Adding icons to menu items

Question

Okay, I'm a newbie at Java. I have a problem that I'm trying to solve. I added icons to the File menu item, that was easy, but how do I add icons to the other menu items? They are DefaultEditorKit. actions (cut copy paste undo redo) I can't seem to change their names either.
I'm also having problems with saving the changes I make in the text area.
Here's the whole code.
package components;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.io.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.AbstractButton;
import javax.swing.text.*;
import javax.swing.event.*;
import javax.swing.undo.*;
public class TextComponentDemo extends JFrame implements ActionListener {
    JTextPane textPane;
    AbstractDocument doc;
    JTextArea changeLog;
    JButton newButton, openButton, saveButton, undoButton, redoButton, /*cutButton, copyButton, pasteButton,*/ boldButton, italicButton, underlineButton;
    protected String newline = "\n";
    HashMap<Object, Action> actions;
     File fFile = new File("default.txt");
     JavaFilter fJavaFilter = new JavaFilter();
    protected UndoAction undoAction;
    protected RedoAction redoAction;
    protected UndoManager undo = new UndoManager();
    public TextComponentDemo() {
        super("Notepad v1.0");
        //Create the text pane and configure it.
        textPane = new JTextPane();
        textPane.setCaretPosition(0);
        textPane.setMargin(new Insets(5,5,5,5));
        StyledDocument styledDoc = textPane.getStyledDocument();
        if (styledDoc instanceof AbstractDocument) {
            doc = (AbstractDocument)styledDoc;
        } else {
            System.err.println("Text pane's document isn't an AbstractDocument!");
            System.exit(-1);
        JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(textPane);
        scrollPane.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(600, 350));
        newButton = new JButton ("", createImageIcon("images/new.png"));
        newButton.setBackground(Color.white);
   //     newButton.setActionCommand("nou");       
   //     newButton.addActionListener(this);        
        openButton = new JButton("", createImageIcon("images/open.png"));
        openButton.setBackground(Color.white);
        openButton.setActionCommand("deschide");       
        openButton.addActionListener(this);
        saveButton = new JButton("", createImageIcon("images/save.png"));
        saveButton.setBackground(Color.white);
        saveButton.setActionCommand("salveaza");       
        saveButton.addActionListener(this);
        Action actionBold = new StyledEditorKit.BoldAction();
        actionBold.putValue(Action.NAME, "Bold");
        boldButton = new JButton(actionBold);
        boldButton.setBackground(Color.white);
        Action actionItalic = new StyledEditorKit.ItalicAction();
        actionItalic.putValue(Action.NAME, "Italic");
        italicButton = new JButton(actionItalic);
        italicButton.setBackground(Color.white);
        Action actionUnderline = new StyledEditorKit.UnderlineAction();
        actionUnderline.putValue(Action.NAME, "Underline");
        underlineButton = new JButton(actionUnderline);
        underlineButton.setBackground(Color.white);
          String[] fontStrings = { "Arial", "Arial Black", "Comic Sans MS", "Georgia", "Serif", "SansSerif", "Times New Roman", "Trebuchet MS", "Verdana" };
          JComboBox fontList = new JComboBox(fontStrings);
        fontList.setSelectedIndex(0);
        fontList.setBackground(Color.white);
        fontList.setActionCommand("font");
        fontList.addActionListener(this);
           String[] sizeStrings = { "12", "14", "16", "18", "20", "22", "24", "36", "48" };
          JComboBox sizeList = new JComboBox(sizeStrings);
        sizeList.setSelectedIndex(0);
        sizeList.setBackground(Color.white);
        sizeList.setActionCommand("size");
        sizeList.addActionListener(this);
        JPanel buttonPanel = new JPanel(); //use FlowLayout
          buttonPanel.add(newButton);
        buttonPanel.add(openButton);
        buttonPanel.add(saveButton);
     //   buttonPanel.add(cutButton);
     //   buttonPanel.add(copyButton);
     //   buttonPanel.add(pasteButton);
        buttonPanel.add(boldButton);
        buttonPanel.add(italicButton);
        buttonPanel.add(underlineButton);
        buttonPanel.add(fontList);
        buttonPanel.add(sizeList);
        getContentPane().add(buttonPanel, BorderLayout.PAGE_START);
         getContentPane().add(scrollPane, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        //Set up the menu bar.
