Question

I am having a problem with a game that I am trying to make in Java. I am trying to attach a MouseListener to my canvas, however, when I click on the canvas, nothing happens. I think I may be attaching the MouseListener to the wrong thing, but I don’t know what to attach it to. I have tried attaching it to the JFrame and the canvas. Here is my code:

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.util.ArrayList;

import java.io.*;

import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.util.Random;

public class Gravity extends Canvas {

    public static final int screenw = 1024;
    public static final int screenh = 768;

    public static Random gen = new Random();

    public static Boolean started = false;

    public static int[] starx = new int[100];
    public static int[] stary = new int[100];
    public static Color[] starc = new Color[100];

    public static JFrame frame;
    public static Gravity canvas;
    public static Image buffer;
    public static Graphics bg;

    public static int[] xh = new int[1000];
    public static int[] yh = new int[1000];

    public static int i = 0;

    public static Image title;

    public static ArrayList<Integer> ptx = new ArrayList<Integer>();
    public static ArrayList<Integer> pty = new ArrayList<Integer>();
    double x = 100;
    double y = 100;

    public Gravity(){
    }

    public void paint (Graphics g) {
        frame.addMouseListener(new MouseListener(){
            public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e){
                started = true;
                System.out.println("Mouse was clicked");
            }

            public void mouseEntered(MouseEvent arg0) {}
            public void mouseExited(MouseEvent arg0) {}
            public void mousePressed(MouseEvent arg0) {}
            public void mouseReleased(MouseEvent arg0) {}
        });


        buffer = createImage(screenw, screenh);
        bg = buffer.getGraphics();

        int w = getWidth();
        int h = getHeight();

        double px = getWidth()/2; 
        double py = getHeight()/2;

        bg.setColor(Color.BLACK);
        bg.fillRect(0, 0, w, h); //black background

        for (int j=0; j < 100; j++){ //make stars
            starx[j] = gen.nextInt(w);
            stary[j] = gen.nextInt(h);
            starc[j] = new Color(gen.nextInt(100)+156, gen.nextInt(100)+156, gen.nextInt(100)+156);
            bg.setColor(starc[j]);
            bg.drawLine(starx[j], stary[j], starx[j]+2, stary[j]+2);
            bg.drawLine(starx[j], stary[j]+2, starx[j]+2, stary[j]);
        }

        try {
            title = ImageIO.read(new ByteArrayInputStream(Base64.decode(""))); //I have omitted the Base64 code for the image for my title screen
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

        bg.drawImage(title, 100, 100, null);
        g.drawImage(buffer, 0, 0, null);

        while (!started){
            try {
                Thread.sleep(50);
            } catch (InterruptedException e1) {
                e1.printStackTrace();
            }
        }

        double xvel = -15;
        double yvel = 10;

        for (int j=0; j < 100; j++){ //store stars
            starx[j] = gen.nextInt(w);
            stary[j] = gen.nextInt(h);
            starc[j] = new Color(gen.nextInt(100)+156, gen.nextInt(100)+156, gen.nextInt(100)+156);
        }

        Image test = createImage(200,200);
        Graphics testg = test.getGraphics();
        testg.drawLine(50,50,150,150);

        while(true){
            g.drawImage(buffer, 0,0, null);
            try {
                Thread.sleep(33);
            } catch (Exception e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }

            bg.setColor(Color.BLACK);
            bg.fillRect(0, 0, w, h); //black background


            for (int j=0; j < 100; j++){ //draw stars
                bg.setColor(starc[j]);
                bg.drawLine(starx[j], stary[j], starx[j]+2, stary[j]+2);
                bg.drawLine(starx[j], stary[j]+2, starx[j]+2, stary[j]);
            }

            bg.setColor(Color.BLUE);

            if (i > 0){
                for (int z=0; z < i-1; z++){
                    bg.drawLine(ptx.get(z), pty.get(z), ptx.get(z+1), pty.get(z+1));
                }
            }

            bg.setColor(Color.CYAN);
            bg.fillOval((int)px, (int)py, 25, 25); //planet

            bg.setColor(Color.RED);
            bg.fillRect((int)(x-5),(int)(y-5),10,10); //ship

            double fg = (5*50000)/(Math.pow(dist(x,y,px,py),2));

            double m = (y-py)/(x-px);
            double ms = Math.sqrt(Math.abs(m));
            if (m < 0) ms = -ms;

            double xchg = fg;
            double ychg = fg*ms;

            if (x > px){
                xchg = -xchg;
                ychg = -ychg;
            }

            xvel += xchg;
            yvel += ychg;

            x += xvel;
            y += yvel;

            ptx.add((int)x);
            pty.add((int)y);

            i++;
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args){

        canvas = new Gravity();
        frame = new JFrame();
        frame.setSize(screenw, screenh);
        frame.setResizable(false);
        frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.getContentPane().add(canvas);

        frame.setVisible(true);
    }


    public static double dist(double x1, double y1, double x2, double y2){
        double x = x2-x1;
        double y = y2-y1;
        return Math.sqrt((x*x)+(y*y));
    }
}

Answer 1

General tips, in point form:

1. Don’t mix AWT (e.g. Canvas) with Swing (e.g. JFrame) components. Instead of the Canvas, use a JPanel and override paintComponent(Graphics) rather than paint(Graphics).
2. Don’t call Thread.sleep(n) on the EDT. Instead use a Swing based Timer to call repaint()
3. Don’t perform long running operations on the paint method, especially starting an infinite loop! Even the creation of the buffer image should only be done in the case the screen size changes. (left as ‘TODO’ – BNI)
4. Add the MouseListener once in the constructor or an init() method rather than every time paint is called.
5. Highly recommend all of Nate’s numbered list of notes.

