Assign focus on text field associated with tree item in edit mode

Question

The JavaFX home page has an example for how to edit the label associated with a tree item using a cell factory (see sample code below). However, if you select a tree item and then either mouse click or select the Enter key to start editing, the text field doesn't get focus even though the startEdit() method invokes textField.selectAll(). I tried invoking textField.requestFocus(), but that didn't work. Is there a way to ensure that the text field gets focus when the tree item is in edit mode?
I'm using JavaFX 2.1 GA version on Windows 7.
Thanks.
Stefan
@Override
public void startEdit() {
super.startEdit();
if (textField == null) {
createTextField();
setText(null);
setGraphic(textField);
textField.selectAll();
public class TreeViewSample extends Application {
private final Node rootIcon =
new ImageView(new Image(getClass().getResourceAsStream("root.png")));
private final Image depIcon =
new Image(getClass().getResourceAsStream("department.png"));
List<Employee> employees = Arrays.<Employee>asList(
new Employee("Ethan Williams", "Sales Department"),
new Employee("Emma Jones", "Sales Department"),
new Employee("Michael Brown", "Sales Department"),
new Employee("Anna Black", "Sales Department"),
new Employee("Rodger York", "Sales Department"),
new Employee("Susan Collins", "Sales Department"),
new Employee("Mike Graham", "IT Support"),
new Employee("Judy Mayer", "IT Support"),
new Employee("Gregory Smith", "IT Support"),
new Employee("Jacob Smith", "Accounts Department"),
new Employee("Isabella Johnson", "Accounts Department"));
TreeItem<String> rootNode =
new TreeItem<String>("MyCompany Human Resources", rootIcon);
public static void main(String[] args) {
Application.launch(args);
@Override
public void start(Stage stage) {
rootNode.setExpanded(true);
for (Employee employee : employees) {
TreeItem<String> empLeaf = new TreeItem<String>(employee.getName());
boolean found = false;
for (TreeItem<String> depNode : rootNode.getChildren()) {
if (depNode.getValue().contentEquals(employee.getDepartment())){
depNode.getChildren().add(empLeaf);
found = true;
break;
if (!found) {
TreeItem<String> depNode = new TreeItem<String>(
employee.getDepartment(),
new ImageView(depIcon)
rootNode.getChildren().add(depNode);
depNode.getChildren().add(empLeaf);
stage.setTitle("Tree View Sample");
VBox box = new VBox();
final Scene scene = new Scene(box, 400, 300);
scene.setFill(Color.LIGHTGRAY);
TreeView<String> treeView = new TreeView<String>(rootNode);
treeView.setEditable(true);
treeView.setCellFactory(new Callback<TreeView<String>,TreeCell<String>>(){
@Override
public TreeCell<String> call(TreeView<String> p) {
return new TextFieldTreeCellImpl();
box.getChildren().add(treeView);
stage.setScene(scene);
stage.show();
private final class TextFieldTreeCellImpl extends TreeCell<String> {
private TextField textField;
public TextFieldTreeCellImpl() {
@Override
public void startEdit() {
super.startEdit();
if (textField == null) {
createTextField();
setText(null);
setGraphic(textField);
textField.selectAll();
@Override
public void cancelEdit() {
super.cancelEdit();
setText((String) getItem());
setGraphic(getTreeItem().getGraphic());
@Override
public void updateItem(String item, boolean empty) {
super.updateItem(item, empty);
if (empty) {
setText(null);
setGraphic(null);
} else {
if (isEditing()) {
if (textField != null) {
textField.setText(getString());
setText(null);
setGraphic(textField);
} else {
setText(getString());
setGraphic(getTreeItem().getGraphic());
private void createTextField() {
textField = new TextField(getString());
textField.setOnKeyReleased(new EventHandler<KeyEvent>() {
@Override
public void handle(KeyEvent t) {
if (t.getCode() == KeyCode.ENTER) {
commitEdit(textField.getText());
} else if (t.getCode() == KeyCode.ESCAPE) {
cancelEdit();
private String getString() {
return getItem() == null ? "" : getItem().toString();
public static class Employee {
private final SimpleStringProperty name;
private final SimpleStringProperty department;
private Employee(String name, String department) {
this.name = new SimpleStringProperty(name);
this.department = new SimpleStringProperty(department);
public String getName() {
return name.get();
public void setName(String fName) {
name.set(fName);
public String getDepartment() {
return department.get();
public void setDepartment(String fName) {
department.set(fName);
Edited by: 882590 on May 22, 2012 8:24 AM
Edited by: 882590 on May 22, 2012 8:24 AM

Answer 1

When you click on a selected tree item to start the edit process is the text in the text field selected? In my case the text is not selected and the focus is not on the text field so I have to click in the text field before I can make a change, which makes it seem as if the method call textfield.selectAll() is ignored or something else gets focus after method startEdit() executes.