在Java-Swing中构建帮助工具提示

Question

I would like to create a simple help system in my Java-Swing application. I've seen some applications that have a question mark button beside the Window-Buttons. If you press this button, your cursor changes to a question mark. If you then press something in your application, a help Dialog/Tooltip opens. That is exactly what I want to do.

Is there a default way to do this in Java/Swing applikation or do I have to build it from scratch (with a Classpane for example...).

EDIT:

I want to open this help screen only if somebody did select the question mark and after that, select a component. And I want to keep it open till you press somewhere on the help window.

Answer 1

You could make a new Swing component that is composed of two other Swing components. One component that you pass in, and another that is made internally that represents the question mark button that opens the tooltip dialog.

public TooltipJComponent extends JPanel
{
    public TooltipJComponent(JComponent someComponent, String tooltipText)
    {
        JButton openTooltip = new JButton("?");
        // add actionListener that opens up a JOptionPane displaying tooltipText
        ...
        this.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        this.add(someComponent, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        this.add(openTooltip, BorderLayout.EAST);
    }
}

... later in code

blahblahComponent.add(new TooltipJComponent(doConfusingActionButton, 
    "This action adds foos and bars, it's useful because foobar"));