Java Tutorial/Swing/JCheckBoxMenuItem

Check if a JCheckBoxMenuItem is selected in its item change listener

import java.awt.event.ItemEvent;
import java.awt.event.ItemListener;
import java.awt.event.WindowAdapter;
import java.awt.event.WindowEvent;
import javax.swing.JCheckBoxMenuItem;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JMenu;
import javax.swing.JMenuBar;
public class Main extends JFrame {
  JCheckBoxMenuItem check = new JCheckBoxMenuItem("Check");
  public Main() {
    setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    JMenuBar bar = new JMenuBar();
    JMenu menu = new JMenu("Checkable");
    bar.add(menu);
    menu.add(check);
    check.addItemListener(new ItemListener() {
      public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e) {
        System.out.println("Checked? " + check.isSelected());
      }
    });
    setJMenuBar(bar);
    getContentPane().add(new JLabel("A placeholder"));
    pack();
    setSize(300, 300);
    setVisible(true);
  }
  public static void main(String arg[]) {
    new Main();
  }
}

Customizing JCheckBoxMenuItem Look and Feel

Property StringObject TypeCheckBoxMenuItem.acceleratorFontFontCheckBoxMenuItem.acceleratorForegroundColorCheckBoxMenuItem.acceleratorSelectionForegroundColorCheckBoxMenuItem.actionMapActionMapCheckBoxMenuItem.arrowIconIconCheckBoxMenuItem.backgroundColorCheckBoxMenuItem.borderBorderCheckBoxMenuItem.borderPaintedBooleanCheckBoxMenuItem.checkIconIconCheckBoxMenuItem.rumandSoundStringCheckBoxMenuItem.disabledForegroundColorCheckBoxMenuItem.fontFontCheckBoxMenuItem.foregroundColorCheckBoxMenuItem.gradientListCheckBoxMenuItem.marginInsetsCheckBoxMenuItem.opaqueBooleanCheckBoxMenuItem.selectionBackgroundColorCheckBoxMenuItem.selectionForegroundColorCheckBoxMenuItemUIString

Initialize JCheckBoxMenuItem with checked option

import java.awt.Container;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.awt.event.ItemEvent;
import java.awt.event.ItemListener;
import java.awt.event.WindowAdapter;
import java.awt.event.WindowEvent;
import javax.swing.AbstractButton;
import javax.swing.ButtonGroup;
import javax.swing.JCheckBoxMenuItem;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JMenu;
import javax.swing.JMenuBar;
import javax.swing.JMenuItem;
import javax.swing.JRadioButtonMenuItem;
import javax.swing.JSeparator;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
public class SwingWinMenus extends JFrame {
  public static int WIDTH = 300;
  public static int HEIGHT = 300;
  public static String TITLE = "SwingWin";
  Container frameContainer;
  JTextField textField = new JTextField(50);
  JMenuBar menuBar = new JMenuBar();
  JMenu fileMenu = new JMenu("File");
  JMenuItem fileNew = new JMenuItem("New");
  JMenuItem fileOpen = new JMenuItem("Open");
  JMenuItem fileSave = new JMenuItem("Save");
  JMenuItem fileExit = new JMenuItem("Exit");
  JMenu editMenu = new JMenu("Edit");
  JMenuItem editCut = new JMenuItem("Cut");
  JMenuItem editCopy = new JMenuItem("Copy");
  JMenuItem editPaste = new JMenuItem("Paste");
  JMenu specialMenu = new JMenu("Special");
  JCheckBoxMenuItem specialCheck1 = new JCheckBoxMenuItem("Check 1");
  JCheckBoxMenuItem specialCheck2 = new JCheckBoxMenuItem("Check 2", true);
  JSeparator separator = new JSeparator();
  JRadioButtonMenuItem specialRadio1 = new JRadioButtonMenuItem("Radio 1");
  JRadioButtonMenuItem specialRadio2 = new JRadioButtonMenuItem("Radio 2");
  ButtonGroup buttonGroup = new ButtonGroup();
  public SwingWinMenus() {
    super("");
    fileMenu.add(fileNew);
    fileMenu.add(fileOpen);
    fileMenu.add(fileSave);
    fileMenu.add(fileExit);
    editMenu.add(editCut);
    editMenu.add(editCopy);
    editMenu.add(editPaste);
    specialMenu.add(specialCheck1);
    specialMenu.add(specialCheck2);
    specialMenu.add(separator);
    buttonGroup.add(specialRadio1);
    buttonGroup.add(specialRadio2);
    specialMenu.add(specialRadio1);
    specialMenu.add(specialRadio2);
    menuBar.add(fileMenu);
    menuBar.add(editMenu);
    menuBar.add(specialMenu);
    setJMenuBar(menuBar);
    frameContainer = getContentPane();
    frameContainer.setLayout(null);
    textField.setBounds(100, 100, 100, 20);
    frameContainer.add(textField);
    setupEventHandlers();
    setSize(450, 450);
    setVisible(true);
  }
  void setupEventHandlers() {
    addWindowListener(new WindowHandler());
    fileNew.addActionListener(new MenuItemHandler());
    fileOpen.addActionListener(new MenuItemHandler());
    fileSave.addActionListener(new MenuItemHandler());
    fileExit.addActionListener(new MenuItemHandler());
    editCut.addActionListener(new MenuItemHandler());
    editCopy.addActionListener(new MenuItemHandler());
    editPaste.addActionListener(new MenuItemHandler());
    specialCheck1.addItemListener(new ItemHandler());
    specialCheck2.addItemListener(new ItemHandler());
    specialRadio1.addItemListener(new ItemHandler());
    specialRadio2.addItemListener(new ItemHandler());
  }
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    SwingWinMenus app = new SwingWinMenus();
  }
  public class WindowHandler extends WindowAdapter {
    public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e) {
      System.exit(0);
    }
  }
  public class MenuItemHandler implements ActionListener {
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
      String cmd = e.getActionCommand();
      if (cmd.equals("Exit"))
        System.exit(0);
      else
        textField.setText(cmd);
    }
  }
  public class ItemHandler implements ItemListener {
    public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e) {
      AbstractButton button = (AbstractButton) e.getItem();
      String label = button.getText();
      if (button.isSelected())
        label += " true";
      else
        label += " false";
      textField.setText(label);
    }
  }
}

