How to set Nodes from FXML JavaFX? - javafx

Question

I have created a Layout with FXML which consists of a BorderPane with a sideMenu and an innerBorderPane for other stuff...
But since I'm barely starting with FXML in JavaFX I just need to know how to do the next thing...
Custom.fxml (This is the main FXML layout)
<?import javafx.scene.text.*?>
<?import javafx.geometry.*?>
<?import javafx.scene.paint.*?>
<?import javafx.scene.control.*?>
<?import java.lang.*?>
<?import javafx.scene.layout.*?>
<VBox fx:controller="Transcoro.Controllers.TabManager" alignment="TOP_CENTER" maxHeight="-Infinity" maxWidth="-Infinity" minHeight="-Infinity" minWidth="-Infinity" prefHeight="442.0" prefWidth="338.0" spacing="5.0" xmlns="http://javafx.com/javafx/8" xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml/1">
<children>
<HBox prefHeight="59.0" prefWidth="124.0">
<children>
<VBox prefHeight="59.0" prefWidth="90.0" style="-fx-background-color: blue;" />
<VBox alignment="CENTER_LEFT" prefHeight="59.0" prefWidth="165.0">
<children>
<Label text="Bienvenido, Rodolfo">
<font>
<Font name="System Bold" size="15.0" />
</font>
</Label>
<Label text="Administrador" />
</children>
<opaqueInsets>
<Insets />
</opaqueInsets>
<HBox.margin>
<Insets />
</HBox.margin>
<padding>
<Insets left="10.0" />
</padding>
</VBox>
</children>
<VBox.margin>
<Insets bottom="15.0" />
</VBox.margin>
</HBox>
<Button alignment="CENTER" contentDisplay="CENTER" maxWidth="1.7976931348623157E308" mnemonicParsing="false" nodeOrientation="LEFT_TO_RIGHT" text="Unidades" textAlignment="CENTER" textFill="#2491ff" />
<Button alignment="CENTER" contentDisplay="CENTER" maxWidth="1.7976931348623157E308" mnemonicParsing="false" nodeOrientation="LEFT_TO_RIGHT" text="Empleados" textAlignment="CENTER" textFill="#2491ff" />
<Button alignment="CENTER" contentDisplay="CENTER" maxWidth="1.7976931348623157E308" mnemonicParsing="false" nodeOrientation="LEFT_TO_RIGHT" text="Clientes" textAlignment="CENTER" textFill="#2491ff" />
<Button alignment="CENTER" contentDisplay="CENTER" maxWidth="1.7976931348623157E308" mnemonicParsing="false" nodeOrientation="LEFT_TO_RIGHT" text="Viajes" textAlignment="CENTER" textFill="#2491ff" />
</children>
<padding>
<Insets top="20.0" />
</padding>
</VBox>
sideMenu.fxml (This is the sideMenu FXML layout)
<?import javafx.scene.text.*?>
<?import javafx.geometry.*?>
<?import javafx.scene.paint.*?>
<?import javafx.scene.control.*?>
<?import java.lang.*?>
<?import javafx.scene.layout.*?>
<fx:root type="javafx.scene.layout.VBox" alignment="TOP_CENTER" maxHeight="-Infinity" maxWidth="-Infinity" minHeight="-Infinity" minWidth="-Infinity" prefHeight="442.0" prefWidth="338.0" spacing="5.0" xmlns="http://javafx.com/javafx/8" xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml/1">
<children>
<HBox prefHeight="59.0" prefWidth="124.0">
<children>
<VBox prefHeight="59.0" prefWidth="90.0" style="-fx-background-color: blue;" />
<VBox alignment="CENTER_LEFT" prefHeight="59.0" prefWidth="165.0">
<children>
<Label text="Bienvenido, Rodolfo">
<font>
<Font name="System Bold" size="15.0" />
</font>
</Label>
<Label text="Administrador" />
</children>
<opaqueInsets>
<Insets />
</opaqueInsets>
<HBox.margin>
<Insets />
</HBox.margin>
<padding>
<Insets left="10.0" />
</padding>
</VBox>
</children>
<VBox.margin>
<Insets bottom="15.0" />
</VBox.margin>
</HBox>
<Button alignment="CENTER" contentDisplay="CENTER" maxWidth="1.7976931348623157E308" mnemonicParsing="false" nodeOrientation="LEFT_TO_RIGHT" text="Unidades" textAlignment="CENTER" textFill="#2491ff" />
