How do I add MouseListeners to JList items?

Question

So, what I want, is for when a JList item is selected, for another bit of code to run. But my question is, how do I implement MouseListeners for specific JList items?

Here is my code:

public void launchFrame() {
        String selection1 = "";
        String[]mainContents = {"Vehicles","Bikes/Bicycles","Boats","Houses","Businesses","Objects","Jobs","Ranks","Licenses"};
        String[]selectionVehicles = {};
        String[]selectionBikesBicycles = {};
        String[]selectionBoats = {};
        String[]selectionHouses = {};
        String[]selectionBusinesses = {};
        String[]selectionObjects = {};
        String[]selectionJobs = {};
        String[]selectionRanks = {};
        String[]selectionLicenses = {};
        JFrame f = new JFrame("MTG SAMP Server Reference");
        JList listAll = new JList(mainContents);
        f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        f.setVisible(true);
        f.pack();
        f.setSize(1200, 800);
        f.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        f.add(listAll);
        listAll.setSize(250, 250);
        listAll.setLocation(50, 50);
        switch (selection1) {
            case "Vehicles":
                JList listVehicles = new JList(mainContents);
                f.add(listVehicles);
                listVehicles.setSize(250, 250);
                listVehicles.setLocation(350, 50);
                f.repaint();
                f.revalidate();
                break;
            case "Bikes/Bicycles":
                JList listBikesBicycles = new JList(mainContents);
                f.add(listBikesBicycles);
                listBikesBicycles.setSize(250, 250);
                listBikesBicycles.setLocation(350, 50);
                f.repaint();
                f.revalidate();
                break;
            case "Boats":
                JList listBoats = new JList(mainContents);
                f.add(listBoats);
                listBoats.setSize(250, 250);
                listBoats.setLocation(350, 50);
                f.repaint();
                f.revalidate();
                break;
            case "Houses":
                JList listHouses = new JList(mainContents);
                f.add(listHouses);
                listHouses.setSize(250, 250);
                listHouses.setLocation(350, 50);
                f.repaint();
                f.revalidate();
                break;
            case "Businesses":
                JList listBusinesses = new JList(mainContents);
                f.add(listBusinesses);
                listBusinesses.setSize(250, 250);
                listBusinesses.setLocation(350, 50);
                f.repaint();
                f.revalidate();
                break;
            case "Objects":
                JList listObjects = new JList(mainContents);
                f.add(listObjects);
                listObjects.setSize(250, 250);
                listObjects.setLocation(350, 50);
                f.repaint();
                f.revalidate();
                break;
            case "Jobs":
                JList listJobs = new JList(mainContents);
                f.add(listJobs);
                listJobs.setSize(250, 250);
                listJobs.setLocation(350, 50);
                f.repaint();
                f.revalidate();
                break;
            case "Ranks":
                JList listRanks = new JList(mainContents);
                f.add(listRanks);
                listRanks.setSize(250, 250);
                listRanks.setLocation(350, 50);
                f.repaint();
                f.revalidate();
                break;
            case "Licenses":
                JList listLicenses = new JList(mainContents);
                f.add(listLicenses);
                listLicenses.setSize(250, 250);
                listLicenses.setLocation(350, 50);
                f.repaint();
                f.revalidate();
                break;
        }
            Container contentPaneMain = f.getContentPane();
            contentPaneMain.add(new MTGSAMPServerReference());
        }

What would I do to add MouseListeners to the JList items, "Vehicles", "Bikes/Bicycles", "Boats", "Houses", "Businesses", "Objects", "Jobs", "Ranks",and "Licenses"?

Answer 1

If you want something to happen when the selection changes, you don't want a MouseListener, but a ListSelectionListener . Not only is it the right abstraction, but remember that the selection can change without using the mouse. Most computer have a keyboard these days.

How to use one is described in the Swing tutorial .

Inside your listener, get the element that is selected, and act accordingly.