Confusion about keyboard listeners.. Need HELP!

Question

I have a applet. I need to query the user for a piece if information (a single digit is needed). I can't figure out how read in user input through a JTextArea. I looked up the registerKeyboardAction method but according to Sun that is obsolete and to use getInputMap and getActionMap methods instead.
I can't figure out how to use the 'Map' methods to get user input; I can't even find example code.

Answer 1

It kind of sounds like you want to do some processing while the user goes about entering more data on the screen.
The KeyListener is one way. Another is by using a FocusListener (the textfield has focus, then it doesn't)
It's hard to answer your question because you don't give enough info.
Perhaps you have a screen up and the user is to enter a digit, hit enter, then enter another digit and so on. In that case the KeyListener is a good option.
Perhaps you want to validate the input while the user is entering info in other areas of the screen. Here either a KeyListener or FocusListener will do it.
Perhaps the user will eventually dismiss the screen using an OK button. In that case you could just use an ActionListener.
There are lots of examples in the tutorials at www.java.sun.com, especially in the Swing Tutorial.
There is also a long, long list of example code you can find at the Developer's Connection.
Hope this helps