<Button alignment="CENTER" contentDisplay="CENTER" maxWidth="1.7976931348623157E308" mnemonicParsing="false" nodeOrientation="LEFT_TO_RIGHT" text="Empleados" textAlignment="CENTER" textFill="#2491ff" />
<Button alignment="CENTER" contentDisplay="CENTER" maxWidth="1.7976931348623157E308" mnemonicParsing="false" nodeOrientation="LEFT_TO_RIGHT" text="Clientes" textAlignment="CENTER" textFill="#2491ff" />
<Button alignment="CENTER" contentDisplay="CENTER" maxWidth="1.7976931348623157E308" mnemonicParsing="false" nodeOrientation="LEFT_TO_RIGHT" text="Viajes" textAlignment="CENTER" textFill="#2491ff" />
</children>
<padding>
<Insets top="20.0" />
</padding>
</fx:root>
TabManager.java (This is the sideMenu JavaFX controller)
package Transcoro.Controllers;
import javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader;
import javafx.scene.layout.VBox;
import java.io.IOException;
public class TabManager extends VBox {
public TabManager(){
FXMLLoader fxmlLoader = new FXMLLoader(getClass().getResource("/resources/view/sideMenu.fxml"));
fxmlLoader.setRoot(this);
fxmlLoader.setController(this);
try {
fxmlLoader.load();
} catch (IOException exception) {
throw new RuntimeException(exception);
}
}
}
MainLayout.java (This is the mainLayout JavaFX Controller)
package Transcoro.Core;
import Transcoro.Controllers.TabManager;
import javafx.fxml.FXML;
import javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader;
import javafx.scene.control.ScrollPane;
import javafx.scene.layout.*;
import java.io.IOException;
public class MainLayout extends BorderPane {
#FXML
private VBox sideMenu;
#FXML
private BorderPane innerContent;
#FXML
private HBox upperMenu;
#FXML
private ScrollPane contentScroll;
#FXML
private VBox otherPane;
public MainLayout(){
FXMLLoader fxmlLoader = new FXMLLoader(getClass().getResource("/resources/view/Custom.fxml"));
fxmlLoader.setRoot(this);
fxmlLoader.setController(this);
try {
fxmlLoader.load();
} catch (IOException exception) {
throw new RuntimeException(exception);
}
TabManager _tabs = new TabManager();
this.setSideMenu(_tabs);
}
What I want to do is the following:
I have two layouts, the base which is the main Layout and sideMenu layout in another FXML
When I instantiate the mainLayout in my root that works fine, then when I want to insert the TabManager (VBox) into sideMenu (VBox from FXML) it doesn't work... I'm doing this:
TabManager _tabs = new TabManager();
this.setSideMenu(_tabs);
The only way I have made it work is by adding:
this.setLeft(this.sideMenu);
OR
this.setLeft(_tabs);
Which I think it shouldn't work that why, because I'm already stating that sideMenu goes on the Left BorderPane side, any idea on how should I approach this?

Answer 1

Firstly, remove fx:controller="Transcoro.Controllers.TabManager" from Custom.fxml. The controller is MainLayout, which you will set via FXMLLoader.
Secondly, don't call fxmlLoader.setRoot(this); in MainLayout. You should instead retrieve the root node out from Custom.fxml, then add it to MainLayout, which itself is a BorderPane.
Parent root = fxmlLoader.getRoot();
this.setCenter(root);
This will put everything from Custom.fxml as the center child of MainLayout.
Thirdly, setLeft() is working because you are setting the TabManager instance (which is a VBox) as the left child of MainLayout. setSideMenu() (which is assumed as the setter of #FXML private VBox sideMenu does not work because sideMenu is just a reference injected into the controller. When you change this reference, it does not change the original layout.