        createActionTable(textPane);
        JMenu fileMenu = createFileMenu();
        JMenu editMenu = createEditMenu();
        JMenu fontMenu = createFontMenu();
        JMenu ajutorMenu = createAjutorMenu();
        JMenuBar mb = new JMenuBar();
        mb.add(fileMenu);
        mb.add(editMenu);
        mb.add(fontMenu);
        mb.add(ajutorMenu);
        setJMenuBar(mb);
        //Start watching for undoable edits and caret changes.
        doc.addUndoableEditListener(new MyUndoableEditListener());
       //This one listens for edits that can be undone.
    protected class MyUndoableEditListener
                    implements UndoableEditListener {
        public void undoableEditHappened(UndoableEditEvent e) {
            //Remember the edit and update the menus.
            undo.addEdit(e.getEdit());
            undoAction.updateUndoState();
            redoAction.updateRedoState();
private ImageIcon createImageIcon (String fileName) {
      return new ImageIcon(fileName);
protected JMenu createFileMenu() {
          JMenu menu = new JMenu("Fisier");
          menu.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_F);
        JMenuItem menuItem;
        ImageIcon iconNou = new ImageIcon("images/new.png");
        menuItem = new JMenuItem("Nou", iconNou);
        menuItem.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_N);
        menuItem.setAccelerator(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_N, ActionEvent.CTRL_MASK));
   //   menuItem.setActionCommand("nou");       
   //   menuItem.addActionListener(this);         
        menu.add(menuItem);
     menu.addSeparator();
          ImageIcon iconOpen = new ImageIcon("images/open.png");
          menuItem = new JMenuItem("Deschide", iconOpen);
        menuItem.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_O);
        menuItem.setAccelerator(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_O, ActionEvent.CTRL_MASK));
          menuItem.setActionCommand("deschide");       
        menuItem.addActionListener(this);
          menu.add(menuItem);
          ImageIcon iconSave = new ImageIcon("images/save.png");
          menuItem = new JMenuItem("Salveaza", iconSave);
        menuItem.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_S);
        menuItem.setAccelerator(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_S, ActionEvent.CTRL_MASK));
          menuItem.setActionCommand("deschide");       
        menuItem.addActionListener(this);
          menu.add(menuItem);          
     menu.addSeparator();     
          ImageIcon iconQuit = new ImageIcon("images/quit.png");
          menuItem = new JMenuItem("Iesire", iconQuit);
        menuItem.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_Q);
        menuItem.setAccelerator(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_Q, ActionEvent.CTRL_MASK));
          menuItem.setActionCommand("iesire");       
        menuItem.addActionListener(this);
          menu.add(menuItem);                    
          return menu;
     public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
         boolean status = false;
       /* if ("nou".equals(e.getActionCommand())) {
             nou();
        if ("deschide".equals(e.getActionCommand())) {
             status = openFile();
               if(!status)
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(
                         null,
                         "Eroare la deschiderea fisierului!", "Fisierul nu a putut fi deschis.",
                         JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE
      /* if ("salveaza".equals(e.getActionCommand())) {
             status = saveFile();
               if(!status)
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(
                         null,
                         "Eroare IO in salvarea fisierului!", "Fisierul nu a putut fi salvat.",
                         JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE
        if ("iesire".equals(e.getActionCommand())) {
             System.exit(-1);
        if ("font".equals(e.getActionCommand())) {
             JComboBox cb = (JComboBox)e.getSource();
             String fontName = (String)cb.getSelectedItem();
             String t = new String(textPane.getSelectedText());
//               t.setText("fontName");
//             t.setFont(new java.awt.Font(fontName, 0, 12));
//               StyledEditorKit.FontFamilyAction font = new StyledEditorKit.FontFamilyAction(fontName, fontName);
     boolean openFile() {
