Marquee function for JTextField?

Question

Hi,
currently I'm working on a group project to do a media player. I have a JTextField that will display the file name and duration of it. And this text should change when another media file is being played. I am now able to just set the text by using .setText(String text) method.
It is okay if the text does not exit the length of the JTextField. However, if the text is too long, it is cut off halfway. I am thinking of implementing it in such a way that when the text length exceeds the JTextField's length, the text will move from right to left like what marquee does...
Do I have to use applet? Or thread? Or neither? Thanks...
Cozel

Answer 1

This should get you started:
* @(#)TextFieldMarquee.java 1.00
package de.behr.gui;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
* <code>TextFieldMarquee</code>
* @author Thomas Behr Nov 30, 2002
public class TextFieldMarquee extends JTextField implements Marquee
     private final Animater animater;
     private final Timer timer;
     private String buffer2;
     private String delimiter;
     private char[] buffer1;
     private int maximumDisplayedCharacters;
     private int scrollDirection;
     private boolean useDelimiter;
      * Constructor
     public TextFieldMarquee()
          animater = new Animater();
          timer = new Timer(200, animater);
          delimiter = " +++ ";
          maximumDisplayedCharacters = 512;
          scrollDirection = RIGHT_TO_LEFT;
          useDelimiter = false;
          setHorizontalAlignment(scrollDirection);
          setText("");
          setEditable(false);
          setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder());
     public String getText()
          return buffer2;
     public void setText(String t)
          buffer2 = t;
          buffer1 = (useDelimiter)
                              ? (t + delimiter).toCharArray()
                              : t.toCharArray();
          animater.reset();
          _setText("");
     public void setDelay(int milliseconds) {
          timer.setDelay(milliseconds);
     public void setDelimiter(String delimiter)
          this.delimiter = delimiter;
     public void setMaximumDisplayedCharacters(int maximumDisplayedCharacters)
          this.maximumDisplayedCharacters = maximumDisplayedCharacters;
     public void setScrollDirection(int scrollDirection)
          this.scrollDirection = scrollDirection;
     public void setUseDelimiter(boolean useDelimiter) {
          this.useDelimiter = useDelimiter;
     public void startAnimation() {
          timer.start();
     public void stopAnimation() {
          timer.stop();
     private void _setText(String t)
          super.setText(t);
     private String _getText()
          return super.getText();
     private class Animater implements ActionListener {
          private int offset;
          public Animater() {
               offset = 0;
          public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
               if (TextFieldMarquee.this.scrollDirection == RIGHT_TO_LEFT) {
                    scrollRightToLeft();
               } else {
                    scrollLeftToRight();
          public void reset() {
               offset = 0;
          private void scrollLeftToRight() {
               final int length = TextFieldMarquee.this.buffer1.length;
               final String text =
                                   TextFieldMarquee.this.buffer1[length - offset - 1] +
                                   TextFieldMarquee.this._getText();
               int end = text.length();
               if (end >= TextFieldMarquee.this.maximumDisplayedCharacters) {
                    end--;
               TextFieldMarquee.this._setText(text.substring(0, end));
               offset++;
               offset %= length;
          private void scrollRightToLeft() {
               final int length = TextFieldMarquee.this.buffer1.length;
               final String text =
                                   TextFieldMarquee.this._getText() +
                                   TextFieldMarquee.this.buffer1[offset];
               final int textLength = text.length();
               int start = 0;
               if (textLength >= TextFieldMarquee.this.maximumDisplayedCharacters) {
                    start++;
               TextFieldMarquee.this._setText(text.substring(start, textLength));
               offset++;
               offset %= length;
}