How to add image as backgrount in JFrame with Box containers?

Question

Hi
I am trying to set the background of my JFrame to an image.
The problem is that when i use the JPanel method to add the image as background i have to add it in the frame as the last thing or else you can't see it, because the Box components are put on top of it. If i add it as the last component to the frame the only thing you can se is the background, because it is added on top of everything.
So my question is, are there any other ways?
Thanks.
Hessi - the new guy. :)
Edited by: Hessi on Apr 10, 2009 3:26 PM

Answer 1

Then when you start scrolling or clicking on entries or otherwise manipulating the list the graphics get all messed up.The opacity property is a contract with the painting system that the component will paint all the pixels opaque within its bounds. If the component dosen't do that and its opacity is set to true then you get painting artifacts.
But I see what the problem is now. The gray thing behind the list is the viewport of the scroll pane. So do this
JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(list);
scrollPane.setOpaque(false);
scrollPane.getViewport().setOpaque(false);
scrollPane.getViewport().setBackground(new java.awt.Color(0, true));It also needs to be done on the scrollbars of the scrollpane.
Edited by: Maxideon on Apr 16, 2009 10:03 PM
A recursive method to do all this stuff after everything has been added can help. Saves the trouble of constantly setting the opacity and background color.
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.Image;
import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
import java.awt.Color;
public class Test {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
       SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
           public void run() {
               createAndShowGUI();
    private static void createAndShowGUI() {
        JPanel contentPane = null;
        try {
            final Image img = ImageIO.read(new java.net.URL("http://" +
                    "hritcu.files.wordpress.com/2006/11/dukewithhelmet.jpg"));
            contentPane = new JPanel() {
                public void paintComponent(java.awt.Graphics g) {
                    super.paintComponent(g);
                    g.drawImage(img, 0, 0, null);
            contentPane.setBackground(Color.white);
        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.err.println("Unable to load image for " +
                    "background demonstration");
            contentPane = new JPanel();
            contentPane.setBackground(Color.PINK);
        Object[] numbers = new Object[30];
        for (int i = 0; i < numbers.length; i++) {
            numbers[i] = new Integer(i);
        JList list = new JList(numbers);
        list.setForeground(java.awt.Color.green);
        JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(list);
        JFrame frame = new JFrame();
        frame.setContentPane(contentPane);
        frame.add(scrollPane);
        frame.add(new JButton("A Button"));
        frame.add(new JSlider());
        frame.add(new JRadioButton("A Radio Button"));
        frame.add(new JTextField("A text field"));
        frame.add(new JTextArea("A text area.\nSome more text."));
        frame.add(new JSpinner());
        frame.add(new JLabel("A Label"));
        frame.add(new JScrollPane(new JTree()));
        frame.setSize(600, 450);
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        setHeiarchyTransparent(contentPane, false);
        frame.setVisible(true);
    private static final Color transWhite = new Color(0x00ffffff,true);
    public static void setHeiarchyTransparent(java.awt.Component root,
                                              boolean includeRoot) {
        if(includeRoot && root instanceof JComponent) {
            JComponent jc = (JComponent) root;
            jc.setOpaque(false);
            jc.setBackground(transWhite);
        if (root instanceof java.awt.Container) {
            for (java.awt.Component c : ((java.awt.Container) root).getComponents()) {
                setHeiarchyTransparent(c,true);
}