LookAndFeel and UIManager

Java Swing Tutorials - Herong's Tutorial Examples

∟LookAndFeel and UIManager

This chapter provides tutorial notes and example codes on UI look and feel. Topics include introduction of javax.swing.LookAndFeel and javax.swing.UIManager classes; example programs on how to manage UI look and feel.

javax.swing.LookAndFeel - A Swing class representing a set of rules that define how each type of graphical components should look and feel.

javax.swing.UIManager - A Swing class managing the current LookAndFeel.

To find out which LookAndFeel is available on your local system, and to switch from one LookAndFeel to another, I wrote the following sample program:

/* LookAndFeelTest2.java
 * Copyright (c) 1997-2024 HerongYang.com. All Rights Reserved.
 */
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class LookAndFeelTest2 {
   public static void main(String[] a) {
      try {
         showFrame("Default LookAndFeel", 1);
         String cn = UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName();
         UIManager.setLookAndFeel(cn);
         showFrame("System LookAndFeel", 2);
         cn = UIManager.getCrossPlatformLookAndFeelClassName();
         UIManager.setLookAndFeel(cn);
         showFrame("Cross Platform LookAndFeel", 3);
         cn = "com.sun.java.swing.plaf.motif.MotifLookAndFeel";
         UIManager.setLookAndFeel(cn);
         showFrame("Motif LookAndFeel", 4);
      } catch (Exception e) {
         System.out.println("Exception: "+e);
      }
   }
   private static void showFrame(String t, int i) {
      LookAndFeel laf = UIManager.getLookAndFeel();
      JFrame myFrame = new JFrame(i+". "+t+": "+laf.getName());
      myFrame.setBounds(50*i,50*i,0,0);
      myFrame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
      Container myPane = myFrame.getContentPane();
      myPane.setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
      GridBagConstraints c = new GridBagConstraints();
      setMyConstraints(c,0,0,GridBagConstraints.CENTER);
      myPane.add(getFieldPanel(),c);
      setMyConstraints(c,0,1,GridBagConstraints.CENTER);
      myPane.add(getButtonPanel(),c);
      myFrame.pack();
      myFrame.setVisible(true);
   }
   private static JPanel getFieldPanel() {
      JPanel p = new JPanel(new GridBagLayout());
      p.setBorder(BorderFactory.createTitledBorder("Details"));
      GridBagConstraints c = new GridBagConstraints();
      setMyConstraints(c,0,0,GridBagConstraints.EAST);
      p.add(new JLabel("Name:"),c);
      setMyConstraints(c,1,0,GridBagConstraints.WEST);
      p.add(new JTextField(16),c);
      setMyConstraints(c,0,1,GridBagConstraints.EAST);
      p.add(new JLabel("System:"),c);
      setMyConstraints(c,1,1,GridBagConstraints.WEST);
      p.add(getSystemPanel(),c);
      setMyConstraints(c,0,2,GridBagConstraints.EAST);
      p.add(new JLabel("Language:"),c);
      setMyConstraints(c,1,2,GridBagConstraints.WEST);
      p.add(getLanguagePanel(),c);
      setMyConstraints(c,0,3,GridBagConstraints.EAST);
      p.add(new JLabel("Year:"),c);
      setMyConstraints(c,1,3,GridBagConstraints.WEST);
      p.add(new JComboBox<String>(
         new String[] {"2021","2022","2023"}),c);
      return p;
   }
   private static JPanel getButtonPanel() {
      JPanel p = new JPanel(new GridBagLayout());
      p.add(new JButton("OK"));
      p.add(new JButton("Cancel"));
      return p;
   }
   private static JPanel getSystemPanel() {
      JRadioButton unixButton = new JRadioButton("Unix",true);
      JRadioButton winButton = new JRadioButton("Window",false);
      ButtonGroup systemGroup = new ButtonGroup();
      systemGroup.add(unixButton);
      systemGroup.add(winButton);
      JPanel p = new JPanel(new GridBagLayout());
      p.add(unixButton);
      p.add(winButton);
      return p;
   }
   private static JPanel getLanguagePanel() {
      JPanel p = new JPanel(new GridBagLayout());
      p.add(new JCheckBox("Java",true));
      p.add(new JCheckBox("C++",true));
      p.add(new JCheckBox("Perl",false));
      return p;
   }
   private static void setMyConstraints(GridBagConstraints c, 
      int gridx, int gridy, int anchor) {
      c.gridx = gridx;
      c.gridy = gridy;
      c.anchor = anchor;
   }
}

Run it. You should get 4 windows, representing the JDK default LookAndFeel, the local system default LookAndFeel, cross platform LookAndFeel, and the Motif LookAndFeel.