Package javax.swing.plaf.synth

Synth is a skinnable look and feel in which all painting is delegated. Synth does not provide a default look. In order to use Synth you need to specify a file, or provide a SynthStyleFactory. Both configuration options require an understanding of the synth architecture, which is described below, as well as an understanding of Swing's architecture.

Unless otherwise specified null is not a legal value to any of the methods defined in the synth package and if passed in will result in a NullPointerException.

Synth

Each ComponentUI implementation in Synth associates itself with one SynthStyle per Region, most Components only have one Region and therefor only one SynthStyle. SynthStyle is used to access all style related properties: fonts, colors and other Component properties. In addition SynthStyles are used to obtain SynthPainters for painting the background, border, focus and other portions of a Component. The ComponentUIs obtain SynthStyles from a SynthStyleFactory. A SynthStyleFactory can be provided directly by way of SynthLookAndFeel.setStyleFactory(javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthStyleFactory), or indirectly by way of SynthLookAndFeel.load(java.io.InputStream, java.lang.Class<?>). The following example uses the SynthLookAndFeel.load() method to configure a SynthLookAndFeel and sets it as the current look and feel:
SynthLookAndFeel laf = new SynthLookAndFeel();
     laf.load(MyClass.class.getResourceAsStream("laf.xml"), MyClass.class);
     UIManager.setLookAndFeel(laf);

Many JComponents are broken down into smaller pieces and identified by the type safe enumeration in Region. For example, a JTabbedPane consists of a Region for the JTabbedPane(Region.TABBED_PANE), the content area (Region.TABBED_PANE_CONTENT), the area behind the tabs (Region.TABBED_PANE_TAB_AREA), and the tabs (Region.TABBED_PANE_TAB). Each Region of each JComponent will have a SynthStyle. This allows you to customize individual pieces of each region of each JComponent.

Many of the Synth methods take a SynthContext. This is used to provide information about the current Component and includes: the SynthStyle associated with the current Region, the state of the Component as a bitmask (refer to SynthConstants for the valid states), and a Region identifying the portion of the Component being painted.

All text rendering by non-JTextComponents is delegated to a SynthGraphicsUtils, which is obtained using the SynthStyle method SynthStyle.getGraphicsUtils(javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthContext). You can customize text rendering by supplying your own SynthGraphicsUtils.

Notes on specific components

JTree

Synth provides a region for the cells of a tree: Region.TREE_CELL. To specify the colors of the renderer you'll want to provide a style for the TREE_CELL region. The following illustrates this:
<style id="treeCellStyle">
     <opaque value="TRUE"/>
     <state>
       <color value="WHITE" type="TEXT_FOREGROUND"/>
       <color value="RED" type="TEXT_BACKGROUND"/>
     </state>
     <state value="SELECTED">
       <color value="RED" type="TEXT_FOREGROUND"/>
       <color value="WHITE" type="BACKGROUND"/>
     </state>
   </style>
   <bind style="treeCellStyle" type="region" key="TreeCell"/>

This specifies a color combination of red on white, when selected, and white on red when not selected. To see the background you need to specify that labels are not opaque. The following XML fragment does that:

<style id="labelStyle">
     <opaque value="FALSE"/>
   </style>
   <bind style="labelStyle" type="region" key="Label"/>

JList and JTable

The colors that the renderers for JList and JTable use are specified by way of the list and table Regions. The following XML fragment illustrates how to specify red on white, when selected, and white on red when not selected:
<style id="style">
     <opaque value="TRUE"/>
     <state>
       <color value="WHITE" type="TEXT_FOREGROUND"/>
       <color value="RED" type="TEXT_BACKGROUND"/>
       <color value="RED" type="BACKGROUND"/>
     </state>
     <state value="SELECTED">
       <color value="RED" type="TEXT_FOREGROUND"/>
       <color value="WHITE" type="TEXT_BACKGROUND"/>
     </state>
   </style>
   <bind style="style" type="region" key="Table"/>
   <bind style="style" type="region" key="List"/>
Interface Summary
Interface Description
SynthConstants

Constants used by Synth.

SynthIcon

An icon that is passed a SynthContext.

SynthUI

SynthUI is used to fetch the SynthContext for a particular Component.

Class Summary
Class Description
ColorType

A typesafe enumeration of colors that can be fetched from a style.

Region

A distinct rendering area of a Swing component.

SynthButtonUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JButton.

SynthCheckBoxMenuItemUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JCheckBoxMenuItem.

SynthCheckBoxUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JCheckBox.

SynthColorChooserUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JColorChooser.

SynthComboBoxUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JComboBox.

SynthContext

An immutable transient object containing contextual information about a Region.

SynthDesktopIconUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for a minimized internal frame on a desktop.

SynthDesktopPaneUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JDesktopPane.

SynthEditorPaneUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JEditorPane.

SynthFormattedTextFieldUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JFormattedTextField.

SynthGraphicsUtils

Wrapper for primitive graphics calls.

SynthInternalFrameUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JInternalFrame.

SynthLabelUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JLabel.

SynthListUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JList.

SynthLookAndFeel

SynthLookAndFeel provides the basis for creating a customized look and feel.

SynthMenuBarUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JMenuBar.

SynthMenuItemUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JMenuItem.

SynthMenuUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JMenu.

SynthOptionPaneUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JOptionPane.

SynthPainter

SynthPainter is used for painting portions of JComponents.

SynthPanelUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JPanel.

SynthPasswordFieldUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JPasswordField.

SynthPopupMenuUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JPopupMenu.

SynthProgressBarUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JProgressBar.

SynthRadioButtonMenuItemUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JRadioButtonMenuItem.

SynthRadioButtonUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JRadioButton.

SynthRootPaneUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JRootPane.

SynthScrollBarUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JScrollBar.

SynthScrollPaneUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JScrollPane.

SynthSeparatorUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JSeparator.

SynthSliderUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JSlider.

SynthSpinnerUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JSpinner.

SynthSplitPaneUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JSplitPane.

SynthStyle

SynthStyle is a set of style properties.

SynthStyleFactory

Factory used for obtaining SynthStyles.

SynthTabbedPaneUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JTabbedPane.

SynthTableHeaderUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JTableHeader.

SynthTableUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JTable.

SynthTextAreaUI

Provides the look and feel for a plain text editor in the Synth look and feel.

SynthTextFieldUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JTextField.

SynthTextPaneUI

Provides the look and feel for a styled text editor in the Synth look and feel.

SynthToggleButtonUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JToggleButton.

SynthToolBarUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JToolBar.

SynthToolTipUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JToolTip.

SynthTreeUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JTree.

SynthViewportUI

Provides the Synth L&F UI delegate for JViewport.