# Java Notes

# Example - Kilometers to Miles - Complete

Here is the entire working program. The code that adds and defines a button listener is at Note 1 and Note 2.

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    // intro-window/KmToMiles.java - Converts Kilometers to Miles.
    // Fred Swartz, 2004-10-28

    import java.awt.*;
    import java.awt.event.*;
    import javax.swing.*;
    import javax.swing.event.*;

    //////////////////////////////////////////////////////// class KmToMiles
    class KmToMiles {
        //====================================================== method main
        public static void main(String[] args) {
            JFrame window = new KmToMilesGUI();
            window.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
            window.setVisible(true);
        }
    }

    ///////////////////////////////////////////////////// class KmToMilesGUI
    class KmToMilesGUI extends JFrame {
        //======================================= instance variables
        private JTextField m_milesTf      = new JTextField(10);
        private JTextField m_kilometersTf = new JTextField(10);
        private JButton    m_convertBtn   = new JButton("Convert");

        //====================================================== constructor
        public KmToMilesGUI() {
            //... Create content panel, set layout, add components
            JPanel content = new JPanel();
            content.setLayout(new FlowLayout());   // use FlowLayout
            content.add(new JLabel("Kilometers")); // create, add label
            content.add(m_kilometersTf);           // add input field
            content.add(m_convertBtn);             // add button
            content.add(new JLabel("Miles"));      // create, add label
            content.add(m_milesTf);                // add output field
            this.setContentPane(content);
            this.pack();

            //... Add listener                               //Note 1
            m_convertBtn.addActionListener(new ConvertBtnListener());

            //... Set window characteristics
            this.setTitle("Kilometers to Miles");
        }//end constructor

        //================================================ ConvertBtnListener
        class ConvertBtnListener implements ActionListener {  //Note 2
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                //... Get the value from the km textfield.
                String kmStr = m_kilometersTf.getText();      //Note 3
                double km = Double.parseDouble(kmStr);

                //... Convert it
                double mi = convertKmToMi(km);                //Note 4

                //... Convert it to a string and set mi textfield
                m_milesTf.setText("" + mi);                   //Note 5
            }
        }

        //===================================================== convertKmToMi
        public static double convertKmToMi(double kilometers) {
            // Assume there are 0.621 miles in a kilometer.
            double miles = kilometers * 0.621;
            return miles;
        }
    }//end class KmToMilesGUI

## Notes

Note 1: The addActionListener() method is called to add a "listener" to a button. When the button is pressed, the actionPerformed() method of the listener object is called. See below.
Note 2: There are many ways to define a listener. This is one of most common - define an inner class that "implements ActionListener", and in that class define the actionPerformed() method.
Note 3: Get the text from a JTextField with a call to its getText() method. This always returns a string. In this case the string must be converted to a number before it can be used in the computation.
Note 4: We could have jsut put this simple computation right here instead of calling another function, but it's a good idea to get used to separating the user interface code from the "model" or "logic" code.
Note 5: Set the value of a JTextField by calling its setText() method and passing a string to it.

## Other Possibilities

Some other common variations to structuring a program.

- The main program can be in any class, so it's common in small programs to throw it into an existing class. It's clearer in a separate class.
- Each top-level class is usually in its own file, not combined with other classes in one file.
- The logic or model (in this case the conversion from kilometers to miles) should be in a separate class that knows nothing about the user interface, only about the computation.