Creating a simple text editor in Java Swing involves using GUI components to handle text input and user actions. It typically uses a JTextArea for editing and menu components to perform operations.
- JTextArea is used to display and edit text content.
- JMenuBar, JMenu, and JMenuItem provide options like open, save, and edit.
- ActionListener is used to handle user actions on menu items.
The text editor contains a menu bar with two menus, File and Edit, along with a Close menu item placed directly on the menu bar.File menu
- Open: This menu item is used to open an existing file from the system.
- Save: This menu item is used to save the current file.
- Print: This menu item is used to print the contents of the text area.
- New: This menu item is used to create a new blank file.
Edit menu
- Cut: This menu item is used to remove the selected text and copy it to the clipboard.
- Copy: This menu item is used to copy the selected text to the clipboard.
- Paste: This menu item is used to paste text from the clipboard into the text area.
Close Menu Item
- Close: Closes the text editor window.
We have used file reader and file writer for more information on file reading and writing in Java. Please follow the below links:
Methods used
| Method | Explanation |
|---|---|
cut() | Removes the selected text from the text area and places it on the clipboard. |
copy() | Copies the selected text from the text area to the clipboard without removing it. |
paste() | Inserts the clipboard content at the caret position or replaces the currently selected text. |
print() | Prints the content of the text area. |
Steps to Create a Simple Text Editor:
Step 1: Create Frame & Apply Theme
Create a JFrame titled Editor and apply Metal Look & Feel with Ocean Theme.
Step 2: Add Text Area
Create JTextArea and wrap it inside JScrollPane for scrolling.
Step 3: Create Menu Bar
Create a JMenuBar and add the File and Edit menus. A separate Close menu item is also added directly to the menu bar.
Step 4: Add Menu Items
- File -> New, Open, Save, Print
- Edit -> Cut, Copy, Paste
- Menu Bar -> Close
Step 5: Attach ActionListener
Attach ActionListener to each menu item to handle actions.
Step 6: Add Components
- Add menu items -> menus -> menu bar -> frame
- Add text area (scroll pane) to frame
Step 7: Set Frame Properties
Set size 500×500, default close operation, and make frame visible
How the functions of the menu will be invoked:
- Cut, Copy, Paste, Print: Invoke built-in JTextArea methods (cut(), copy(), paste(), print()).
- Open: Opens a file chooser, reads the selected file, and displays its content in the text area.
- Save: Opens a file chooser and writes the text area content to the selected file.
- New: Clears the text area.
- Close: Closes the application window.
Program:
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.io.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.plaf.metal.*;
class Editor extends JFrame implements ActionListener {
JTextArea t;
JFrame f;
Editor()
{
f = new JFrame("Editor");
try {
UIManager.setLookAndFeel(
"javax.swing.plaf.metal.MetalLookAndFeel");
MetalLookAndFeel.setCurrentTheme(
new OceanTheme());
}
catch (Exception e) {
// Use the default look and feel
}
// Text area with scroll
t = new JTextArea();
JScrollPane sp = new JScrollPane(t);
// Menu bar
JMenuBar mb = new JMenuBar();
// File menu
JMenu file = new JMenu("File");
JMenuItem newFile = new JMenuItem("New");
JMenuItem open = new JMenuItem("Open");
JMenuItem save = new JMenuItem("Save");
JMenuItem print = new JMenuItem("Print");
newFile.addActionListener(this);
open.addActionListener(this);
save.addActionListener(this);
print.addActionListener(this);
file.add(newFile);
file.add(open);
file.add(save);
file.add(print);
// Edit menu
JMenu edit = new JMenu("Edit");
JMenuItem cut = new JMenuItem("Cut");
JMenuItem copy = new JMenuItem("Copy");
JMenuItem paste = new JMenuItem("Paste");
cut.addActionListener(this);
copy.addActionListener(this);
paste.addActionListener(this);
edit.add(cut);
edit.add(copy);
edit.add(paste);
// Close menu item
JMenuItem close = new JMenuItem("Close");
close.addActionListener(this);
mb.add(file);
mb.add(edit);
mb.add(close);
f.setJMenuBar(mb);
f.add(sp);
f.setSize(500, 500);
f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
f.setVisible(true);
}
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
{
String s = e.getActionCommand();
try {
if (s.equals("Cut")) {
t.cut();
}
else if (s.equals("Copy")) {
t.copy();
}
else if (s.equals("Paste")) {
t.paste();
}
else if (s.equals("Save")) {
JFileChooser j = new JFileChooser();
int r = j.showSaveDialog(this);
if (r == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION) {
File file = j.getSelectedFile();
try (BufferedWriter w
= new BufferedWriter(
new FileWriter(file))) {
w.write(t.getText());
}
}
}
else if (s.equals("Print")) {
t.print();
}
else if (s.equals("Open")) {
JFileChooser j = new JFileChooser();
int r = j.showOpenDialog(this);
if (r == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION) {
File file = j.getSelectedFile();
try (BufferedReader br
= new BufferedReader(
new FileReader(file))) {
t.read(br, null);
}
}
}
else if (s.equals("New")) {
t.setText("");
}
else if (s.equals("Close")) {
f.dispose();
}
}
catch (Exception ex) {
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(this,
ex.getMessage());
}
}
public static void main(String[] args)
{
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(Editor::new);
}
}
Output:
Explanation: A simple text editor GUI window with a basic menu bar (File, Edit, Close) and an empty workspace.
Explanation: A simple text editor displaying sample text content with a basic menu bar for file operations.
Explanation: A text editor with an open file dialog box, allowing the user to browse and select files from the system.
Explanation: A text editor with a print dialog box, allowing the user to configure printer settings and print the document.
Note: The above programs might not run in an online IDE please use an offline compiler.