Image Events - how do i do it??

Question

I am trying to create an image that can be displayed arbitrarily in a container. I have used Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getImage("image.gif") and draphics2d.drawImage(etc etc to place the image on the screen. However, I want to use events with this image i.e. when the mouse goes over the image or I click on it - create an event. Obviuosly, this won't implement events, so I created an image button instead. Unfortunately (as far as I am aware) buttons require a layout manager and I want to display the images in arbitrary position - anyone know how I can do this?? I sort of know how events works and have events working for a panel within a frame - just not an image displayed within the pane - please help

Answer 1

Thanks for your response noah
Here is my example code I am using....
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.geom.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.net.*;
import java.io.*;
public class NewTransparent2 extends JFrame implements MouseListener, MouseMotionListener
private static final int H = 600;
private static final int W = 740;
private JLabel statusBar;
public int xValue;
public int yValue;
     int mx;
     int my;
NewTransparent2()
getContentPane().add(new TransparentPanel());
pack();
statusBar = new JLabel();
getContentPane().add(statusBar, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
addMouseMotionListener(this);
addMouseListener(this);
setSize(new Dimension(W, H));
public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e)
          String title = "Clicked " + e.getClickCount() + " times(s)";
          if(e.isMetaDown()) title += " with right mouse button";
          else
               if(e.isAltDown()) title += " with center mouse button";
               else title += " with left mouse button";
          setTitle(title);
          repaint();
     public void mousePressed(MouseEvent e)
          //statusBar.setText("Pressed at ["+ e.getX()+ ", "+e.getY()+"]");
     public void mouseReleased(MouseEvent e)
          //statusBar.setText("Released at ["+ e.getX()+ ", "+e.getY()+"]");
     public void mouseEntered(MouseEvent e)
          //JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Hi");
     public void mouseExited(MouseEvent e)
          //statusBar.setText("Mouse outside window");
     public void mouseDragged(MouseEvent e)
          //statusBar.setText("Dragged at ["+ e.getX()+ ", "+e.getY()+"]");
     public void mouseMoved(MouseEvent e)
          statusBar.setText("Moved at ["+ e.getX()+ ", "+e.getY()+"]");
class TransparentPanel extends JPanel
GradientPaint myGradient, myGradient2;
Color darkblue, darkrose;
Image telindus_flag;
public TransparentPanel()
               darkblue = new Color(63, 64, 124);
darkrose = new Color(159, 61, 100);
myGradient = new GradientPaint(0, 0, darkblue, 0, 50, darkrose);
telindus_flag = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getImage("generic_flag_2.jpg");
try
MediaTracker mt = new MediaTracker(this);
mt.addImage(telindus_flag, 0);
mt.waitForID(0);
catch (Exception e)
e.printStackTrace();
setBackground(Color.white);
setPreferredSize(new Dimension(W, H));
public void paintComponent(Graphics g)
               JLabel mylabel;
               super.paintComponent(g);
Graphics2D g2 = (Graphics2D) g;
g2.setPaint(myGradient);
g2.drawRect(5, 5, getWidth() - 12, getHeight() - 12);
NewDevice newDevObject = new NewDevice();
g2.drawImage(newDevObject.devImage, 60, 60, this);
NewDevice newDevObject2 = new NewDevice();
g2.drawImage(newDevObject2.devImage, 160, 160, this);
//ImageIcon i = new ImageIcon("router.gif");
//mylabel = new JLabel(i);
//mylabel.addMouseListener(this);
//g2.drawImage(i, 0, 0,
g2.setComposite(AlphaComposite.getInstance(AlphaComposite.SRC_OVER, 0.2F));
g2.drawImage(telindus_flag, 18, 18, this);
               //Ping newPing = new Ping();
class NewDevice
          // not declaring these variables static makes them instance variables
          // i.e. one instance of the variable per new class instantiated
          Image devImage;
          String devType, devHostname, devLocation, devIPaddress;
          int myinteger=20; // irrespective of the number of new objects createdp
          NewDevice() // NewDevice Constructor
               devImage = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getImage("router.gif");     
class Ping
     InetAddress ip;
          Ping()
               try
     ip = InetAddress.getLocalHost();
     System.out.println("IP address : " + ip.getHostAddress());
     //String name = InetAddress.getLocalHost().getHostName();
     //System.out.println("IP address : " + ip.getHostAddress() + "\nHostname: " + name);
     catch (Exception e)
     System.out.println(e);
     try
          Runtime r = Runtime.getRuntime();
     Process p = r.exec("ping " + ip.getHostAddress());
     if (p == null)
     System.out.println("Could not connect");
     BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(p.getInputStream()));
     String line;
     while ((line = in.readLine()) != null)
     System.out.println(line);
     in.close();
          catch (IOException io)
     System.err.println(io.toString());
public static void main(String[] args)
     NewTransparent2 myapp = new NewTransparent2();
     myapp.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
myapp.setVisible(true);
As you can see I have used MouseListener etc as an interface and therefore implemented all of the methods required. I have added the MouseListener and MouseMotionListener for the panel which works exceptionally well. I would like it howerver to respond to events for the images (devImage) I have created with the class NewDevice - any ideas!?
Thanks