Help on changing colour please....

Question

I am doing a paint package that involve scribbling, I have the basic class and I have setted up the windows interface....... I want to allow the user to choose the colour of the line..... I have setted up the button but I am not sure how should I code to set the colour when the button is pressed..... I will leave my codes here......
DrawingTools.java
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.geom.*;
public class DrawingTools {
public static void main (String [] args) {
     Toolkit tk = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit(); // get system dependent information
Dimension dim = tk.getScreenSize(); // encapsulate width and height of system
JFrame f = new DrawingToolFrame();
f.setSize(800, 550);
f.setTitle("Drawing Tool v1.10");
f.setIconImage(tk.getImage("Paint.gif"));
f.setVisible(true);
f.setResizable(false);
class DrawingToolFrame extends JFrame implements ActionListener {
private JCheckBox checkNormal, checkBold, checkDotted, checkSpray;
private JButton boldButton, dottedButton, sprayButton;
private JButton blackButton, blueButton, yellowButton, redButton, greenButton, houseButton, tvButton, starButton;
private ScribblePanel scribblePanel;
private JButton scribbleButton, undoButton, newButton, quitButton;
private JMenuItem newItem, quitItem, undoItem, houseItem, tvItem, starItem,/* normalItem,*/ boldItem, dottedItem, sprayItem, blackItem, blueItem, redItem, yellowItem, greenItem;
public DrawingToolFrame() {
addWindowListener(new WindowAdapter() {
public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e) {
dispose();
System.exit(0);
Container contentPane = getContentPane();
JMenuBar menuBar = new JMenuBar();
     setJMenuBar(menuBar);
     JMenu fileMenu = new JMenu("File");
     newItem = new JMenuItem("New");
     newItem.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_N); //add Alt-N to New short-cut
     newItem.addActionListener(this);
     fileMenu.add(newItem);
     quitItem = new JMenuItem("Quit");
     quitItem.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_Q); //add Alt-Q to Quit short-cut
     quitItem.addActionListener(this);
     fileMenu.add(quitItem); // some code for menu.......
     menuBar.add(optionMenu);
JPanel p = new JPanel();
ImageIcon scribbleIcon = new ImageIcon("Scribble.gif");
scribbleButton = new JButton("Scribble", scribbleIcon);
scribbleButton.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_S); //add Alt-S to Undo short-cut
scribbleButton.setToolTipText("Click this button and you can draw free hand lines.");
p.add(scribbleButton);
p.add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(20));
ImageIcon undoIcon = new ImageIcon("Undo.gif");
undoButton = new JButton("Undo", undoIcon);
undoButton.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_U); //add Alt-U to Undo short-cut
undoButton.setToolTipText("Undo the last step");
p.add(undoButton);
p.add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(20));
ImageIcon newIcon = new ImageIcon("New.gif");
newButton = new JButton("New", newIcon);
newButton.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_N); //add Alt-N to New short-cut
newButton.setToolTipText("Make a new Drawing");
p.add(newButton);
p.add(Box.createHorizontalStrut(20));
ImageIcon quitIcon = new ImageIcon("Door.gif"); //add icon to button
quitButton = new JButton("Quit", quitIcon);
quitButton.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_Q); //add Alt-Q to exit short-cut
quitButton.setToolTipText("Click to Exit");
p.add(quitButton);
undoButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
scribblePanel.undo();}});
scribbleButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
scribblePanel.repaint();}});
newButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
scribblePanel.repaint();}});
quitButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
System.exit(0);}});
contentPane.add(p, "South");
p = new JPanel();
p.setLayout(new BoxLayout(p, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
p.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(10));
ImageIcon boldIcon = new ImageIcon("Bold.gif"); //add icon to button
boldButton = new JButton("Bold", boldIcon);
p.add(boldButton);
p.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(10));
ImageIcon dottedIcon = new ImageIcon("Dotted.gif"); //add icon to button
dottedButton = new JButton("Dotted", dottedIcon);
p.add(dottedButton);
p.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(10));
ImageIcon sprayIcon = new ImageIcon("Spray.gif"); //add icon to button
sprayButton = new JButton("Spray", sprayIcon);
p.add(sprayButton);
contentPane.add(p, "East");
p = new JPanel();
p.setLayout(new BoxLayout(p, BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
p.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(10));
ImageIcon dIcon = new ImageIcon("Black.gif"); //add icon to button
blackButton = new JButton("Black", dIcon);
p.add(blackButton);
p.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(10));
