How to change the caret/selection color of text input controls?

Question

Hello JavaFX Community,
i'm new to JavaFX. I'm using it since i saw the huge steps forward with version 2.0.
I have the task to migrate a software from Swing to JavaFX. As a part of our corporate design, we used a special color for the caret and text selection. I couldn't find any information about changing the caret color in JavaFX 2, so i'd like to ask you and i'd be very thankful for an advise.
There is a cross-post at StackOverflow:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10057989/how-to-change-the-caret-color-in-javafx-2-0
Thanks and best regards.

Answer 1

This might be possible, but it is not trivial. You cannot do it with a standard API at this time, you will have to look into creating a skin that allows for these properties to be controlled.
For example, the color of the caret is currently controlled in the TextFieldSkin (look for the "caretPath" property). Just forcing a color change in a subclassed skin is not so hard. Something like this:
public class MyTextFieldSkin extends TextFieldSkin {
  public MyTextFieldSkin() {
    this.caretPath.fillProperty().unbind();
    this.caretPath.fillProperty().set(Color.RED);
}However, it gets trickier if this color must be dynamic and if you want other things to be changed as well. It is a place to start though.
Many of the skins methods and properties are 'protected' though, so atleast in Skin subclasses you have a lot of options to introduce new features and behaviour.