Multiple Selection on JTree without holding down [CTRL] or [SHIFT]

Question

I need an example about how make multiple selection on JTree without holding down [CTRL] or [SHIFT].
my JTree contains JCheckBox in any nodes, but I can't select two or more checkBox in time without holding down [CRTL] or [SHIFT].
thanks for help.
Jose A.

Answer 1

I did this a few years ago so my newbiness is going to show through a bit, but I'm too lazy to update it.import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.tree.*;
import java.util.*;
public class Test3 extends JFrame {
  JTree jt = new JTree();
  MultiTreeSelectionModel mtsm = new MultiTreeSelectionModel(jt);
  JCheckBox multiCheck = new JCheckBox("Multi"),
      branchCheck = new JCheckBox("Branch");
  public Test3() {
    setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    JPanel content = (JPanel)getContentPane();
    multiCheck.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            mtsm.setMultiSelect(multiCheck.isSelected());
    branchCheck.setText("Branch");
    branchCheck.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
      public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            mtsm.setBranchSelect(branchCheck.isSelected());
    JPanel jp = new JPanel();
    jp.add(multiCheck);
    jp.add(branchCheck);
    content.add(jp, BorderLayout.NORTH);
    ActionListener specialKeyListener =
        new ActionListener() {
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent evt) {
                MultiTreeSelectionModel.keyModifiers = evt.getModifiers();
    KeyStroke keyStroke;
    for (int i = 0; i < keys.length; i++) {
        keyStroke = KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(keys[0], 0, true);
content.registerKeyboardAction(specialKeyListener, keyStroke,
JComponent.WHEN_ANCESTOR_OF_FOCUSED_COMPONENT);
keyStroke = KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(keys[i][0], keys[i][1], false);
content.registerKeyboardAction(specialKeyListener, keyStroke,
JComponent.WHEN_ANCESTOR_OF_FOCUSED_COMPONENT);
jt.setSelectionModel(mtsm);
content.add(new JScrollPane(jt), BorderLayout.CENTER);
setSize(300, 300);
setVisible(true);
public static void main(String[] args) { new Test3(); }
private static int[][] keys = {{KeyEvent.VK_CONTROL, ActionEvent.CTRL_MASK},
{KeyEvent.VK_SHIFT, ActionEvent.SHIFT_MASK},
{KeyEvent.VK_ALT, ActionEvent.ALT_MASK}};
class MultiTreeSelectionModel extends DefaultTreeSelectionModel {
static int keyModifiers;
private boolean branchSelect, multiSelect;
private JTree tree;
private TreePath[] savePaths;
MultiTreeSelectionModel(JTree Tree) {
tree = Tree;
setSelectionMode(TreeSelectionModel.DISCONTIGUOUS_TREE_SELECTION);
private boolean isSelected(TreePath Path) {
return tree.isPathSelected(Path) && (keyModifiers & KeyEvent.SHIFT_MASK) == 0;
private boolean branchSelect() {
return branchSelect || ((keyModifiers & KeyEvent.ALT_MASK) != 0);
public void addSelectionPaths(TreePath[] paths) {
if (branchSelect()) paths = getAllPaths(paths);
super.addSelectionPaths(paths);
public void removeSelectionPaths(TreePath[] paths) {
if (branchSelect()) paths = getAllPaths(paths);
super.removeSelectionPaths(paths);
public void setSelectionPaths(TreePath[] paths) {
if (branchSelect()) {
paths = getAllPaths(paths);
if (paths != null && paths.length > 0 && isSelected(paths[0])) {
super.removeSelectionPaths(paths);
} else if (multiSelect) super.addSelectionPaths(paths);
else super.setSelectionPaths(paths);
protected TreePath[] getAllPaths(TreePath[] paths) {
if (paths == null || paths.length == 0) {
return paths;
Vector vector = new Vector();
DefaultMutableTreeNode treeNode, thisNode;
for (int i = 0; i < paths.length; i++) {
if (paths[i] != null) {
thisNode = (DefaultMutableTreeNode) paths[i].getLastPathComponent();
Enumeration enumeration = thisNode.preorderEnumeration();
while (enumeration.hasMoreElements()) {
// add all descendants to vector
treeNode = (DefaultMutableTreeNode) enumeration.nextElement();
TreePath treePath = new TreePath(treeNode.getPath());
vector.add(treePath);
int i = vector.size();
TreePath[] allpaths = new TreePath[i];
for (int j = 0; j < i; j++) {
allpaths[j] = (TreePath) vector.elementAt(j);
return allpaths;
protected void setMultiSelect(boolean b) { multiSelect = b; }
protected boolean isMultiSelect() { return multiSelect; }
protected void setBranchSelect(boolean b) { branchSelect = b; }
protected boolean isBranchSelect() { return branchSelect; }
protected void savePaths(TreePath Path) {
TreePath[] tmpPaths = getSelectionPaths();
if (tmpPaths == null) {
savePaths = null;
} else {
int cnt = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < tmpPaths.length; i++) {
if (tmpPaths[i].isDescendant(Path)) {
cnt++;
savePaths = new TreePath[cnt];
cnt = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < tmpPaths.length; i++) {
if (tmpPaths[i].equals(Path) || tmpPaths[i].isDescendant(Path)) {
savePaths[cnt++] = tmpPaths[i];
protected void restorePaths() {
if (savePaths != null) {
final DefaultTreeSelectionModel foo = this;
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(
new Runnable() {
public void run() {
foo.setSelectionPaths(savePaths);