Modal Dialog Boxes

I. Introduction

A modal dialog box blocks user input to all other windows in the same application when it is visible. Users have to close a modal dialog box before other windows in the same application can get focus. Accordingly, only one modal dialog boxes shown at one time. Modal dialog boxes are commonly used in Graphic User Interface (GUI) to display warning, errors, confirmations, etc.

II. Types of Modal Dialog Box

• Display information
• Update information

III. VTT Modal Dialog Java Class/Methods

• Data Members
  • Local variables:
    Used as a local copy of the global variables manipulated in the dialog box
  • GUI controllers:
    The controllers for Java GUI components. The table below shows commonly used in VTT:

    GUI Component	GUI Controller
    JButton	ActionListener
    JTextField	ActionListener
    JComboBox	ActionListener
    JCheckBox	ItemListener
    JRadioButton	ActionListener

• Methods

  Accessibility	Method	Procedures
  public	Constructor( )	InitGuiControllers( ) InitGuiComponents( )
  public	Show( )	UpdateGui( ) Open dialog box
  public	UpdateGui( )	UpdateLocalVarsFromGlobal( ) UpdateGuiFromLocalVars( )
  private	UpdateLocalVarsFromGui( )	Update the values of local variables from GUI inputs
  private	UpdateLocalVarsFromGlobal( )	Update the values of local variables from global variables
  private	UpdateGuiFromLocalVars( )	Update the GUI display from the local variables
  private	InitGuiControllers( )	Init controller, add listeners, set action commands, etc.
  private	InitGuiComponents( )	Set title, location, size, compose the GUI object