Implementing sockets and threads in a jframe gui program

Question

Hi, I am trying to find a solution to a problem I am having designing my instant messenger application.
I am creating listening sockets and threads for each client logged into the system. i want to know if there is a way to listen to other clients request from the main gui and then if another client tries to establish a connection with me for example, a thread is created for that client and then my chat gui opens automatically has soon has the other client sends his or hers first text message to me.
I am relatively new at socket programming has I am currently studying along this area. I know how to create threads and sockets but I am having trouble finding out a solution to my problem. Here is the code that I have done so far for the listening method from my main gui, and the thread class of what I have done so far.
listening socket:
     private void listeningSocket()
            ServerSocket serverSocket = null;
            boolean listening = true;
            try
                //listen in port 4444;
                serverSocket = new ServerSocket(4444);
            catch(IOException x)
                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "cannot listen to port 4444", null, JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
            while(listening)
                client_thread w;
                try
                   w = new client_thread(serverSocket.accept(), jTextArea1);
                   Thread t = new Thread(w);
                   t.start();
                catch(IOException x)
                     JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "error, cannot start new thread", null, JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
        }thread class:
import java.io.*;
import java.net.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.sql.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
* @author jonathan
public class client_thread extends Thread
     //define new socket object
    private Socket client_user = null;
    private JTextArea textArea;
    public client_thread(Socket client_user, JTextArea textArea)
        this.client_user = client_user;
        this.textArea = textArea;
    public void run()
        BufferedReader in = null;
        PrintWriter out = null;
        String error = "error has occured, messege was not sent";
        String messege = null;
         try
            //create input and output streams
            in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader (client_user.getInputStream()));
            out = new PrintWriter(client_user.getOutputStream(), true);
            while(true)
               //read messege sent by user
               messege = in.readLine();
                //display messege in textfield
               out.println(messege);
               textArea.append(messege);
        catch (IOException e)
            //error messege
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, error, null, JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
}

Answer 1

Seems like all you need to do is create a new dialog for each socket that is established. Your current design looks like it will attempt to use the same textarea for all the sockets.
I would say in your thread class do the following:
MyConversationDialog dialog = new MyConversationDialog();
while(true)
               //read messege sent by user
               messege = in.readLine();
                //display messege in textfield
               out.println(messege);
               dialog.setVisible (true);
               dialog.addMessage (message);
            }