How to Create a Notepad Project in Java

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Introduction: This tutorial is on how to create a simple Notepad application in Java. The program will save and open files as well as have close and new functions. Steps of Creation: Step 1: First we want to create two classes; Main and Grid. In our Main class we will have our JFrame (which is the window of the application). The JFrame will lead to our Grid class which will contain the Notepad code.
  1. import javax.swing.JFrame;
  2.  
  3. public class Main {
  4. public static void main(String args[]){
  5. JFrame frame = new Grid();
  6. frame.setTitle("Notepad");
  7. frame.setVisible(true);
  8. frame.setSize(1280, 720);
  9. frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
  10. frame.setResizable(true);
  11. frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
  12. }
  13. }
We are creating a window/JFrame with the title as "Notepad", size as 1280x720 and making it equal to our Grid class. Step 2: Now that we have our JFrame (run it to test it works, you should see a blank 1280x720 window). We want to create a few variables to swap between our save and open functions and our main constructor.
  1. int fileToOpen;
  2. int fileToSave;
  3. JFileChooser fileOpen;
  4. JFileChooser fileSave;
Step 3: Lets first create our objects within our Grid constructor. We want a TextArea which is the area containing the file information and a MenuBar containing MenuItems (such as "Save"). We then create the MenuBar and attach our File MenuItem to the MenuBar, followed by creating and attaching further options in our File MenuItem.
  1. Grid(){
  2. MenuBar menuBar = new MenuBar();
  3. MenuItem menutem = new MenuItem();
  4. final JTextArea textArea = new JTextArea();
  5. setMenuBar(menuBar);
  6. Menu file = new Menu("File");
  7. menuBar.add(file);
  8. MenuItem newOption = new MenuItem("New");
  9. MenuItem open = new MenuItem("Open");
  10. MenuItem save = new MenuItem("Save");
  11. MenuItem close = new MenuItem("Exit");
  12. file.add(newOption);
  13. file.add(open);
  14. file.add(save);
  15. file.add(close);
  16. getContentPane().add(textArea);
  17.  
  18. newOption.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
  19. public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
  20. textArea.setText("");
  21. }
  22. });
  23.  
  24. open.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
  25. public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
  26. openFile();
  27. if (fileToOpen == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION){
  28. textArea.setText("");
  29. try{
  30. Scanner scan = new Scanner(new FileReader(fileOpen.getSelectedFile().getPath()));
  31. while (scan.hasNext())
  32. textArea.append(scan.nextLine());
  33. } catch (Exception ex){
  34. System.out.println(ex.getMessage());
  35. }
  36. }
  37. }
  38. });
  39.  
  40. save.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
  41. public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
  42. saveFile();
  43. if (fileToSave == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION){
  44. try {
  45. BufferedWriter out = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter(fileSave.getSelectedFile().getPath()));
  46. out.write(textArea.getText());
  47. out.close();
  48. } catch (Exception ex) {
  49. System.out.println(ex.getMessage());
  50. }
  51. }
  52. }
  53. });
  54.  
  55. close.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
  56. public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
  57. System.exit(0);
  58. }
  59. });
  60. }
For each option we create a ActionListener and give the appropriate code for each. Step 4: The final things we need are our Open and Save File Functions...
  1. public void openFile(){
  2. JFileChooser open = new JFileChooser();
  3. int option = open.showOpenDialog(this);
  4. fileToOpen = option;
  5. fileOpen = open;
  6. }
  7.  
  8. public void saveFile(){
  9. JFileChooser save = new JFileChooser();
  10. int option = save.showOpenDialog(this);
  11. fileToSave = option;
  12. fileSave = save;
  13. }
Project Complete! That's it! Below is the full code and download to the files. Thanks for reading! Main:
  1. import javax.swing.JFrame;
  2.  
  3. public class Main {
  4. public static void main(String args[]){
  5. JFrame frame = new Grid();
  6. frame.setTitle("Notepad");
  7. frame.setVisible(true);
  8. frame.setSize(1280, 720);
  9. frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
  10. frame.setResizable(true);
  11. frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
  12. }
  13. }
Grid:
  1. import java.awt.Menu;
  2. import java.awt.MenuBar;
  3. import java.awt.MenuItem;
  4. import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
  5. import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
  6. import java.io.BufferedWriter;
  7. import java.io.FileReader;
  8. import java.io.FileWriter;
  9. import java.util.Scanner;
  10.  
  11. import javax.swing.JFileChooser;
  12. import javax.swing.JFrame;
  13. import javax.swing.JTextArea;
  14.  
  15. public class Grid extends JFrame{
  16. int fileToOpen;
  17. int fileToSave;
  18. JFileChooser fileOpen;
  19. JFileChooser fileSave;
  20. Grid(){
  21. MenuBar menuBar = new MenuBar();
  22. MenuItem menutem = new MenuItem();
  23. final JTextArea textArea = new JTextArea();
  24. setMenuBar(menuBar);
  25. Menu file = new Menu("File");
  26. menuBar.add(file);
  27. MenuItem newOption = new MenuItem("New");
  28. MenuItem open = new MenuItem("Open");
  29. MenuItem save = new MenuItem("Save");
  30. MenuItem close = new MenuItem("Exit");
  31. file.add(newOption);
  32. file.add(open);
  33. file.add(save);
  34. file.add(close);
  35. getContentPane().add(textArea);
  36.  
  37. newOption.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
  38. public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
  39. textArea.setText("");
  40. }
  41. });
  42.  
  43. open.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
  44. public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
  45. openFile();
  46. if (fileToOpen == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION){
  47. textArea.setText("");
  48. try{
  49. Scanner scan = new Scanner(new FileReader(fileOpen.getSelectedFile().getPath()));
  50. while (scan.hasNext())
  51. textArea.append(scan.nextLine());
  52. } catch (Exception ex){
  53. System.out.println(ex.getMessage());
  54. }
  55. }
  56. }
  57. });
  58.  
  59. save.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
  60. public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
  61. saveFile();
  62. if (fileToSave == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION){
  63. try {
  64. BufferedWriter out = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter(fileSave.getSelectedFile().getPath()));
  65. out.write(textArea.getText());
  66. out.close();
  67. } catch (Exception ex) {
  68. System.out.println(ex.getMessage());
  69. }
  70. }
  71. }
  72. });
  73.  
  74. close.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
  75. public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
  76. System.exit(0);
  77. }
  78. });
  79. }
  80.  
  81. public void openFile(){
  82. JFileChooser open = new JFileChooser();
  83. int option = open.showOpenDialog(this);
  84. fileToOpen = option;
  85. fileOpen = open;
  86. }
  87.  
  88. public void saveFile(){
  89. JFileChooser save = new JFileChooser();
  90. int option = save.showOpenDialog(this);
  91. fileToSave = option;
  92. fileSave = save;
  93. }
  94. }

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Comments

Submitted byParth Chokshi (not verified)on Sun, 12/01/2013 - 04:35

Checkout the notepad i have coded @easylearnjava.wordpress.com
Submitted bybostonsaran (not verified)on Wed, 12/18/2013 - 16:57

but i need the complete notepad function.
Submitted bySnehal Pandit (not verified)on Mon, 03/10/2014 - 18:53

It is nice bt it opeARES ONLY OPEN & SAVE option. please, add the Search and Highlighting the searched text....
Submitted bygebrekrstos (not verified)on Fri, 05/23/2014 - 05:35

first i admire to create the notepad then i want to say where is the main method

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