Listening to JCheckBoxMenuItem Events with an ActionListener

import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;
import javax.swing.AbstractButton;
import javax.swing.Icon;
import javax.swing.JCheckBoxMenuItem;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JMenu;
import javax.swing.JMenuBar;
import javax.swing.JMenuItem;
public class JCheckBoxMenuItemActionListener {
  public static void main(final String args[]) {
    JFrame frame = new JFrame("MenuSample Example");
    frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    JMenuBar menuBar = new JMenuBar();
    // File Menu, F - Mnemonic
    JMenu fileMenu = new JMenu("File");
    fileMenu.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_F);
    menuBar.add(fileMenu);
    // File->New, N - Mnemonic
    JMenuItem newMenuItem = new JMenuItem("New", KeyEvent.VK_N);
    fileMenu.add(newMenuItem);
    JCheckBoxMenuItem caseMenuItem = new JCheckBoxMenuItem("Case Sensitive");
    caseMenuItem.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_C);
    fileMenu.add(caseMenuItem);
    ActionListener aListener = new ActionListener() {
      public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent event) {
        AbstractButton aButton = (AbstractButton) event.getSource();
        boolean selected = aButton.getModel().isSelected();
        String newLabel;
        Icon newIcon;
        if (selected) {
          newLabel = "A";
        } else {
          newLabel = "B";
        }
        aButton.setText(newLabel);
      }
    };
    caseMenuItem.addActionListener(aListener);
    frame.setJMenuBar(menuBar);
    frame.setSize(350, 250);
    frame.setVisible(true);
  }
}

Listening to JCheckBoxMenuItem with an ItemListener

import java.awt.event.ItemEvent;
import java.awt.event.ItemListener;
import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;
import javax.swing.AbstractButton;
import javax.swing.Icon;
import javax.swing.ImageIcon;
import javax.swing.JCheckBoxMenuItem;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JMenu;
import javax.swing.JMenuBar;
import javax.swing.JMenuItem;
public class JCheckBoxMenuItemActionListener {
  public static void main(final String args[]) {
    JFrame frame = new JFrame("MenuSample Example");
    frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    JMenuBar menuBar = new JMenuBar();
    // File Menu, F - Mnemonic
    JMenu fileMenu = new JMenu("File");
    fileMenu.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_F);
    menuBar.add(fileMenu);
    // File->New, N - Mnemonic
    JMenuItem newMenuItem = new JMenuItem("New", KeyEvent.VK_N);
    fileMenu.add(newMenuItem);
    JCheckBoxMenuItem caseMenuItem = new JCheckBoxMenuItem("Case Sensitive");
    caseMenuItem.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_C);
    fileMenu.add(caseMenuItem);
    ItemListener iListener = new ItemListener() {
      public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent event) {
        Icon girlIcon = new ImageIcon("girl-r.jpg");
        Icon boyIcon = new ImageIcon("boy-r.jpg");
        AbstractButton aButton = (AbstractButton)event.getSource();
        int state = event.getStateChange();
        String newLabel;
        Icon newIcon;
        if (state == ItemEvent.SELECTED) {
          newLabel = "Girl";
          newIcon = girlIcon;
        } else {
          newLabel = "Boy";
          newIcon = boyIcon;
        }
        aButton.setText(newLabel);
        aButton.setIcon(newIcon);
      }
    };
    caseMenuItem.addItemListener(iListener);
    frame.setJMenuBar(menuBar);
    frame.setSize(350, 250);
    frame.setVisible(true);
  }
}

Using JCheckBoxMenuItem: setMnemonic

import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;
import javax.swing.JCheckBoxMenuItem;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JMenu;
import javax.swing.JMenuBar;
import javax.swing.JMenuItem;
public class JCheckBoxMenuItemDemo {
  public static void main(final String args[]) {
    JFrame frame = new JFrame("MenuSample Example");
    frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    JMenuBar menuBar = new JMenuBar();
    // File Menu, F - Mnemonic
    JMenu fileMenu = new JMenu("File");
    fileMenu.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_F);
    menuBar.add(fileMenu);
    // File->New, N - Mnemonic
    JMenuItem newMenuItem = new JMenuItem("New", KeyEvent.VK_N);
    fileMenu.add(newMenuItem);
    JCheckBoxMenuItem caseMenuItem = new JCheckBoxMenuItem("Case Sensitive");
    caseMenuItem.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_C);
    fileMenu.add(caseMenuItem);
    
    frame.setJMenuBar(menuBar);
    frame.setSize(350, 250);
    frame.setVisible(true);
  }
}