Try this code, and compare it carefully to the original to see the changes.

import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Graphics;
import java.awt.Image;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.util.ArrayList;

import java.io.*;

import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.util.Random;

public class Gravity extends JPanel {

    public static final int screenw = 800;
    public static final int screenh = 600;

    public static Random gen = new Random();

    public static int[] starx = new int[100];
    public static int[] stary = new int[100];
    public static Color[] starc = new Color[100];

    public static Image buffer;
    public static Graphics bg;

    public static int[] xh = new int[1000];
    public static int[] yh = new int[1000];

    public static int i = 0;

    public static ArrayList<Integer> ptx = new ArrayList<Integer>();
    public static ArrayList<Integer> pty = new ArrayList<Integer>();
    double x = 100;
    double y = 100;

    Timer timer;

    public Gravity(){
        // set thre PREFERRED size!
        setPreferredSize(new Dimension(screenw, screenh));
        addMouseListener(new MouseListener(){
                    public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e){
                        System.out.println("Mouse was clicked");
                        timer.start();
                    }

                    public void mouseEntered(MouseEvent arg0) {}
                    public void mouseExited(MouseEvent arg0) {}
                    public void mousePressed(MouseEvent arg0) {}
                    public void mouseReleased(MouseEvent arg0) {}
        });
        ActionListener animation = new ActionListener() {
            @Override
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
                repaint();
            }
        };
        timer = new Timer(50, animation);
    }

    @Override
    public void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
        buffer = createImage(screenw, screenh);
        bg = buffer.getGraphics();

        int w = getWidth();
        int h = getHeight();

        double px = getWidth()/2;
        double py = getHeight()/2;

        bg.setColor(Color.BLACK);
        bg.fillRect(0, 0, w, h); //black background

        for (int j=0; j < 100; j++){ //make stars
            starx[j] = gen.nextInt(w);
            stary[j] = gen.nextInt(h);
            starc[j] = new Color(gen.nextInt(100)+156, gen.nextInt(100)+156, gen.nextInt(100)+156);
            bg.setColor(starc[j]);
            bg.drawLine(starx[j], stary[j], starx[j]+2, stary[j]+2);
            bg.drawLine(starx[j], stary[j]+2, starx[j]+2, stary[j]);
        }

        g.drawImage(buffer, 0, 0, null);

        double xvel = -15;
        double yvel = 10;

        for (int j=0; j < 100; j++){ //store stars
            starx[j] = gen.nextInt(w);
            stary[j] = gen.nextInt(h);
            starc[j] = new Color(gen.nextInt(100)+156, gen.nextInt(100)+156, gen.nextInt(100)+156);
        }

        Image test = createImage(200,200);
        Graphics testg = test.getGraphics();
        testg.drawLine(50,50,150,150);

        g.drawImage(buffer, 0,0, null);
        try {
            Thread.sleep(33);
        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

        bg.setColor(Color.BLACK);
        bg.fillRect(0, 0, w, h); //black background


        for (int j=0; j < 100; j++){ //draw stars
            bg.setColor(starc[j]);
            bg.drawLine(starx[j], stary[j], starx[j]+2, stary[j]+2);
            bg.drawLine(starx[j], stary[j]+2, starx[j]+2, stary[j]);
        }

        bg.setColor(Color.BLUE);

        if (i > 0){
            for (int z=0; z < i-1; z++){
                bg.drawLine(ptx.get(z), pty.get(z), ptx.get(z+1), pty.get(z+1));
            }
        }

        bg.setColor(Color.CYAN);
        bg.fillOval((int)px, (int)py, 25, 25); //planet

        bg.setColor(Color.RED);
        bg.fillRect((int)(x-5),(int)(y-5),10,10); //ship

        double fg = (5*50000)/(Math.pow(dist(x,y,px,py),2));

        double m = (y-py)/(x-px);
        double ms = Math.sqrt(Math.abs(m));
        if (m < 0) ms = -ms;

        double xchg = fg;
        double ychg = fg*ms;

        if (x > px){
            xchg = -xchg;
            ychg = -ychg;
        }

        xvel += xchg;
        yvel += ychg;

        x += xvel;
        y += yvel;

        ptx.add((int)x);
        pty.add((int)y);

        i++;
    }

    public static void main(String[] args){
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            public void run() {
                JFrame frame = new JFrame();

                frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
                frame.getContentPane().add(new Gravity());
                frame.setResizable(false);
                frame.pack();

                frame.setLocationByPlatform(true);
                frame.setVisible(true);
            }
        });
    }


    public static double dist(double x1, double y1, double x2, double y2){
        double x = x2-x1;
        double y = y2-y1;
        return Math.sqrt((x*x)+(y*y));
    }
}