            JFileChooser fc = new JFileChooser();
            fc.setDialogTitle("Deschide Fisier");
            fc.setFileSelectionMode(JFileChooser.FILES_ONLY);
            fc.setCurrentDirectory(new File ("."));
            fc.setFileFilter(fJavaFilter);
            int result = fc.showOpenDialog(this);
            if(result == JFileChooser.CANCEL_OPTION) {
                 return true;
            else if(result == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION) {
                 fFile = fc.getSelectedFile();
                 String file_string = readFile(fFile);
                 if(file_string != null) {
                      textPane.setText(file_string);
                 else
                      return false;
            else {
                 return false;
            return true;                                         
        public String readFile (File file) {
          StringBuffer fileBuffer;
         String fileString=null;
         String line;   
         try {
               FileReader in = new FileReader (file);
                BufferedReader dis = new BufferedReader (in);
                fileBuffer = new StringBuffer () ;
               while ((line = dis.readLine ()) != null) {
                 fileBuffer.append (line + "\n");
                in.close ();
                fileString = fileBuffer.toString ();
              catch  (IOException e ) {
                return null;
         return fileString;
/* boolean saveFile () {
     File file = null;
     JFileChooser fc = new JFileChooser ();
     fc.setCurrentDirectory (new File ("."));
     fc.setFileFilter (fJavaFilter);
     fc.setSelectedFile (fFile);
     int result = fc.showSaveDialog (this);
     if (result == JFileChooser.CANCEL_OPTION) {
         return true;
     } else if (result == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION) {
         fFile = fc.getSelectedFile ();
         if (fFile.exists ()) {
             int response = JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog (null,
               "Overwrite existing file?","Confirm Overwrite",
                JOptionPane.OK_CANCEL_OPTION,
                JOptionPane.QUESTION_MESSAGE);
             if (response == JOptionPane.CANCEL_OPTION) return false;
         return writeFile (fFile, textPane.getText ());
     } else {
       return false;
  protected JMenu createEditMenu() {
        JMenu menu = new JMenu("Editare");
        menu.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_E);
        JMenuItem menuItem;
        undoAction=new UndoAction();
        menu.add(undoAction);   
        redoAction = new RedoAction();
        menu.add(redoAction);
        menu.addSeparator();
          menu.add(getActionByName(DefaultEditorKit.cutAction));       
        menu.add(getActionByName(DefaultEditorKit.copyAction));
        menu.add(getActionByName(DefaultEditorKit.pasteAction));
        menu.addSeparator();
        menu.add(getActionByName(DefaultEditorKit.selectAllAction));
        return menu;
    //Create the style menu.
    protected JMenu createFontMenu() {
        JMenu menu = new JMenu("Font");
        menu.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_F);
        JMenu subMenu = new JMenu ("Stil ");
        Action action = new StyledEditorKit.BoldAction();
        action.putValue(Action.NAME, "Bold");
        subMenu.add(action);
        action = new StyledEditorKit.ItalicAction();
        action.putValue(Action.NAME, "Italic");
        subMenu.add(action);
        action = new StyledEditorKit.UnderlineAction();
        action.putValue(Action.NAME, "Underline");
        subMenu.add(action);
          menu.add(subMenu);
        menu.addSeparator();
        JMenu subMenu2 = new JMenu ("Marime ");
        subMenu2.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontSizeAction("12", 12));
        subMenu2.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontSizeAction("14", 14));
        subMenu2.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontSizeAction("16", 16));
        subMenu2.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontSizeAction("18", 18));
        subMenu2.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontSizeAction("20", 20));
        subMenu2.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontSizeAction("22", 22));
        subMenu2.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontSizeAction("24", 24));
        subMenu2.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontSizeAction("36", 36));
