Recognize the pressed Key

Question

Hello,
I want to recognize if the Ctrl Key is pressed or not. This could usually be done by adding a KeyAdapter or Listener to the JComponent and … .
The KeyAdapter solution unfortunately does not help me here, because of my special situation.
However, I execute a special method, and I would like to recognize if the Ctrl key is pressed. I need a Static solution, which gives me this information.
Can I do this at all?
Is there any static method, which returns this information about the keyboard?
Thanks in advance.
sssako

Answer 1

How can I solve the problem that invisible menu items are inactive?at best this is a very poor hack.
(there are much better ways to achieve what you want)
ctrl-O to activate
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
class Testing
  public void buildGUI()
    JMenu menu = new JMenu("File");
    JMenuItem open = new JMenuItem("Open");
    JMenuItem exit = new JMenuItem("Exit");
    menu.add(open);
    menu.add(exit);
    JMenuBar menuBar = new JMenuBar(){public boolean isShowing(){return true;}};//<-----------------
    open.setAccelerator(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_O,InputEvent.CTRL_DOWN_MASK));
    menuBar.add(menu);
    menuBar.add(open);
    menuBar.setVisible(false);
    JFrame f = new JFrame();
    f.getContentPane().add(menuBar,BorderLayout.CENTER);//must add it in a way that it will be 'knocked out'
    f.getContentPane().add(new JTextArea(5,20),BorderLayout.CENTER);//this knocks out the menuBar
    f.pack();
    f.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
    f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    f.setVisible(true);
    open.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
      public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae){
        System.out.println("OK");
  public static void main(String[] args)
    SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable(){
      public void run(){
        new Testing().buildGUI();
}[edit]
just realized it doesn't need the isShowing() override or the setVisble(false)
works OK just being knocked out
Edited by: Michael_Dunn on Oct 29, 2007 6:58 PM