Application wide keyboard shortcut - Java Swing

Question

I would like to create an application wide keyboard shortcut for a Java Swing application. Looping over all components and adding the shortcut on each, has focus related side effects, and seems like a brute force solution.

Anyone has a cleaner solution?

score 41 · Answer 1 · edited Dec 13 '11 at 08:45

41

For each window, use JComponent.registerKeyboardAction with a condition of WHEN_IN_FOCUSED_WINDOW. Alternatively use:

JComponent.getInputMap(WHEN_IN_FOCUSED_WINDOW).put(keyStroke, command);
JComponent.getActionMap().put(command,action);

as described in the registerKeyboardAction API docs.

edited Dec 13 '11 at 08:45

daniel kullmann

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answered Sep 19 '08 at 09:35

Tom Hawtin - tackline

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+1 The best, easiest answer I have found. I will upvote this x1000 – Alba Mendez Oct 26 '11 at 16:05
But JFrame does not have a getInputMap or getActionMap method – Can't Tell Jul 30 '15 at 09:49
@Can'tTell `JFrame` is not a `JComponent`. These methods need to be called on components within the top-level window. – Tom Hawtin - tackline Jul 30 '15 at 10:01
For an example of the first solution: `window.getRootPane().registerKeyboardAction(save.getActionListeners()[0], KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_S, KeyEvent.CTRL_MASK), JComponent.WHEN_IN_FOCUSED_WINDOW);` Replace `save` with the name of your JButton, and `window` with the name of your JFrame. – Zezombye May 01 '18 at 20:42

score 19 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 19 '08 at 06:58

19

Install a custom KeyEventDispatcher. The KeyboardFocusManager class is also a good place for this functionality.

KeyEventDispatcher

answered Sep 19 '08 at 06:58

Karl

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score 13 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 13 '11 at 07:52

For people wondering (like me) how to use KeyEventDispatcher, here is an example that I put together. It uses a HashMap for storing all global actions, because I don't like large if (key == ..) then .. else if (key == ..) then .. else if (key ==..) .. constructs.

/** map containing all global actions */
private HashMap<KeyStroke, Action> actionMap = new HashMap<KeyStroke, Action>();

/** call this somewhere in your GUI construction */
private void setup() {
  KeyStroke key1 = KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_A, KeyEvent.CTRL_DOWN_MASK);
  actionMap.put(key1, new AbstractAction("action1") {
    @Override
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
      System.out.println("Ctrl-A pressed: " + e);
    }
  });
  // add more actions..

  KeyboardFocusManager kfm = KeyboardFocusManager.getCurrentKeyboardFocusManager();
  kfm.addKeyEventDispatcher( new KeyEventDispatcher() {

    @Override
    public boolean dispatchKeyEvent(KeyEvent e) {
      KeyStroke keyStroke = KeyStroke.getKeyStrokeForEvent(e);
      if ( actionMap.containsKey(keyStroke) ) {
        final Action a = actionMap.get(keyStroke);
        final ActionEvent ae = new ActionEvent(e.getSource(), e.getID(), null );
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater( new Runnable() {
          @Override
          public void run() {
            a.actionPerformed(ae);
          }
        } ); 
        return true;
      }
      return false;
    }
  });
}

The use of SwingUtils.invokeLater() is maybe not necessary, but it is probably a good idea not to block the global event loop.

Not the simplest solution, but definitely the most elegant and reliable one. — Haroldo_OK, Dec 26 '11 at 13:22

score 6 · Answer 4 · answered Dec 13 '11 at 07:19

When you have a menu, you can add global keyboard shortcuts to menu items:

    JMenuItem item = new JMenuItem(action);
    KeyStroke key = KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(
        KeyEvent.VK_R, KeyEvent.CTRL_DOWN_MASK);
    item.setAccelerator(key);
    menu.add(item);

score 2 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 21 '15 at 10:48

A little simplified example:

KeyboardFocusManager keyManager;

keyManager=KeyboardFocusManager.getCurrentKeyboardFocusManager();
keyManager.addKeyEventDispatcher(new KeyEventDispatcher() {

  @Override
  public boolean dispatchKeyEvent(KeyEvent e) {
    if(e.getID()==KeyEvent.KEY_PRESSED && e.getKeyCode()==27){
      System.out.println("Esc");
      return true;
    }
    return false;
  }

});

score -1 · Answer 6 · answered Jul 04 '13 at 20:49

-1

Use the following piece of code

ActionListener a=new ActionListener(){
   public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae)
   {
    // your code
   }
};
getRootPane().registerKeyboardAction(a,KeyStroke.getKeyStroke("ctrl D"),JComponent.WHEN_IN_FOCUSED_WINDOW);

Replace "ctrl D" with the shortcut you want.

answered Jul 04 '13 at 20:49

JavaTechnical

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no, that's outdated api (superceded by actionMap/inputMap since jdk 1.2 or 1.3 - way back in stone age) – kleopatra Jul 05 '13 at 06:34
@kleopatra Hmm. Thanks for the comment. I want to know the reason. I didn't find it! – JavaTechnical Jul 08 '13 at 14:47
don't quite understand - reason for what? – kleopatra Jul 08 '13 at 14:52
Why is registerKeyboardAction() obselete – JavaTechnical Jul 08 '13 at 14:56
that's a question for the swing team 10+ years ago :-) There used to be an article (old swingconnection?) introducing keyBindings that also argued the why .. don't have a reference, though, sorry. – kleopatra Jul 08 '13 at 14:59
1

Please, see the javadoc (JComponent.registerKeyboardAction(java.awt.event.ActionListener, java.lang.String, javax.swing.KeyStroke, int)): This method is now obsolete, please use a combination of getActionMap() and getInputMap() for similiar behavior. – serg.nechaev Sep 23 '13 at 01:50

Application wide keyboard shortcut - Java Swing

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