How to update text box in JavaFX Application after 5 seconds of running? - javafx

Question

I have a single controller class "FXController.java" and my FXApplication.java that extends "Application" and contains the launch code. In a separate class "TestFX.java" I call the start method in the "FXApplication.java" that starts the gui. I want to be able to access its controller so that I can change the text within a textfield of the controller. In my FXApplication.java, within the "launch" method I create a variable for the FXLoader and use the "getController" method and set it to a public variable: public FXController theController.
Within the TestFX.java, after I call the "start" method in the main method that launches FXApplication.java in a new runnable, I try to access the controller to change the contents of a single textfield, I get an exception that says controller is null. What is the proper way for me to change the contents of the textfield? I feel that the threading is causing problems.
What I am trying to do in my main method is:
Launch the JavaFX Application/GUI
5 seconds later (sleep), change the text of the text field in FXController.java to "Hello World".
Note that the fxml file loaded/used by FXApplication.java is pointed correctly to the FXController.java. Am wondering if there is some way to access the controller despite having spawned a new runnable for the FX application.
FXApplication.java
public class FXApplication extends Application {
public FXController theController;
public void start() {
Application.launch(FXApplication.class, args);
}
#Override
public void start(Stage stage) throws Exception {
FXMLLoader fxmll = new FXMLLoader(getClass().getResource("fxml_example.fxml"));
Parent root = fxmll.load();
theController = fxmll.getController();
stage.setTitle("FXML Welcome");
stage.setScene(new Scene(root, 300, 275));
stage.show();
}
}
My TestFX.java
public class TestFX {
public static FXApplication fxApp = new FXApplication();
public ExecutorService execs;
public Future<?> fut;
TestFX(ExecutorService execs) {
this.execs = execs;
}
public void start() {
fut = execs.submit(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
fxApp.start();
}
});
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
ExecutorService execs = Executors.newCachedThreadPool();
TestFX testFx = new TestFX(execs);
testFx.start();
try {
Thread.sleep(5000);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
//fxApp.theController.setTextBoxText("Hello Word");
Platform.runLater(() -> fxApp.theController.setTextBoxText("Hello Word"));
}

Answer 1

Stuff that you want to do like this, you should use the Task class. This does all the heavy lifting for you and all you have to do is set up the code you want to run the FXAT when the task completes. Here's an example, I've left out the controller stuff, because it just clutters up the concepts:
import javafx.application.Application;
import javafx.concurrent.Task;
import javafx.concurrent.WorkerStateEvent;
import javafx.event.EventHandler;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.Label;
import javafx.scene.layout.StackPane;
import javafx.stage.Stage;
public class HelloWorld extends Application {
private static Label label;
public static void main(String[] args) {
launch(args);
}
#Override
public void start(Stage primaryStage) {
primaryStage.setTitle("Hello World!");
label = new Label();
label.setText("Waiting...");
StackPane root = new StackPane();
root.getChildren().add(label);
primaryStage.setScene(new Scene(root, 300, 250));
primaryStage.show();
Task<Void> sleeper = new Task<Void>() {
#Override
protected Void call() throws Exception {
try {
Thread.sleep(5000);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
}
return null;
}
};
sleeper.setOnSucceeded(new EventHandler<WorkerStateEvent>() {
#Override
public void handle(WorkerStateEvent event) {
label.setText("Hello World");
}
});
new Thread(sleeper).start();
}
}
The "sleeper" Task doesn't do anything except sleep, but it's going to sleep on a new thread so the FXAT can keep on responding to screen activity. Then when the sleep finishes, the event handler for the succeed will run on the thread that instantiated the Task, in this case the FXAT.

Answer 2

Your code has two problems.
First, you are calling the static FXMLLoader.load(URL) method, instead of calling load on your FXMLLoader instance. Consequently, the FXMLLoader instance never gets to initialize its controller. You need
FXMLLoader fxmll = new FXMLLoader(getClass().getResource("fxml_example.fxml"));
Parent root = fxmll.load();
The second issue is that you are then changing the text of the text box from a background thread, instead of from the FX Application Thread. (Unless you're handling this in the controller class: you don't show the code for that.) You need
try {
Thread.sleep(5000);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
Platform.runLater(() -> fxApp.theController.setTextBoxText("Hello Word"));
You can also do this with a PauseTransition:
PauseTransition pause = new PauseTransition(Duration.seconds(5));
pause.setOnFinished(event -> fxApp.theController.setTextBoxText("Hello Word"));
pause.play();