InPutMap and actionMap

Question

Hello.
I am currently working on a larger project, where I'd like to make certain JButtons respond to the pressing of certain keys.
To make this simpler, I wrote a smaller program with only one button, just to make the code easier to read.
I've been working with Java for about 8 months now, and still do consider myself a novice, so any help I can get is greatly appreciated.
In the posted example, I have a JButton that changes the text of a JTextField when pressed, however, I'd like to make the button respond when I press "a" on my keyboard,
and for this I should use keybindinds (as far as I've understood). I've tried using inPutMap and actionMap, but haven't had any luck making them work yet.
I added comments in the code, that shows where I'm in doubt. Again, any help is greatly appreciated, and I did read the tutorial at
[http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/misc/keybinding.html]
/* The imports */
import java.awt.Container;
import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
import javax.swing.KeyStroke;
public class inPutExample extends JFrame implements ActionListener {
    /* Initialization */
    private JButton actionButton;
    private JTextField textField;
    /* My main method */
    public static void main (String[] Args) {
        inPutExample frame = new inPutExample();
        frame.setSize(200,120);
        frame.createGUI();
        frame.setVisible(true);
    /* The interface */
    private void createGUI() {
        setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        Container window = getContentPane();
        window.setLayout(new FlowLayout());
        /* My button, that needs to respond to a keypress */
        actionButton = new JButton("Press me");
        window.add(actionButton);
        actionButton.addActionListener(this);
        /* The inPutMap for my button.
         In the tutorial, they didn't use
         keyEvent, but simply wrote a letter in quotation marks,
         so I'm a bit confused on that */
        actionButton.getInputMap(JButton.WHEN_IN_FOCUSED_WINDOW)
                .put(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke("a"), actionButton);
        /* The actionMap for my button. I'm confused
         as to what to put after the comma */
        actionButton.getActionMap().put(actionButton, null);
        /* The textfield that allows me to see
         if the button has been pressed */
        textField = new JTextField("Button hasn't been pressed");
        window.add(textField);
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
        Object source = e.getSource();
        /* The action that is performed
         when the button is pressed */
        if (source == actionButton) {
            textField.setText("Button has been pressed");
}Any help or constructive criticism will be appreciated and responded to.
Ulverbeast

Answer 1

Compare you code again to the tutorial:
component.getInputMap().put(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke("F2"),
                            "doSomething");
component.getActionMap().put("doSomething",
                             anAction);
//where anAction is a javax.swing.ActionAlthough using the action button as action command (the 'doSomthing') works, that isn't really a good idea - stick with Strings. The crucial thing missing in the actual action though:
Action action = new AbstractAction("Press me") {
  public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
    textField.setText("Button has been pressed");
button = new JButton(action);
// and put button in action map