Please Help with JtextArea!! Need advice from Java expert!

Question

Hi, I need something VERY simple, and it is unbelievable I'm looking for a solution for so long! I really hope some of you java-gurus can help me out. Here's the thing:
1. Make a Jframe
2. Add a JTextArea and use a transparent color (e.g. 0.1f,0.1f,0.1f,0.1f)
3. loop a setText method to display a constantly varying text, e.g. the time in milliseconds
I simply can't do it in any way if I use transparency. Without transparency it works with no problems.
I am on Mac, and I have checked out this site:
http://www.curious-creature.org/2007/04/10/translucent-swing-windows-on-mac-os-x/
but I can't figure out how the guy who wrote the code made it work on mac (he didn't add the full code and the imports). I already tried to contact him, but no answer...
so PLEEEEASE take 5 minutes to write a very small example of how to manage a varying text on a transparent window.
Thanks a lot in advance
Lele

Answer 1

-> did you maybe check out the link I posted?
Yes, I did which is why I asked the question are you trying to create a transparent JFrame so that the desktop image is displayed in the frame? To my knowledge this feature (if it works) is a Mac only feature and does not work on windows. If this is what you are trying to do then I have no idea how to do it and will not respond any more.
-> the GPS coordinates are displayed on top of the moving map, with no visible background
I guess I have trouble understanding what this is - "a map with no background"?
Is the map just not an image (ie. a JLabel with an ImageIcon) placed in a scrollpane? Then as the map moves you change the viewport position so it looks like the map is moving? Then you can simply add a label containing the GPS coordinates on top of the label representing the map.
-> have you considered using a JLabel in an OverlayLayout?
Right which is what I was thinking. Something simple like:
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
public class LabelMap extends JFrame
     public LabelMap()
          JLabel map = new JLabel(new ImageIcon("yourMap.jpg"));
          getContentPane().add(new JScrollPane(map));
          JLabel point = new JLabel();
          point.setLocation(50, 50);
          point.setText(point.getLocation().toString());
          Dimension d = point.getPreferredSize();
          point.setSize(d.width, d.height);
          point.setFocusable(true);
          map.add(point);
          KeyListener kl = new KeyAdapter()
               public void keyPressed(KeyEvent e)
                    JLabel point = (JLabel)e.getSource();
                    Point p = point.getLocation();
                    if (e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_UP)
                         p.y -= 5;
                    else if (e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_DOWN)
                         p.y += 5;
                    else if (e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_LEFT)
                         p.x -= 5;
                    else if (e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_RIGHT)
                         p.x += 5;
                    point.setLocation(p);
                    point.setText(p.getLocation().toString());
                    Dimension d = point.getPreferredSize();
                    point.setSize(d.width, d.height);
          point.addKeyListener(kl);
     public static void main(String[] args)
          LabelMap frame = new LabelMap();
          frame.setDefaultCloseOperation( EXIT_ON_CLOSE );
          frame.setSize(300, 300);
          frame.setLocationRelativeTo( null );
          frame.setVisible(true);
}In the above example you can scroll the image and dynamically move the text using the arrow keys.