Create a new instance of a class without starting new windows.

Question

I've a class with basic SWING functions that displays an interface. Within this class is a method which updates the status bar on the interface. I want to be able to reference this method from other classes in order to update the status bar. However, in order to do this, I seem to have to create a new instance of the class which contains the SWING code, and therefore it creates a new window.
Can somebody give me an example, showing how I might update a component on the interface without a new window being created.
Many thanks in advance for any help offererd.

Answer 1

I've a class with basic SWING functions that displays
an interface. Within this class is a method which
updates the status bar on the interface. I want to be
able to reference this method from other classes in
order to update the status bar. However, in order to
do this, I seem to have to create a new instance of
the class which contains the SWING code, and
therefore it creates a new window.
Can somebody give me an example, showing how I might
update a component on the interface without a new
window being created.
Many thanks in advance for any help offererd.It sounds like you have a class that extends JFrame or such like and your code must be going
           Blah  test = new Blah();
            test.showStatus("text");Whereas all you need is a reference to that Classs.
So in your class with basic SWING functions that displays an interface.
You Might have something like this
          // The Label for displaying Status messages on
          JLabel statusLabel = new JLabel();
          this.add( statusLabel , BorderLayout.SOUTH );What you want to do is provide other Classes a 'method' for changing your Status Label, so in that class you might do something like:
      Allow Setting of Text in A JLabel From various Threads.
     And of course other classes......
     The JLabel statusLabel is a member of this class.
     ie defined in this class.
    @param inText    the new Text to display
   public void setStatusText( String inText )
                final String x = inText;
                SwingUtilities.invokeLater( new Runnable()
                          public void run()
                                   statusLabel.setText( x );
  }You still need a reference to your first class in your second class though.
So you might have something like this:
        private firstClass firstClassReference;        // Store Reference
        public secondClass(  firstClass  oneWindow )
                      // create whatever.........
                     this.firstClassReference = oneWindow;
// blah blah.
      private someMethod()
                        firstClassReference.setStatusText( "Hello from Second Class");
    }Hope that gives you some ideas