Mouseclicking a character places caret differently in Java6

Question

Clicking a character in a JTextField or JTextArea can result in a different caret position in Java6 than in Java5.
With the letters 'dog' in the field, click the mouse on the arc at the left edge of the d. Now try clicking it at the right edge near the vertical line.
With Java5, MS Word, Notepad, its as if there is a divider in the center of the character. Clicking to the left of a character's center positions the cursor before the character, in this case a 'd'. Clicking to the right of the center positions the cursor after the character, in this case between the 'd' and the 'o'.
With Java6, the cursor is always positioned to the left of the character. To position the caret between the 'd' and the 'o' you must click on the 'o'.
We're getting some user complaints. I submitted this as a potential bug - wondering if anyone else noticed or if there is a property setting to revert to the old behavior?
Jeff

Answer 1

Here's an SSCE that exhibits the problem. Both 1.5 and 1.6.7 behave similarly - clicking on the right vertical of a 'u' in 'dug' positions the cursor to the right of the 'u'. Switching to 1.6.16, the cursor goes to the left of the 'u'.
// Geary Example 22-5
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.text.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.util.*;
public class Test extends JFrame {
     private JTextField field = new JTextField(10);
     private JButton b = new JButton("Default Button");
     private JCheckBox cb = new JCheckBox(
                                        "Text field fires action event");
     public Test() {
          Container contentPane = getContentPane();
          SwingUtilities.getRootPane(this).setDefaultButton(b);
          cb.setSelected(true);
          contentPane.setLayout(new FlowLayout(
                                                  FlowLayout.CENTER,10,20));
          contentPane.add(field);
          contentPane.add(b);
          contentPane.add(cb);
          b.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
               public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(Test.this,
                         "Button fired action event");
          field.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
               public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(Test.this,
                         "Textfield fired action event");
          cb.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
               private Keymap km;
               private KeyStroke ks;
               private Action action;
               public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                    if(cb.isSelected()) {
                         km.addActionForKeyStroke(ks, action);
                    else {
                         if(ks == null) {
                              km = field.getKeymap();
                              ks = KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(
                                                  KeyEvent.VK_ENTER, 0);
                              action = km.getAction(ks);
                         km.removeKeyStrokeBinding(ks);
     public static void main(String args[]) {
          GJApp.launch(new Test(),
               "Default Buttons",300,300,350,200);
class GJApp extends WindowAdapter {
     static private JPanel statusArea = new JPanel();
     static private JLabel status = new JLabel(" ");
     static private ResourceBundle resources;
     public static void launch(final JFrame f, String title,
                                     final int x, final int y,
                                     final int w, int h) {
          launch(f,title,x,y,w,h,null);     
     public static void launch(final JFrame f, String title,
                                     final int x, final int y,
                                     final int w, int h,
                                     String propertiesFilename) {
          f.setTitle(title);
          f.setBounds(x,y,w,h);
          f.setVisible(true);
          statusArea.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder());
          statusArea.setLayout(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEFT,0,0));
          statusArea.add(status);
          status.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.LEFT);
          f.setDefaultCloseOperation(
                                   WindowConstants.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
          if(propertiesFilename != null) {
               resources = ResourceBundle.getBundle(
                              propertiesFilename, Locale.getDefault());
          f.addWindowListener(new WindowAdapter() {
               public void windowClosed(WindowEvent e) {
                    System.exit(0);
     static public JPanel getStatusArea() {
          return statusArea;
     static public void showStatus(String s) {
          status.setText(s);
     static Object getResource(String key) {
          if(resources != null) {
               return resources.getString(key);
          return null;
}