Populating a TableView with a HashMap that will update when HashMap changes

Question

I have followed this post

Binding hashmap with tableview (JavaFX)

and created a TableView that is populated by data from a HashMap.

The TableView receives its data from a HashMap called map by creating an ObservableList from map.entrySet() and handing that ObservableList off to the TableView 's constructor. (Code is below)

However, although it's an ObservableList with SimpleStringProperty s, the TableView does not update when changes are made to the underlying HashMap.

Here is my code:

public class MapTableView extends Application {

    @Override
    public void start(Stage stage) throws Exception {
        try {
            // sample data
            Map<String, String> map = new HashMap<>();
            map.put("one", "One");
            map.put("two", "Two");
            map.put("three", "Three");


            // use fully detailed type for Map.Entry<String, String> 
            TableColumn<Map.Entry<String, String>, String> column1 = new TableColumn<>("Key");
            column1.setCellValueFactory(new Callback<TableColumn.CellDataFeatures<Map.Entry<String, String>, String>, ObservableValue<String>>() {

                @Override
                public ObservableValue<String> call(TableColumn.CellDataFeatures<Map.Entry<String, String>, String> p) {
                    // this callback returns property for just one cell, you can't use a loop here
                    // for first column we use key
                    return new SimpleStringProperty(p.getValue().getKey());
                }
            });

            TableColumn<Map.Entry<String, String>, String> column2 = new TableColumn<>("Value");
            column2.setCellValueFactory(new Callback<TableColumn.CellDataFeatures<Map.Entry<String, String>, String>, ObservableValue<String>>() {

                @Override
                public ObservableValue<String> call(TableColumn.CellDataFeatures<Map.Entry<String, String>, String> p) {
                    // for second column we use value
                    return new SimpleStringProperty(p.getValue().getValue());
                }
            });

            ObservableList<Map.Entry<String, String>> items = FXCollections.observableArrayList(map.entrySet());
            final TableView<Map.Entry<String,String>> table = new TableView<>(items);

            table.getColumns().setAll(column1, column2);

            Button changeButton = new Button("Change");
            changeButton.setOnAction((ActionEvent e) -> {
                map.put("two", "2");
                System.out.println(map);
            });
            VBox vBox = new VBox(8);
            vBox.getChildren().addAll(table, changeButton);

            Scene scene = new Scene(vBox, 400, 400);
            stage.setScene(scene);
            stage.show();
        }  catch(Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    } 

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        launch();
    }

}

This is exactly the code from Binding hashmap with tableview (JavaFX) except I have added the following button:

        Button changeButton = new Button("Change");
        changeButton.setOnAction((ActionEvent e) -> {
            map.put("two", "2");
            System.out.println(map);
        });

which I then add to a VBox with the TableView.

When I click the button, the TableView is not updated. However, I can verify that the underlying HashMap has indeed changed because of the System.out.println(map) output. Also when I click on a column header in the TableView to sort the data by one column, the new updated value appears after the table data is re-sorted.

How can I make the table update automatically when the underlying map is changed?

Thank you,

Mark

Answer 1

Use an ObservableMap with a listener that keeps the TableView items and the keys of the map the same and use the cellValueFactory with Bindings.valueAt , eg:

ObservableMap<String, String> map = FXCollections.observableHashMap();

ObservableList<String> keys = FXCollections.observableArrayList();

map.addListener((MapChangeListener.Change<? extends String, ? extends String> change) -> {
    boolean removed = change.wasRemoved();
    if (removed != change.wasAdded()) {
        // no put for existing key
        if (removed) {
            keys.remove(change.getKey());
        } else {
            keys.add(change.getKey());
        }
    }
});

map.put("one", "One");
map.put("two", "Two");
map.put("three", "Three");

final TableView<String> table = new TableView<>(keys);

TableColumn<String, String> column1 = new TableColumn<>("Key");
// display item value (= constant)
column1.setCellValueFactory(cd -> Bindings.createStringBinding(() -> cd.getValue()));

TableColumn<String, String> column2 = new TableColumn<>("Value");
column2.setCellValueFactory(cd -> Bindings.valueAt(map, cd.getValue()));

table.getColumns().setAll(column1, column2);

Answer 2

This will update your tableView.

changeButton.setOnAction(e -> {
                map.put("two", "2");
                table.getColumns().setAll(column1, column2);
                System.out.println(map);
});