Module java.desktop
Package java.awt

Class CheckboxMenuItem

java.lang.Object
java.awt.MenuComponent
java.awt.MenuItem
java.awt.CheckboxMenuItem
All Implemented Interfaces:
ItemSelectable, Serializable, Accessible
public class CheckboxMenuItem extends MenuItem implements ItemSelectable, Accessible
This class represents a check box that can be included in a menu. Selecting the check box in the menu changes its state from "on" to "off" or from "off" to "on."

The following picture depicts a menu which contains an instance of CheckBoxMenuItem:

Menu labeled Examples, containing items Basic, Simple, Check, and More Examples. The Check item is a CheckBoxMenuItem instance, in the off state.

The item labeled Check shows a check box menu item in its "off" state.

When a check box menu item is selected, AWT sends an item event to the item. Since the event is an instance of ItemEvent, the processEvent method examines the event and passes it along to processItemEvent. The latter method redirects the event to any ItemListener objects that have registered an interest in item events generated by this menu item.

Since:
1.0
See Also:

  • Constructor Details

    • CheckboxMenuItem

      public CheckboxMenuItem() throws HeadlessException
      Create a check box menu item with an empty label. The item's state is initially set to "off."
      Throws:
      HeadlessException - if GraphicsEnvironment.isHeadless() returns true
      Since:
      1.1
      See Also:

    • CheckboxMenuItem

      public CheckboxMenuItem(String label) throws HeadlessException
      Create a check box menu item with the specified label. The item's state is initially set to "off."
      Parameters:
      label - a string label for the check box menu item, or null for an unlabeled menu item.
      Throws:
      HeadlessException - if GraphicsEnvironment.isHeadless() returns true
      See Also:

    • CheckboxMenuItem

      public CheckboxMenuItem(String label, boolean state) throws HeadlessException
      Create a check box menu item with the specified label and state.
      Parameters:
      label - a string label for the check box menu item, or null for an unlabeled menu item.
      state - the initial state of the menu item, where true indicates "on" and false indicates "off."
      Throws:
      HeadlessException - if GraphicsEnvironment.isHeadless() returns true
      Since:
      1.1
      See Also:

  • Method Details

    • addNotify

      public void addNotify()
      Creates the peer of the checkbox item. This peer allows us to change the look of the checkbox item without changing its functionality. Most applications do not call this method directly.
      Overrides:
      addNotify in class MenuItem
      See Also:

    • getState

      public boolean getState()
      Determines whether the state of this check box menu item is "on" or "off."
      Returns:
      the state of this check box menu item, where true indicates "on" and false indicates "off"
      See Also:

    • setState

      public void setState(boolean b)
      Sets this check box menu item to the specified state. The boolean value true indicates "on" while false indicates "off."

      Note that this method should be primarily used to initialize the state of the check box menu item. Programmatically setting the state of the check box menu item will not trigger an ItemEvent. The only way to trigger an ItemEvent is by user interaction.

      Parameters:
      b - true if the check box menu item is on, otherwise false
      See Also:

    • getSelectedObjects

      public Object[] getSelectedObjects()
      Returns the array (length 1) containing the checkbox menu item label or null if the checkbox is not selected.
      Specified by:
      getSelectedObjects in interface ItemSelectable
      Returns:
      the list of selected objects, or null
      See Also:

    • addItemListener

      public void addItemListener(ItemListener l)
      Adds the specified item listener to receive item events from this check box menu item. Item events are sent in response to user actions, but not in response to calls to setState(). If l is null, no exception is thrown and no action is performed.

      Refer to AWT Threading Issues for details on AWT's threading model.

      Specified by:
      addItemListener in interface ItemSelectable
      Parameters:
      l - the item listener
      Since:
      1.1
      See Also:

    • removeItemListener

      public void removeItemListener(ItemListener l)
      Removes the specified item listener so that it no longer receives item events from this check box menu item. If l is null, no exception is thrown and no action is performed.

      Refer to AWT Threading Issues for details on AWT's threading model.

      Specified by:
      removeItemListener in interface ItemSelectable
      Parameters:
      l - the item listener
      Since:
      1.1
      See Also:

    • getItemListeners

      public ItemListener[] getItemListeners()
      Returns an array of all the item listeners registered on this checkbox menuitem.
      Returns:
      all of this checkbox menuitem's ItemListeners or an empty array if no item listeners are currently registered
      Since:
      1.4
      See Also:

    • getListeners

      public <T extends EventListener> T[] getListeners(Class<T> listenerType)
      Returns an array of all the objects currently registered as FooListeners upon this CheckboxMenuItem. FooListeners are registered using the addFooListener method.

      You can specify the listenerType argument with a class literal, such as FooListener.class. For example, you can query a CheckboxMenuItem c for its item listeners with the following code: 

      ItemListener[] ils = (ItemListener[])(c.getListeners(ItemListener.class));
      If no such listeners exist, this method returns an empty array.
      Overrides:
      getListeners in class MenuItem
      Type Parameters:
      T - the type of the listeners
      Parameters:
      listenerType - the type of listeners requested; this parameter should specify an interface that descends from java.util.EventListener
      Returns:
      an array of all objects registered as FooListeners on this checkbox menuitem, or an empty array if no such listeners have been added
      Throws:
      ClassCastException - if listenerType doesn't specify a class or interface that implements java.util.EventListener
      Since:
      1.3
      See Also:

    • processEvent

      protected void processEvent(AWTEvent e)
      Processes events on this check box menu item. If the event is an instance of ItemEvent, this method invokes the processItemEvent method. If the event is not an item event, it invokes processEvent on the superclass.

      Check box menu items currently support only item events.

      Note that if the event parameter is null the behavior is unspecified and may result in an exception.

      Overrides:
      processEvent in class MenuItem
      Parameters:
      e - the event
      Since:
      1.1
      See Also:

    • processItemEvent

      protected void processItemEvent(ItemEvent e)
      Processes item events occurring on this check box menu item by dispatching them to any registered ItemListener objects.

      This method is not called unless item events are enabled for this menu item. Item events are enabled when one of the following occurs:

      • An ItemListener object is registered via addItemListener.
      • Item events are enabled via enableEvents.

      Note that if the event parameter is null the behavior is unspecified and may result in an exception.

      Parameters:
      e - the item event
      Since:
      1.1
      See Also:

    • paramString

      public String paramString()
      Returns a string representing the state of this CheckBoxMenuItem. This method is intended to be used only for debugging purposes, and the content and format of the returned string may vary between implementations. The returned string may be empty but may not be null.
      Overrides:
      paramString in class MenuItem
      Returns:
      the parameter string of this check box menu item

    • getAccessibleContext

      public AccessibleContext getAccessibleContext()
      Gets the AccessibleContext associated with this CheckboxMenuItem. For checkbox menu items, the AccessibleContext takes the form of an AccessibleAWTCheckboxMenuItem. A new AccessibleAWTCheckboxMenuItem is created if necessary.
      Specified by:
      getAccessibleContext in interface Accessible
      Overrides:
      getAccessibleContext in class MenuItem
      Returns:
      an AccessibleAWTCheckboxMenuItem that serves as the AccessibleContext of this CheckboxMenuItem
      Since:
      1.3