Question

We are using NetBeans Platform 7.0.1, and have implemented support for a new language using this (now “obsolete”) tutorial.

Since all our contents are stored in a database, and not on files, we open them like this:

 FileSystem fs = FileUtil.createMemoryFileSystem();
 FileObject fo = fs.getRoot().createData(fileName, fileExtension);
… write contents from database to `fo` ….

DataObject data = MyMultiDataObject.find(fo);
EditorCookie.Observable cookie = data.getCookie(EditorCookie.Observable.class);
cookie.open();
… forces undock of editor window …

And, in our layer.xml, have added a custom button to Save that sends the content back to the database.

However, when the user closes the file (by either closing the tab or the window), we haven’t figured a way of saving it.

Adding a PropertyChangeListener to the Cookie and watching for PROP_DOCUMENT (and newValue() == null) seems to do the trick for when the window is closed. But how does one get the return value from the confirmation window (I’m referring to when the file is closed after changes, the message File xxx.xxx is modified. Save it?)?

Answer 1

Well, it seems we’ve been approaching the problem in the wrong way.

Since we are opening the file in-memory, it was suggested in the netbeans-dev list that we should listen for changes in the file itself, by using

fo.addFileChangeListener(new CustomFileChangeListener());

public class CustomFileChangeListener implements FileChangeListener {
    @Override
    public void fileChanged(FileEvent fe) {
       ... file has been saved in the editor, sync with database ...
    }
}

And keep it synchronized that way, taking advantage of the built-in NetBeans Platform “save” functionality.