JButtons don't show until I minimize and bring the window up again

Question

I have on more than one computer a problem (meaning it isn't just one computer giving me the problem). I use Eclipse as my IDE for Java, and I can't seem to work out the answer to my problem. I have added several JButtons to my video game's launcher, and when I debug the project, the buttons don't appear until I either slide my mouse over them, or minimize and reopen the window. I have exported the project and mostly the buttons work, but sometimes I still have to minimize and reopen the window. I don't want to have to do this, because it is going to be a commercial video game and people shouldn't have to do that.

If you need it, here is the code for my launcher window:

package net.renderedspoon.sombrero.gui;

import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.Rectangle;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import net.renderedspoon.sombrero.Configuration;
import net.renderedspoon.sombrero.Game;

import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.UIManager;

import net.renderedspoon.sombrero.RunGame;

public class Launcher extends JFrame {
private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

protected JPanel window = new JPanel();
private JButton play, options, help, exit;
private Rectangle rplay, roptions, rhelp, rexit;

Configuration config = new Configuration();

private int width = 250;
private int height = 350;
protected int button_width = 80;
protected int button_height = 40;

public Launcher(int id) {
    try {
        UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
    } catch (Exception e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
    setTitle("Launcher || Sombrero");
    setSize(new Dimension(width, height));
    setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    getContentPane().add(window);
    setLocationRelativeTo(null);
    setResizable(false);
    setVisible(true);
    window.setLayout(null);
    requestFocus();
    if(id == 0) {
        drawButtons();
    }
}

private void drawButtons() {
    play = new JButton("Play");
    rplay = new Rectangle((width / 2) - (button_width / 2), 50, button_width, button_height);
    play.setBounds(rplay);
    window.add(play);

    options = new JButton("Options");
    roptions = new Rectangle((width / 2) - (button_width / 2), 100, button_width, button_height);
    options.setBounds(roptions);
    window.add(options);

    help = new JButton("Help");
    rhelp = new Rectangle((width / 2) - (button_width / 2), 150, button_width, button_height);
    help.setBounds(rhelp);
    window.add(help);

    exit = new JButton("Quit");
    rexit = new Rectangle((width / 2) - (button_width / 2), 200, button_width, button_height);
    exit.setBounds(rexit);
    window.add(exit);

    play.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            if(Game.debug) System.out.println("BUTTON HIT: PLAY");
            dispose();
            new RunGame();
        }
    });

    options.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            if(Game.debug) System.out.println("BUTTON HIT: OPTIONS");
            dispose();
            new Options();
        }
    });

    help.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            if(Game.debug) System.out.println("BUTTON HIT: HELP");
        }
    });

    exit.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            if(Game.debug) System.out.println("BUTTON HIT: EXIT");
            System.exit(0);
        }
    });
}


}

Answer 1

You're adding buttons after the call to

setVisible(true);

Call the method that draws your buttons before that line.

EDIT:

If you're adding buttons after the GUI is already visible, you might want to call validate() after adding the buttons. You can find more details on that here: http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/awt/Container.html#validate%28%29

Answer 2

I was also having this same issue, what I did was make the frame visible after I created all the panels & buttons.

ex)

frame.setVisible(true);
frame.add(panel);
panel.setVisible(true);
panel.add(button);
button.setVisible(true);

So, the key is to make the frame visible after the creation of all the panels and buttons.

Try that, maybe it will help you.