Setting focus in TextArea using AWT

Question

I have looked at all the documentation for the TextArea in the API and cannot work out how to set the focus in a TextArea when a frame is loaded. Should it go in the constructor? the main method? the TextArea? I have tried to use hasFocus() but nothing is happening. Also how could I launch a dialog box when one of the menu items is selected? I'm trying to write a notepad application in Java. Thanks for any help
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.io.*;
public class textpad extends Frame implements MouseListener{
TextArea inputarea;
GridBagLayout c;
MenuBar mb;
Menu filem, editm, searchm, helpm;
MenuItem newmenui, openmenui, savemenui, saveasmenui, exitmenui;
MenuItem undomenui, cutmenui, copymenui, pastemenui;
MenuItem findmenui, findnextmenui;
MenuItem helptopmenui, aboutmenui;
    public textpad(String title)
        super(title);
        c=new GridBagLayout();
        setLayout(c);
        setLayout(null);
        setSize(400,300);
        setBackground(Color.gray);
        //set position frame appears in screen??
        TextArea inputarea = new TextArea("Does it work?");
        inputarea.setBackground(Color.white);
        inputarea.getAccessibleContext();
        inputarea.setSize(399,270);
        add(inputarea);
        //set position within frame??
        //add MenuBar
          mb = new MenuBar();
          setMenuBar(mb);
          //Add File Menu to Bar                
          filem = new Menu("File");
          mb.add(filem);
          newmenui = new MenuItem("New");
          filem.add(newmenui);
          openmenui = new MenuItem("Open");
          filem.add(openmenui);
          savemenui = new MenuItem("Save");
          filem.add(savemenui);
          saveasmenui = new MenuItem("Save As");
          filem.add(saveasmenui);
          exitmenui = new MenuItem("Exit");
          filem.add(exitmenui);
          //Add Edit Menu to Bar
          editm = new Menu("Edit");
          mb.add(editm);
          undomenui = new MenuItem("Undo");
          editm.add(undomenui);
          cutmenui = new MenuItem("Cut");
          editm.add(cutmenui);
          copymenui = new MenuItem("Copy");
          editm.add(copymenui);
          pastemenui = new MenuItem("Paste");
          editm.add(pastemenui);
          //Add Search Menu to Bar
          searchm = new Menu("Search");
          mb.add(searchm);
          findmenui = new MenuItem("Find");
          searchm.add(findmenui);
          findnextmenui = new MenuItem("Find Next");
          searchm.add(findnextmenui);
          //Add Help Menu to Bar
          helpm = new Menu("Help");
          mb.add(helpm);
          helptopmenui = new MenuItem("Help Topics");
          helpm.add(helptopmenui);
          aboutmenui = new MenuItem("About Notepad");
          helpm.add(aboutmenui);
     public static void main(String args[])throws IOException
       textpad textpad1=new textpad("Untitled - Notepad");
       textpad1.show();
     public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e){}
     public void mouseEntered(MouseEvent e){}
     public void mouseExited(MouseEvent e){}
     public void mousePressed(MouseEvent e){}
     public void mouseReleased(MouseEvent e){}
    

Answer 1

a very curious thing just happened when I ran it. The
bits of the constructor were being created on the
screen and the test String "Does it work" flashed up
then disappeared as the MenuBar was created. I have
also just changed the layout to null. Do I need to
re-position my TA? What do you think? Thanks for
your help by the wayAs long as you can see the TA, you shouldn't need to re-position it. Try changing the bg color. Something tells me that maybe the chars are being painted on in white, so you can't see them because their color matches that of the bg color. I could be wrong, though.
It is weird to be the one trying to solve somebody else's problem. I was the one getting the answers just a few short months ago...:)