Serialization Clarification

Question

I am creating a wizard application that allows the user to enter a fair amount of data then run a simulation based on that data.
Now, I want to save all of the information the user puts in via sliders, textfields, radio buttons, check boxes, Jtables, graphs, ect. I've been trying to figure out the best way to do this and I think serialization may help me but I'm not sure. All of the user input is done via Swing components.
Now the way I'm thinking I should do this is:
1. create a class that can get all of the user input values from the Swing components. (can also set the swing components)
2. make that class serializable (ie I get an array or a table model)
3. write that class out.
4. be able to load that class back in and have it set all of the swing components.
Where I get a little confused here is that most Swing components are serializable so should I just be getting and setting the components themselves? or their values? Because if I got and set the components themselves, couldn't I then just get each JPanel that contains all of the components and reload the JPanel? Would I lose the values for each component?
I'm a bit confused and would greatly appreciate a point in the right direction.

Answer 1

Thanks, this is proving to be a very enlightening expierence.
I started with a confusion about synchronization, and that is cleared up a bit now, but now I'm beginning to think I'm going about this wrong?
Here's the situation:
I've got a Swing GUI. That is it. The components are in place, nothing further. No Listeners yet.
The GUI is designed to be a wizard that guides the user through entering some information through various components(JTextfield, JSlider, JTable, ect.)
At the end of the wizard, the program uses the information the user entered to simulate/model what could happen.
The program then displays the output.
What would be the best way to save all of the user entered information?
With that, and reading a bit about MVC, my impression is that:
M = user input + other hidden values calculated from user input and all of the logic
V = GUI components
C = listeners
I'm not really sure that the above is the right idea either? It seems to make sense that the Model is seperate from everything and can operate without the GUI. Then the GUI is just a place for the user to enter information. And the controller tells the model when to do things based on changes in the view or tells the view to change based on changes in the model correct?
So if that's right, then I think where I am getting lost is what is the best way to save the model? So step by step:
1: initialize the model
2: have controller update the view with the initial values
3. change a value in the view
4. contoller changes that value in the model
5. write the model data to a file
6. load the model data.
7. controller updates view from new model values.
The problem with the above then would be that the swing components have listeners that make updating the model from the view easy, but then would I have to register some sort of listener on the model to update the view(swing components)?
Sorry for the long messages but it helps me think through things and hopefully helps to point out any errors in my thoughts.
Thanks again for all the help, this is really helping me to understand.