Question

I am constructing a simple modified Subtraction-only calculator where z = x – y.
I have created 3 textfields: x, y, and z. The user will input the value using the keypad (buttons) I have designed for the x and y.

Just by looking at the code below, there are couple of issues right away.

1) The x textfield only accepts one digit. (I want it to accept up to 3 digits). Any suggestions on how I can amend the else if statement to incorporate that?

2) When I am done with the x textfield, I want to do it with the same with the y textfield. But the buttons are strictly allocated to the x textfield. It would be inefficient to make one more keypad just for y textfield. So how can I switch between x and y text field. Is there some code where if the user has the cursor on the x text field, the keypad is reserved for that x text field and if the user changes to the y textfield, the keypad can be used for the y then.

3) And once user hits enter, its a simple operation z = x – y . Which should be easy to implement. i.e. Convert the strings to integers etc. and perform the difference.

Thank you all in advance!

import javax.swing.*;
    import java.awt.event.*;
    import java.io.*;
    import javax.swing.event.*;
    import java.awt.*;
    import java.applet.*;

    public class EmbeddedMain extends JFrame
    {
    private JTextField x,y,z;
    private JButton button1, button2, button3, button4, button5, button6, button7, button8, button9, button0, buttonR, buttonE;

        public static void main (String[] args)
            {
            EmbeddedMain em = new EmbeddedMain();
            }

        public EmbeddedMain() //constructor begins, method for embedded main class
        {
            setTitle("Subtraction");
            setSize(450,350);
            setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
            setLocationRelativeTo(null);
            setLayout(new GridLayout(4,5,3,3));
            setVisible(true);   

         button1= new JButton("7");
         button2= new JButton("8");
         button3= new JButton("9");
         button4= new JButton("4");
         button5= new JButton("5");
         button6= new JButton("6");
         button7= new JButton("1");
         button8= new JButton("2");
         button9= new JButton("3");
         button0= new JButton("0");
         buttonR= new JButton("Reset");
         buttonE= new JButton("Enter");

     x = new JTextField("   ");
     y = new JTextField("   ");
     z = new JTextField("   ");
     z.setEditable(false);      

        add(button1);
        add(button2);
        add(button3);
        add(new JLabel("    x:")); 
        add(x); 
        add(button4);
        add(button5);
        add(button6);
        add(new JLabel("    y:")); 
        add(y); 
        add(button7);
        add(button8);
        add(button9);
        add(new JLabel("    z:")); 
        add(z); 
        add(buttonR);
        add(button0);
        add(buttonE);

        thehandler handler = new thehandler();
        button1.addActionListener(handler);
        button2.addActionListener(handler);
        button3.addActionListener(handler); 
        button4.addActionListener(handler);
        button5.addActionListener(handler);
        button6.addActionListener(handler);
        button7.addActionListener(handler);
        button8.addActionListener(handler);
        button9.addActionListener(handler);
        button0.addActionListener(handler);
        buttonR.addActionListener(handler);
        buttonE.addActionListener(handler);

    }

        //building class inside class
        private class thehandler implements ActionListener{

            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event){

            if(event.getSource()== button1)
                x.setText("7");
            else if (event.getSource()== button2)
                x.setText("8");
            else if (event.getSource()== button3)
                x.setText("9");
            else if (event.getSource()== button4)
                x.setText("4");
            else if (event.getSource()== button5)
                x.setText("5"); 
            else if (event.getSource()== button6)
                x.setText("6");
            else if (event.getSource()== button7)
                x.setText("1");
            else if (event.getSource()== button8)
                x.setText("2");
            else if (event.getSource()== button9)
                x.setText("3");
            else if (event.getSource()== button0)
                x.setText("0");
            else if (event.getSource()== buttonR)
                x.setText("   ");   
            }
        }

    }

Answer 1

You can add a MouseListener to the textfields so you know when the user has switched from x to y and vice versa:

private JTextField selected;

selected = x;
    x.addMouseListener(new MouseAdapter() {
        public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e) {
            selected = x;
        }
    });
    y.addMouseListener(new MouseAdapter() {
        public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e) {
            selected = y;
        }
    });

To do the subtraction, convert the text present in x and y to ints and subtract. You can refactor your actionPerformed to:

    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event) {

        String s = selected.getText();
        if (event.getSource() == buttonR) {
            x.setText("");
            y.setText("");
            z.setText("");
        } else if (event.getSource() == buttonE) {
            int result = Integer.parseInt(x.getText()) - Integer.parseInt(y.getText());
            z.setText(String.valueOf(result));
        } else {
            String command = event.getActionCommand();
            selected.setText(s + command);
        }
    }