Programatic item events in JComboBox

Question

I have three JComboBoxes. Each has an ItemListener which calls setCustomerFields.
public void setCustomerFields(ItemEvent e)
JComboBox aComboBox = (JComboBox) e.getSource();
int aIndex = aComboBox.getSelectedIndex();
myAddressComboBox.setSelectedIndex(aIndex);
myCustNameComboBox.setSelectedIndex(aIndex);
myCustNumComboBox.setSelectedIndex(aIndex);
Each JComboBox looks something like:
myAddressComboBox = new JComboBox(myAddresses);
myAddressComboBox.setEditable(true);
myAddressComboBox.addItemListener(new ItemListener() {
public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e) {
setCustomerFields(e); } } );
The purpose is to have all three JCombBoxes stay in sync. When the user selects a value in one setCustomerFields will set the value in the others. The API documentation for JComboBox.addItemListener states addItemListener Specified by: addItemListener in interface ItemSelectable. ItemSelectable Method Details for addItemListener says "Adds a listener to receive item events when the state of an item is changed by the user. Item events are not sent when an item's state is set programmatically. If l is null, no exception is thrown and no action is performed."
This tells me that "item events are not sent when an item's state is set programmatically." So calling setSelectedIndex in setCustomerFIields should not send an Iterm event. BUT IT IS. And thus I get an endless loop.
My work around is to call removeItermListener in setCustomerFields.
I have looked through the forum and found some similar questions but no definitive answer (except call removeItemListener) Also I see reference to a bug http://developer.java.sun.com/developer/bugParade/bugs/4664606.html which is similar but not directly related.
So my questions:
1) Am I using ItemListener correctly?
2) If so why is the Item Event occurring in setCustomerField?
3) Is the documentation wrong?
4) I choice ItemListener over ActionListener because ItemListener "isn't" supposed to fire when the state changes programatically. Was that the correct choice?
Thanks
Brad

Answer 1

ItemEvent should send when ever setSelectedIndex call, but you can do one thing :
public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e) {
if( e.getStateChange() == ItemEvent.SELECTED ){
setCustomerFields(e); }
may be this will work from your situation, or i guess you can use some flags type too for checking which one combobox changed then do appropriate action for this.