ImageIcon eIcon = new ImageIcon("Blue.gif"); //add icon to button
blueButton = new JButton("Blue", eIcon);
p.add(blueButton);
p.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(10));
ImageIcon fIcon = new ImageIcon("Red.gif"); //add icon to button
redButton = new JButton("Red", fIcon);
p.add(redButton);
p.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(10));
ImageIcon gIcon = new ImageIcon("Yellow.gif"); //add icon to button
yellowButton = new JButton("Yellow", gIcon);
p.add(yellowButton);
p.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(10));
ImageIcon hIcon = new ImageIcon("Green.gif"); //add icon to button
greenButton = new JButton("Green", hIcon);
p.add(greenButton);
p.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(30));
ImageIcon houseIcon = new ImageIcon("house.gif");
houseButton = new JButton("House", houseIcon);
houseButton.setToolTipText("Click to add a house in the picture!");
p.add(houseButton);
p.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(10));
ImageIcon tvIcon = new ImageIcon("tv.gif");
tvButton = new JButton("Television", tvIcon);
tvButton.setToolTipText("Click to add a Television in the picture!");
p.add(tvButton);
p.add(Box.createVerticalStrut(10));
ImageIcon starIcon = new ImageIcon("star.gif");
starButton = new JButton("Star", starIcon);
starButton.setToolTipText("Click to add stars in the picture!");
p.add(starButton);
contentPane.add(p, "West");
scribblePanel = new ScribblePanel();
contentPane.add(scribblePanel, "Center");
private JButton addJButton(String text, Container container) {
JButton button = new JButton(text);
container.add(button);
return button;
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
Object source = e.getSource();
if (source instanceof JMenuItem) {
String arg = e.getActionCommand();
if (arg.equals("Undo"))
scribblePanel.undo();
else if (arg.equals("New"))
scribblePanel.repaint();
else if (arg.equals("Quit"))
System.exit(0);
ScribblePanel.java
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.geom.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
public class ScribblePanel extends JPanel implements MouseListener, MouseMotionListener {
private int lastX, lastY;
private static final int PANEL_WIDTH = 800;
private static final int PANEL_HEIGHT = 550;
private Stroke stroke;
private Line2D line;
private BufferedImage currImage, oldImage, tmpImage;
public ScribblePanel() {
super();
setBackground(Color.white);
currImage = new BufferedImage(PANEL_WIDTH, PANEL_HEIGHT,
BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_ARGB);
oldImage = new BufferedImage(PANEL_WIDTH, PANEL_HEIGHT,
BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_ARGB);
addMouseListener(this);
addMouseMotionListener(this);
line = new Line2D.Double(0,0,0,0);
stroke = new BasicStroke(10, BasicStroke.CAP_BUTT, BasicStroke.JOIN_ROUND);
public void paintComponent (Graphics g) {
super.paintComponent(g);
Graphics2D g2 = (Graphics2D) g;
g2.drawImage(currImage, 0, 0, this);
//scribblePanel.drawAll(g);
public void undo() {
tmpImage = currImage;
currImage = oldImage;
oldImage = tmpImage;
repaint();
public void moveTo(int x, int y) {
lastX = x; lastY = y;
/*public void lineTo(int x, int y) {
Graphics2D g2 = currImage.createGraphics();
line.setLine(lastX, lastY, x, y);
g2.setPaint(Color.blue);
g2.setStroke(stroke);
g2.draw(line);
moveTo(x,y);
g2.dispose();
repaint();
public void lineTo(int x, int y) {
     Graphics2D g2 = currImage.createGraphics();
     line.setLine(lastX, lastY, x, y);
     /*if blueButton pressed
     g2.setPaint(Color.blue);
     else if redButton pressed
     g2.setPaint(Color.red);
     else if yellowButton pressed
     g2.setPaint(Color.yellow);
     else if greenButton pressed
     g2.setPaint(Color.green);
     else g2.setPaint(Color.black);*/
     /*if boldButton pressed
     g2.setStroke(stroke);
     else if dottedButton pressed
     g2.setStroke(dotted);
     else if sprayButton pressed
     g2.setStroke(spray);*/ // these are my imagination...... i knoe they
// are wrong but what should I do?????please
// help
     g2.setPaint(Color.blue);
     g2.draw(line);moveTo(x,y);
g2.dispose();
repaint();
public void mousePressed(MouseEvent e) {
     oldImage.setData(currImage.getData());
moveTo(e.getX(), e.getY());
public void mouseReleased(MouseEvent e) {}
public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e) {}
public void mouseEntered(MouseEvent e) {}
public void mouseExited(MouseEvent e) {}
public void mouseDragged(MouseEvent e) {
lineTo(e.getX(), e.getY());
public void mouseMoved(MouseEvent e) {}
BTW...... if I want to use the SetStroke (for thicker line, dotted line) method in the Graphics2D package what should i do?????

Answer 1

Two obvious routes: 1. Have a variable currentColor or somesuch which you set when the user clicks a button. Then before drawing the line call g.setColor(currentColor). 2. If you have access to the Graphics object when the button is clicked, call setColor directly.