Question

This has been bugging me for a while. If I define setText on a JButton before defining setAction, the text disappears:

JButton test = new JButton();
test.setText("test");  // Before - disappears!
test.setAction(new AbstractAction() {
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
        // do something
    }
});
this.add(test);

If it’s after, no problems.

JButton test = new JButton();
test.setAction(new AbstractAction() {
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
        // do something
    }
});
test.setText("test");  // After - no problem!
this.add(test);

Furthermore, if I set the text in the JButton constructor, it’s fine! Yarghh!

Why does this happen?

Answer 1

As described in the documentation:

Setting the Action results in immediately changing all the properties
described in Swing Components Supporting Action.

Those properties are described here, and include text.