Creating a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) Application
See Also
The multiple document interface (MDI) model is like a traditional computer windowing
system, in that it has windows within windows. In a windowing system, you have a
desktop with windows on it. With a JFC/Swing MDI application, you have a backing window
(desktop pane) with internal frames on it. The user can position, resize, close,
and minimize the internal frames like windows on a traditional desktop.
To create an MDI application:
-
Choose File
New to display the New
wizard. Then expand the Java GUI Forms node and select one of these templates in the
Template Chooser:
-
The MDI Application option in the Sample Forms category creates a new
MDI form with predefined common menu items.
-
The JFrame template (with the addition of a JDesktopPane
component) builds an MDI application from scratch.
-
Add JInternalFrame components to the JDesktopPane
container using one of these methods:
- Select JInternalFrame components from the Swing (Other) properties
in the Palette window and click in the JDesktopPane container.
This adds internal frames with fixed structures.
- Create separate forms of type JInternalFrame and then construct
and add these to the JDesktopPane container in code. You can
also copy a JInternalFrame form (after it is compiled) to the
JDesktopPane container in the Filesystems window using Copy and
Paste functions of the contextual menu.
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You can add other components directly to the JDesktopPane container,
such as a JTable or JSlider component. However, these
have standard properties and users can't manipulate them as they might manipulate
components in a JInternalFrame container.
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