About FocusTraversal in JList

Question

Hi all , I'm building up a mini dictionary ,I 've done the rest of my program and this is just an extra , when the user input the
character "L" into the textfield then the List of word will point to the first word of
all the words that consist "L" , so on.......as the figure in the below link :
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa69/emperor1412/Question.jpgI have find out that swing has some methods about " FocusTraversal " to support JList , I've try to connect the " FocusTraversal " of my List to the " Textfield " so that the " Textfield " can control it but unsuccessfull, can anyone spend a moment to solve this problem by using anything about " FocusTraversal " , I can solve this problem by another way but I want to know how this problem can be solve by using " FocusTraversal " .
Here is the link of database for dictionary ( this file is *{color:#ff0000}compulsory{color}* to run this program):
http://6636676817799962274-a-greenmekong-com-s-sites.googlegroups.com/a/greenmekong.com/nguyenhailong/teaching/dicData.rar?attredirects=0 *( no virus )*
or
http://nguyenhailong.greenmekong.com/teaching ( file DicData.rar )
These are 5 classes of my program , just copy and buit it , it already worked :
1.Class Data
import java.io.Serializable;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.StringTokenizer;
import java.util.Vector;
public class Data implements Serializable{
    private List<String> Data;
    public Data()
        Data = new Vector<String>(104966);
    public void add(String data)
        Data.add(data);
    public String get(int index)
        String entireSentence="";
        String data = Data.get(index);
        StringTokenizer seperatedWord = new StringTokenizer(data);
        List<String> temp = new ArrayList<String>();
        while(seperatedWord.hasMoreElements())
            temp.add((String)seperatedWord.nextElement());
        Iterator iterator = temp.iterator();
        while(iterator.hasNext())
            boolean flag = false;
            String word = (String)iterator.next();
            for(int k = 0 ; k < word.length(); k++ )
                if(word.charAt(k)=='\\' && word.charAt(k+1)=='n')
                    entireSentence = entireSentence +"  "+ word.substring(0, k)
                            + "\n" +"  "+ word.substring(k+2,word.length()) ;
                    flag = true;
                    break;
            if(!flag)   entireSentence += (word+"  ");
        return entireSentence;
    public List<String> getData() {
        return Data;
    public void setData(List<String> Data) {
        this.Data = Data;
2.Class DicData
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.ObjectInputStream;
import java.io.ObjectOutputStream;
import java.io.Serializable;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Scanner;
* To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
* and open the template in the editor.
import java.util.Vector;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
* @author kaka
public class DicData implements Serializable{
    static ObjectOutputStream output;
    static ObjectInputStream input;
    private List<WordIndex> wordindex;
    private Data data;
    private int numofword=0;
    public DicData(String path) throws Exception
        boolean flag = false;
        wordindex = new Vector<WordIndex>(104966);
        data = new Data();
        try{
            Scanner in = new Scanner(new FileInputStream(path),"UTF-8");
            while(in.hasNext()) {                       
                String Line = in.nextLine();
                String Word ="";
                for(int i = 0 ;i < Line.length() ; i++ ) {
                    if(Line.charAt(i)=='[' )
                        Word = Line.substring(0, i-1);
                        Word = Word.trim();
                        Word = Word.toLowerCase();
                        break;
                    if(Line.charAt(i)==' ' && Line.charAt(i-1)=='-') {
                        if(Line.charAt(i-2) == '\t') {
                            Word = Line.substring(0, i-1);
                            Word = Word.trim();
                            Word = Word.toLowerCase();
                            break;
                        if(Line.charAt(i-2) != '\t' ) {
                            Word = Line.substring(0, i);
                            Word = Word.trim();
                            Word = Word.toLowerCase();
                            break;
            wordindex.add(new WordIndex(Word,numofword));           
            data.add(Line);
            ++numofword;
        catch(Exception exception){
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Invalid path");
            System.exit(1);
    public static void saveRecord(DicData dicdata) throws Exception
         try {
            output = new ObjectOutputStream(new FileOutputStream(new File("DictionaryData.ser")));
         catch ( Exception exception ){
            System.err.println( "Error opening file." );
         try{
            output.writeObject(dicdata);
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"Database saved successfully");
         catch ( Exception exception ){
               System.err.println( "Error writing to file." );
    public static DicData loadRecord() throws Exception {
        input = new ObjectInputStream(new FileInputStream("DictionaryData.ser"));
        return (DicData) input.readObject();
    public static void closeFileoutput()
        try {
        if(output!=null)
            output.close();
        catch(Exception exception) {
            System.err.println("Error closing file");
            System.exit(1);
    public static void closeFileinput()
        try {
        if(input!=null)
            input.close();
        catch(Exception exception) {
            System.err.println("Error closing file");
            System.exit(1);
    public Data getData() {
        return data;
    public void setData(Data data) {
        this.data = data;
    public int getNumofword() {
        return numofword;
    public void setNumofword(int numofword) {
        this.numofword = numofword;
    public List<WordIndex> getWordindex() {
        return wordindex;
    public void setWordindex(List<WordIndex> wordindex) {
        this.wordindex = wordindex;
3.Class HashingDic
import java.io.Serializable;
* To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
* and open the template in the editor.
