Getting input from JTextArea in a JOptionPane

Question

I was writing an editor that lets the user design a selection/bidding table. Part of this program was the ability to add sub categories, which have a name and description. I have done more sophisticated things like this before but because i needed this done in a few days I decided to try and go with using a JOptionPane and passing in a JTextField for the name and a JTextArea for the possibility of a lengthy description. Here is the code I have currently.

    JPanel mainPanel = new JPanel( new GridBagLayout());
    mainPanel.setBorder( new TitledBorder("Set Creation Pane") );

    JTextField setNameField = new JTextField( 20 );
    JLabel dialogLabel1, dialogLabel2;
    dialogLabel1 = new JLabel("Create a new set called");

    if(possibleSuperSetName == null || possibleSuperSetName.length() == 0)
    {   
        dialogLabel2 = new JLabel("at a global level");
    }
    else
    {
        dialogLabel2 = new JLabel("that is a subset to "+possibleSuperSetName);
    }

    JLabel description = new JLabel("Description for set");
    JTextArea textArea = new JTextArea("Testing Testing 123");
    textArea.setColumns(80);
    textArea.setRows(10);
    textArea.setFont( new Font( Font.MONOSPACED, Font.PLAIN, textArea.getFont().getSize() ) );
    textArea.setEditable( true );
    textArea.setLineWrap(true);
    textArea.setWrapStyleWord( true );

    GridBagConstraints c = new GridBagConstraints();
    c.anchor = GridBagConstraints.CENTER;
    c.gridx = 0;
    c.gridy = 0;
    mainPanel.add( dialogLabel1, c );
    c.gridx = 1;
    mainPanel.add( setNameField, c );
    c.gridx = 2;
    mainPanel.add( dialogLabel2, c );
    c.gridx = 0;
    c.gridy = 1;
    mainPanel.add(description, c);
    c.gridy = 2;
    c.gridwidth = 3;
    mainPanel.add(description, c);

    int option = JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog( null,
                                              mainPanel,
                                              "Set Creation",
                                              JOptionPane.OK_CANCEL_OPTION );

    if( option == JOptionPane.OK_OPTION )
    {
        ItemSet newSet = new ItemSet();
        newSet.setSetName(setNameField.getText());
        newSet.setDescription(textArea.getText());
        caller.addSet(newSet);
    }       

When i run this code, the OptionPane opens correctly and works fine with the JTextField, but the JTextArea will not show up at all. Is there any reason why this is?

Answer 1

You don't add your textArea in any panel/dialog etc. that's why It doesn't show up on the screen.

    c.gridx = 0;
    c.gridy = 1;
    mainPanel.add(description, c);
    c.gridy = 2;
    c.gridwidth = 3;
    //change it mainPanel.add(description, c);
    mainPanel.add(textArea, c);