Package sim.portrayal

Class Inspector

java.lang.Object
java.awt.Component
java.awt.Container
javax.swing.JComponent
javax.swing.JPanel
sim.portrayal.Inspector
All Implemented Interfaces:
ImageObserver, MenuContainer, Serializable, Accessible
Direct Known Subclasses:
SimpleInspector
public abstract class Inspector extends JPanel
An Inspector is a JPanel containing information about some object, and updates its displayed information when updateInspector() is called. In-between calls to updateInspector(), the Inspector should show the same information despite repeated repaints() etc. Inspectors commonly also allow the user to change the information, but this is not required: they can be "read-only" if desired.

Volatility. Inspectors are either volatile (they change each frame) or non-volatile (they're generally static). If your inspector is not volatile, you should call setInspectorVolatile(false). It's more efficient.

Some non-volatile inspectors never have their underlying data change except when the user tweaks the inspector itself. Other non-volatile inspectors have the underlying data change but don't reflect it automatically each frame because it's expensive to update the inspector. In this second case (and for good measure the first case), you should provide a button which manually updates the inspector via updateInspector(). The easiest way to do get such a button is to call makeUpdateButton(), which will do it for you. You can then stick the button in your inspector.

The Stopper. Most inspectors, particularly volatile ones, are scheduled repeating and so need to have a way to be stopped if the user closes the inspector's window or otherwise clears it out. Normally the system gets this Stoppable after scheduling the inspector repeating. Before it uses it, it first calls reviseStopper(Stoppable). This gives you a chance to "wrap" the original Stoppable in a new one which calls the original. Beware that the original Stoppable could in theory be null.

Why would you want to do this? So you can be informed of when the Stoppable has been called -- to flush a stream perhaps -- or to call the underlying Stoppable yourself for some reason. If you override this method, be sure to call super.reviseStopper(Stoppable) first, and wrap what it returns. For example: 

public Stoppable reviseStopper(Stoppable stopper)
    {
    final Stoppable newStopper = super.reviseStopper(stopper);
    return new Stoppable() { public void stop()
    {
    if (newStopper!=null) newStopper.stop();  // wraps the stopper
    System.out.println("Hey, I stopped!");  // do my thing
    }};
    }

Beware that your stopper may and probably will have its stop() method called multiple times.

The Frame. Some inspectors are placed in separate JFrames either immediately or later on when the user requests that the inspector be "detatched". When this happens, the system will call createFrame(Stoppable) to get a JFrame with the inspector in it. The Stoppable passed in is the same one that the system received from reviseStopper(Stoppable). In most cases you probably don't need to change anything about the JFrame. But occasionally you might want to override the createFrame(Stoppable) method to revise the JFrame in some way: perhaps to change its title, say. If you do, you probably should call super.createFrame(Stoppable), and use that existing JFrame, as the super method does a few other nice things as well (such as attaching the Stoppable to the close box on the JFrame).

For example, the default version of the createFrame(Stoppable) places the Inspector in a JFrame with a scroll panel. You may not want this behavior. If this is the case, you might do something like this: 

public JFrame createFrame(Stoppable stopper)
    {
    JFrame frame = super.createFrame(stopper);
    frame.removeAll();  // get rid of scroll pane
    frame.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
    frame.add(this, BorderLayout.CENTER);  // I fill the whole frame
    frame.setTitle("I prefer this title");  // here's my new title
    frame.pack();
    }
See Also:

  • Field Details

    • INSPECT_ICON

      public static final ImageIcon INSPECT_ICON

    • INSPECT_ICON_P

      public static final ImageIcon INSPECT_ICON_P

    • UPDATE_ICON

      public static final ImageIcon UPDATE_ICON

    • UPDATE_ICON_P

      public static final ImageIcon UPDATE_ICON_P

  • Constructor Details

    • Inspector

      public Inspector()

  • Method Details

    • getInspector

      public static Inspector getInspector(Object obj, GUIState state, String name)
      Returns an inspector for the provided object. If the object responds to the ProvidesInspector interface, then it provides its own inspector. Else if the object responds to the Tabbable interface, than a TabbedInspector is provided. Else a SimpleInspector is provided.

    • setVolatile

      public void setVolatile(boolean val)
      Set to true (default) if the inspector should be updated every time step. Else set to false.

    • isVolatile

      public boolean isVolatile()
      Returns true (default) if the inspector should be updated every time step. Else returns false.

    • getHeader

      public JPanel getHeader()

    • getShowsUpdate

      public boolean getShowsUpdate()

    • setShowsUpdate

      public void setShowsUpdate(boolean val)

    • updateInspector

      public abstract void updateInspector()
      Called by the system to inform the Inspector that it needs to update itself to reflect any changed in the underlying data.

    • getTitle

      public String getTitle()

    • setTitle

      public void setTitle(String title)

    • getUpdateSteppable

      public Steppable getUpdateSteppable()
      Called whenever the system needs to get a Steppable which, when stepped, will update the inspector and repaint it.

    • updateButtonPressed

      protected final void updateButtonPressed()

    • makeUpdateButton

      public Component makeUpdateButton()
      A convenient function to create UpdateButton which you might add to the bottom of the JPanel (assuming it still is using BorderLayout). This is helpful for the user if your inspector isn't volatile.

    • reviseStopper

      public Stoppable reviseStopper(Stoppable stopper)
      Gives the user a chance to wrap the Inspector's stopper in a larger stopper, which will then get registered with the Inspector; this larger stopper is also what is passed into Inspector.createFrame(...). If you override this method, be sure to call super.getRevisedStopper(stopper) and wrap *that*. The default version of this method creates a wrapped stopper which guarantees that when the stopper's stop() method is called, the Inspector knows about it so that it can properly set isStopped().

    • disposeFrame

      public void disposeFrame()
      Disposes the Inspector's frame if it's not a Controller. Override this to change the disposal behavior of the Inspector.

    • isStopped

      public boolean isStopped()
      Returns true if this Inspector's Stoppable has been stopped.

    • createFrame

      public JFrame createFrame(Stoppable stopper)
      Creates a scrollable frame surrounding the inspector which calls stop() on the underlying stopper when closed. stopper may be null, in which case stop() is not called.