Question:
I want to display a scrolling list of items from a database: product | description | manu | expiration | product | description | manu | expiration | product | description | manu | expiration | product | description | manu | expiration | product | description | manu | expiration | product | description | manu | expiration | product | description | manu | expiration |
What’s the best way to do it? And HOW do you do it?
Answer:
The easiest way of doing this is to use a monospaced font (so the columns line up) and fill the items into a single box.
Here is a sample Java applet that does just that.
Is that what you have in mind? It is also possible to have four listboxes and to keep them in synch. Submit another query if you need to see the code for that. import java.awt.*; import java.applet.*; public class ColList extends Applet { public void init() { setLayout(new GridLayout(1, 1)); items = new List(4, false); items.addItem(new Item("KA-1094", "Pencil Sharpener", "Ultrasonic", "Aug 99").toString()); items.addItem(new Item("KB-1195", "Automatic Transmission", "Chevrolet", "Aug 97").toString()); items.addItem(new Item("KN-1339", "Can Opener", "Ultrasonic", "Feb 99").toString()); items.addItem(new Item("KP-1094", "Toaster Oven", "Royal Highness", "Mar 02").toString()); items.addItem(new Item("KU-2236", "Mending Kit", "Yue Loong", "Mar 98").toString()); items.addItem(new Item("KV-9401", "Chip Extraction Tool", "Intel", "Jan 99").toString()); items.addItem(new Item("KX-5734", "Laser Printer", "Lasertronic", "Aug 96").toString()); items.addItem(new Item("KZ-4453", "Dish Brush", "Yue Loong", "Jan 02").toString()); items.setFont(new Font("Courier", 8, Font.PLAIN)); add(items); } List items; } class Item { public Item(String prod, String descr, String manu, String expire) { product = prod; description = descr; manufacturer = manu; expiration = expire; } private static String pad(String s, int n) { if (n < s.length()) return s.substring(0, n); StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer(s); sb.ensureCapacity(n); for (int i = 0; i < n - s.length(); i++) sb.append(' '); return sb.toString(); } public String toString() { return pad(product, 8) + "|" + pad(description, 20) + "|" + pad(manufacturer, 15) + "|" + expiration; } private String product; private String description; private String manufacturer; private String expiration; }