import java.util.Hashtable;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Iterator;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
* @author kaka
public class HashingDic implements Serializable{
    protected Hashtable table;
    public HashingDic(DicData data)
        table = new Hashtable();
        List<WordIndex> wordindex = data.getWordindex();
        Iterator it = wordindex.iterator();
        while(it.hasNext())
            WordIndex temp = (WordIndex)it.next();
            table.put( temp.getKey(),temp.getIndex() );
    public int Search(String keyword)
        try{
        return (Integer) table.get(keyword);  
        catch(NullPointerException nullPointerException)
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"Word not found");
            return -1;
4.Class WordIndex
import java.io.Serializable;
* To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
* and open the template in the editor.
* @author kaka
public class WordIndex implements Serializable {
    private String Key;
    private Integer Index;
    public WordIndex(){}
    public WordIndex(String word,int index)
        Key = word;
        Index = index;
    public Integer getIndex() {
        return Index;
    public void setIndex(Integer Index) {
        this.Index = Index;
    public String getKey() {
        return Key;
    public void setKey(String Key) {
        this.Key = Key;
5.Class Main
*import java.awt.BorderLayout;*
*import java.awt.Color;*
*import java.awt.Container;*
*import java.awt.Panel;*
*import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;*
*import java.awt.event.ActionListener;*
*import java.util.HashSet;*
*import java.util.Iterator;*
*import java.util.List;*
*import java.util.Set;*
*import java.util.Vector;*
*import javax.swing.JButton;*
*import javax.swing.JFileChooser;*
*import javax.swing.JFrame;*
* To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
* and open the template in the editor.
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JList;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import javax.swing.JTextArea;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
import javax.swing.KeyStroke;
import javax.swing.ListSelectionModel;
import javax.swing.event.ListSelectionEvent;
import javax.swing.event.ListSelectionListener;
* @author kaka
public class Main extends JFrame implements ActionListener {
    private JButton Search;
    private JTextField TextField;
    private JList List;
    private JTextArea TextArea;
    private Container container;
    private JLabel Label;
    private JScrollPane Scroll;
    private JScrollPane ScrollPane;
    private DicData data ;
    private HashingDic hashData ;
    private Vector<String> keywords;
    Set<KeyStroke> key = new HashSet<KeyStroke>();
    //private KeyStroke keystroke;
    public Main(){
    super("Dictionary - Author : &#272;uc-Ho&agrave;ng-Giang-Group ");
    super.setResizable(false);
    public void runGraphic()
        container = this.getContentPane();
        BorderLayout layout = new BorderLayout();
        container.setLayout(layout);
        Label = new JLabel("Input word here ");
        TextField = new JTextField(20);
        TextField.addActionListener(this);
        Search = new JButton("Search");
        Search.addActionListener(this);
        Panel panel1 = new Panel();
            panel1.add(Label);
            panel1.add(TextField);
            panel1.add(Search);
        TextArea = new JTextArea( 26, 40);
        TextArea.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
        TextArea.setEditable(false); // the information about the meaning of word can not be edit
        Panel panel2 = new Panel();
        Scroll = new JScrollPane(TextArea);
            panel2.add(Scroll);
        List = new JList(keywords);
        List.setSelectionMode(ListSelectionModel.SINGLE_SELECTION);
        List.setFixedCellWidth(180);
        List.addListSelectionListener(new ListSelectionListener()
            public void valueChanged(ListSelectionEvent e) {
                int index = List.getSelectedIndex();               
