Can you save a GUI configuration??

Question

Hi everyone,
I am learning java and have a question.
I have a jdesktop pane and it has multiple internal frames in it. Now I open a bunch of frames and place it the way I want.
Now can I do something like save this configuration in any file say for example an XML file and then when i open the program again I can just load the configuration file and everything comes back the same way it was when i had saved it.
Is this possible if yes then how will I be able to do it???
Here is the code which I using to display my internal frames.
//Import files
public class InternalFrameDemo extends JFrame implements ActionListener {
     JDesktopPane desktop;
    public InternalFrameDemo() {
        super("DashBoard");
        //Make the big window be indented 50 pixels from each edge
        //of the screen.
        int inset =250;
        Dimension screenSize = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getScreenSize();
        setBounds(inset, inset,
                  screenSize.width  - inset*2,
                  screenSize.height - inset*2);
        //Set up the GUI.
        desktop = new JDesktopPane(); //a specialized layered pane
        setContentPane(desktop);
        setJMenuBar(createMenuBar());
        desktop.setBackground(Color.lightGray);
        //Make dragging a little faster but perhaps uglier.
        desktop.setDragMode(JDesktopPane.OUTLINE_DRAG_MODE);
    protected JMenuBar createMenuBar() {
        JMenuBar menuBar = new JMenuBar();
        //Set up the lone menu.
        JMenu menu = new JMenu("NEW");
        menu.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_D);
        menuBar.add(menu);
        //Set up the first menu item.
        JMenuItem menuItem = new JMenuItem("LED Panel");
        menuItem.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_L);
        menuItem.setAccelerator(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(
                KeyEvent.VK_L, ActionEvent.ALT_MASK));
        menuItem.setActionCommand("new");
        menuItem.addActionListener(this);
        menu.add(menuItem);
      //Set up the second menu item.
        JMenuItem menuItem2 = new JMenuItem("Digital Clock");
        menuItem2.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_D);
        menuItem2.setAccelerator(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(
                KeyEvent.VK_D, ActionEvent.ALT_MASK));
        menuItem2.setActionCommand("new2");
        menuItem2.addActionListener(this);
        menu.add(menuItem2);
      //Set up the Third menu item.
        JMenuItem menuItem3 = new JMenuItem("Analog Clock");
        menuItem3.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_A);
        menuItem3.setAccelerator(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(
                KeyEvent.VK_A, ActionEvent.ALT_MASK));
        menuItem3.setActionCommand("new3");
        menuItem3.addActionListener(this);
        menu.add(menuItem3);
      //Set up the Fourth menu item.
        JMenuItem menuItem4 = new JMenuItem("Signal Levels");
        menuItem4.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_S);
        menuItem4.setAccelerator(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(
                KeyEvent.VK_S, ActionEvent.ALT_MASK));
        menuItem4.setActionCommand("new4");
        menuItem4.addActionListener(this);
        menu.add(menuItem4);
      //Set up the fifth menu item.
        JMenuItem menuItem5 = new JMenuItem("GPS Status");
        menuItem5.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_G);
        menuItem5.setAccelerator(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(
                KeyEvent.VK_G, ActionEvent.ALT_MASK));
        menuItem5.setActionCommand("new5");
        menuItem5.addActionListener(this);
        menu.add(menuItem5);
        //Set up the Quit menu item.
        menuItem = new JMenuItem("Quit");
        menuItem.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_Q);
        menuItem.setAccelerator(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(
                KeyEvent.VK_Q, ActionEvent.ALT_MASK));
        menuItem.setActionCommand("quit");
        menuItem.addActionListener(this);
        menu.add(menuItem);
        return menuBar;
    //React to menu selections.
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
        if ("new".equals(e.getActionCommand())) { //new
            createFrame();
        } else if("new2".equals(e.getActionCommand())) {
            createButtons();
        }else if ("new3".equals(e.getActionCommand())){
             createAnalog();
        }else if ("new4".equals(e.getActionCommand())){
             createBoxes();
        }else if ("new5".equals(e.getActionCommand())){
             createGPS();
        else{
             quit();
    protected void createFrame() {
        MyInternalFrame frame = new MyInternalFrame();
        TestApplet clock = new TestApplet();
        clock.init();
        frame.getContentPane().add(clock);
        frame.setSize(150, 150);
        frame.setVisible(true); //necessary as of 1.3
        desktop.add(frame);
        try {
            frame.setSelected(true);
        } catch (java.beans.PropertyVetoException e) {}
    protected void createAnalog() {
        MyInternalFrame frame = new MyInternalFrame();
        AnalogClock clock = new AnalogClock();
        frame.getContentPane().add(clock);
        frame.setSize(180, 200);
        frame.setVisible(true); //necessary as of 1.3
        desktop.add(frame);
        try {
            frame.setSelected(true);
        } catch (java.beans.PropertyVetoException e) {}
    protected void createBoxes() {
      //Code
    protected void createButtons(){
         MyInternalFrame frame = new MyInternalFrame();
         final DigitalClock dc = new DigitalClock();
          dc.setBackground(Color.black);
          frame.getContentPane().add(dc);
           frame.setSize(290, 120);
        frame.setVisible(true); //necessary as of 1.3
        desktop.add(frame);
        class Task extends TimerTask {
             public void run() {
                  dc.repaint();
          java.util.Timer timer = new java.util.Timer();
         timer.schedule(new Task(),0L,250L);
        try {
            frame.setSelected(true);
        } catch(java.beans.PropertyVetoException e) {}
    protected void createGPS() {
        MyInternalFrame frame = new MyInternalFrame();
        gpsstatus clock = new gpsstatus();
        frame.getContentPane().add(clock);
        frame.setSize(300, 190);
        frame.setVisible(true); //necessary as of 1.3
        desktop.add(frame);
        try {
            frame.setSelected(true);
        } catch (java.beans.PropertyVetoException e) {}
    //Quit the application.
    protected void quit() {
        System.exit(0);
    private static void createAndShowGUI() {
        //Make sure we have nice window decorations.
        JFrame.setDefaultLookAndFeelDecorated(true);
        //Create and set up the window.
        InternalFrameDemo frame = new InternalFrameDemo();
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        //Display the window.
        frame.setVisible(true);
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        //Schedule a job for the event-dispatching thread:
        //creating and showing this application's GUI.
        javax.swing.SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            public void run() {
                createAndShowGUI();
}

Answer 1

FanJava wrote:
Hi everyone,
I am learning java and have a question.
I have a jdesktop pane and it has multiple internal frames in it. Now I open a bunch of frames and place it the way I want.
Now can I do something like save this configuration in any file say for example an XML file and then when i open the program again I can just load the configuration file and everything comes back the same way it was when i had saved it.yes.
Is this possible if yes then how will I be able to do it???you need to design your GUI using absolute layout--null layout manager, that way you can specify how big and exactly where you want all of your components.