        subMenu2.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontSizeAction("48", 48));
        menu.add(subMenu2);
        menu.addSeparator();
        JMenu subMenu3 = new JMenu ("Familie ");
        subMenu3.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontFamilyAction("Arial", "Arial"));
        subMenu3.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontFamilyAction("Arial Black", "Arial Black"));
        subMenu3.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontFamilyAction("Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS"));
        subMenu3.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontFamilyAction("Georgia", "Georgia"));
        subMenu3.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontFamilyAction("Serif", "Serif"));
        subMenu3.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontFamilyAction("SansSerif", "SansSerif"));
        subMenu3.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontFamilyAction("Times New Roman", "Times New Roman"));
        subMenu3.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontFamilyAction("Trebuchet MS", "Trebuchet MS"));
        subMenu3.add(new StyledEditorKit.FontFamilyAction("Verdana", "Verdana"));
        menu.add(subMenu3);
        menu.addSeparator();
        JMenu subMenu4 = new JMenu ("Culoare ");
        subMenu4.add(new StyledEditorKit.ForegroundAction("Rosu", Color.red));
        subMenu4.add(new StyledEditorKit.ForegroundAction("Verde", Color.green));
        subMenu4.add(new StyledEditorKit.ForegroundAction("Albastru", Color.blue));
        subMenu4.add(new StyledEditorKit.ForegroundAction("Galben", Color.yellow));
        subMenu4.add(new StyledEditorKit.ForegroundAction("Gri", Color.gray));
        subMenu4.add(new StyledEditorKit.ForegroundAction("Gri inchis", Color.darkGray));
        subMenu4.add(new StyledEditorKit.ForegroundAction("Negru", Color.black));
        menu.add(subMenu4);
        return menu;
    protected JMenu createAjutorMenu() {
         JMenu menu = new JMenu("Ajutor");
        menu.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_J);
        return menu;
    private void createActionTable(JTextComponent textComponent) {
        actions = new HashMap<Object, Action>();
        Action[] actionsArray = textComponent.getActions();
        for (int i = 0; i < actionsArray.length; i++) {
            Action a = actionsArray;
actions.put(a.getValue(Action.NAME), a);
private Action getActionByName(String name) {
return actions.get(name);
class UndoAction extends AbstractAction {
public UndoAction() {
super("Undo");
setEnabled(false);
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
try {
undo.undo();
} catch (CannotUndoException ex) {
System.out.println("Unable to undo: " + ex);
ex.printStackTrace();
updateUndoState();
redoAction.updateRedoState();
protected void updateUndoState() {
if (undo.canUndo()) {
setEnabled(true);
putValue(Action.NAME, undo.getUndoPresentationName());
} else {
setEnabled(false);
putValue(Action.NAME, "Undo");
class RedoAction extends AbstractAction {
public RedoAction() {
super("Redo");
setEnabled(false);
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
try {
undo.redo();
} catch (CannotRedoException ex) {
System.out.println("Unable to redo: " + ex);
ex.printStackTrace();
updateRedoState();
undoAction.updateUndoState();
protected void updateRedoState() {
if (undo.canRedo()) {
setEnabled(true);
putValue(Action.NAME, undo.getRedoPresentationName());
} else {
setEnabled(false);
putValue(Action.NAME, "Redo");
private static void createAndShowGUI() {
final TextComponentDemo frame = new TextComponentDemo();
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.pack();
frame.setVisible(true);
public static void main(String[] args) {
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
UIManager.put("swing.boldMetal", Boolean.FALSE);
     createAndShowGUI();
class JavaFilter extends javax.swing.filechooser.FileFilter
public boolean accept (File f) {
return f.getName ().toLowerCase ().endsWith (".txt")
|| f.isDirectory ();
public String getDescription () {
return "Fisiere text (*.txt)";

Answer 1

Hi,
unfortunatly you cannot change the properties of Action object as you would do with JavaBeans. Instead you have to use the 'put' method.
eg.:
myAction.put(Action.SMALL_ICON, new ImageIcon(...));IMHO this was a bad decision, because it's not like the JavaBeans standard and you loose static type information. :-/
-Puce
Message was edited by:
Puce