                TextArea.setText(data.getData().get(index));
                TextArea.setCaretPosition(0);
        ScrollPane = new JScrollPane(List);
                container.add(panel1,BorderLayout.NORTH);
                container.add(panel2,BorderLayout.EAST);
                container.add(ScrollPane,BorderLayout.WEST);
        this.setSize(700, 500);
        this.setVisible(true);
    public static void main(String args[]) throws Exception
        Main test = new Main();
        test.runSource();
        test.runGraphic();
        test.setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    public void runSource() throws Exception
        try{
            //long start = System.currentTimeMillis();
            data = DicData.loadRecord();
            hashData = new HashingDic(data);
            keywords = new Vector<String>(104966);
            List<WordIndex> words = data.getWordindex();
            Iterator it = words.iterator();
            while(it.hasNext())
                WordIndex temp = (WordIndex) it.next();
                keywords.add(temp.getKey());
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"Database loaded successfully ");
            DicData.closeFileoutput();
            /*long end = System.currentTimeMillis();
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"Duration : " + (end - start)
                    + "\n Num of words : " + data.getNumofword());*/
        catch(Exception exception)
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"Database loaded failed ");
            JFileChooser chooser = new JFileChooser();
            chooser.setFileSelectionMode(JFileChooser.FILES_AND_DIRECTORIES);
            int result = chooser.showOpenDialog(this);
            if(result == JFileChooser.CANCEL_OPTION)   System.exit(1);
            String path = chooser.getSelectedFile().getAbsolutePath();
            //String path = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Input path of database : ");
            //long start = System.currentTimeMillis();
            data = new DicData(path);
            hashData = new HashingDic(data);
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"Database created successfully ");
            DicData.closeFileinput();
            DicData.saveRecord(data);
            List<WordIndex> words = data.getWordindex();
            Iterator it = words.iterator();
            keywords = new Vector<String>(104966);
            while(it.hasNext())
                WordIndex temp = (WordIndex) it.next();
                keywords.add(temp.getKey());
            /*long end = System.currentTimeMillis();
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null,"Duration : " + (end - start)
                    + "\n Num of words : " + data.getNumofword());*/
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
        if( e.getSource() == TextField || e.getSource() == Search )
            String a = TextField.getText();
            a = a.toLowerCase();
            a = a.trim();
            int returnValue = hashData.Search(a);
            if(returnValue!=-1)
            TextArea.setText(data.getData().get(returnValue));
            TextArea.setCaretPosition(0);  //put the prompt at the begining of the text
}Edited by: keomanla on Sep 5, 2008 11:17 PM
Edited by: keomanla on Sep 5, 2008 11:17 PM
Edited by: keomanla on Sep 5, 2008 11:18 PM
Edited by: keomanla on Sep 5, 2008 11:19 PM
Edited by: keomanla on Sep 5, 2008 11:19 PM
Edited by: keomanla on Sep 5, 2008 11:22 PM
Edited by: keomanla on Sep 5, 2008 11:24 PM
Edited by: keomanla on Sep 5, 2008 11:42 PM
Edited by: keomanla on Sep 5, 2008 11:43 PM
Edited by: keomanla on Sep 6, 2008 12:43 AM

Answer 1

You could still use HTML, but I guess then the problem would be the image on the button.
Alternatively, you could subclass JToolTip, create the ui you want, and install it on the JList by overriding the necessary tooltip methods in JList (I think getToolTip). Search the forums (serach field on the left) for more on this approach.
A third approach would be to re-invent the wheel using JWindow and a Timer to achieve the appearance and effect you want.
ICE