary

Public Methods
abstract Container getContentPane()
Returns the contentPane.
abstract Component getGlassPane()
Returns the glassPane.
abstract JLayeredPane getLayeredPane()
Returns the layeredPane.
abstract JRootPane getRootPane()
Return this component's single JRootPane child.
abstract void setContentPane(Container contentPane)
The "contentPane" is the primary container for application specific components.
abstract void setGlassPane(Component glassPane)
The glassPane is always the first child of the rootPane and the rootPanes layout manager ensures that it's always as big as the rootPane.
abstract void setLayeredPane(JLayeredPane layeredPane)
A Container that manages the contentPane and in some cases a menu bar.

Public Methods

public abstract Container getContentPane ()

Returns the contentPane.

Returns
  • the value of the contentPane property.

public abstract Component getGlassPane ()

Returns the glassPane.

Returns
  • the value of the glassPane property.

public abstract JLayeredPane getLayeredPane ()

Returns the layeredPane.

Returns
  • the value of the layeredPane property.

public abstract JRootPane getRootPane ()

Return this component's single JRootPane child. A conventional implementation of this interface will have all of the other methods indirect through this one. The rootPane has two children: the glassPane and the layeredPane.

Returns
  • this components single JRootPane child.
See Also

public abstract void setContentPane (Container contentPane)

The "contentPane" is the primary container for application specific components. Applications should add children to the contentPane, set its layout manager, and so on.

The contentPane may not be null.

Generally implemented with getRootPane().setContentPane(contentPane);

Parameters
contentPane the Container to use for the contents of this JRootPane
Throws
IllegalComponentStateException (a runtime exception) if the content pane parameter is null

public abstract void setGlassPane (Component glassPane)

The glassPane is always the first child of the rootPane and the rootPanes layout manager ensures that it's always as big as the rootPane. By default it's transparent and not visible. It can be used to temporarily grab all keyboard and mouse input by adding listeners and then making it visible. by default it's not visible.

The glassPane may not be null.

Generally implemented with getRootPane().setGlassPane(glassPane);

public abstract void setLayeredPane (JLayeredPane layeredPane)

A Container that manages the contentPane and in some cases a menu bar. The layeredPane can be used by descendants that want to add a child to the RootPaneContainer that isn't layout managed. For example an internal dialog or a drag and drop effect component.

The layeredPane may not be null.

Generally implemented with

    getRootPane().setLayeredPane(layeredPane);

Throws
IllegalComponentStateException (a runtime exception) if the layered pane parameter is null