Agent-Based Computing (UFCE3J-20-3)

Practical Session 4
Hooking up Event-Handlers for
Noughts and Crosses GUI
Session Goals
1. Hook up the event-handler mechanisms to build the correct event-driven
behaviour for our Noughts and Crosses GUI.

A quick recap on the noughts and crosses GUI

We need to make the nought or cross grid change when a player clicks on the grid
element. Well do this first, and then move on to making the GUI functional from a
two player viewpoint secondly.
Before (or even after!) attempting this tutorial, please read Java Software Solutions by
Lewis and Loftus or your favourite Java text book for a full explanation on how to
hand craft the panels, their layout, and the necessary event-handlers to make it all
work.

Studio Exercise
Heres where we were at the end of the last practical session with the GUI builder:

Lets begin by setting up an event-handler for the first element of the grid, which is
the JLabel variable grid11.
In NetBeans, load up the AgentGame project you were working with in practical
session 3. Click on the Frame.java file in Design mode. In the Inspector window,
click on grid11 JLabel. Look at the Properties window, and click on the Events
button underneath. A scrollable list of events should appear below. Scroll down to
mouseClicked.

UFCE3J-20-3 Practical 4 Page 1

Left mouse click ONCE on the mouseClicked down arrow and notice that NetBeans
suggests a candidate handler method for you called something like
grid11MouseClicked. (You can change this to anything you want, but for the
moment go with the generated method name.) Now heres the clever bit NetBeans
will generate you the method, take you to the Source view of the Frame, and place
the cursor in the handler method. In the handler method, you might like to add a line
of code such as:
grid11.setText( X );

Now compile and build, and see what happens when you click on element 1, 1 of the
grid
Now we know how to hook up and event handler in NetBeans, lets go on the make
the GUI more like a game but well develop the game logic and rules next week! For
this weeks practical, youll need to:
1. Set all the gamePanel grid JLabels to (whitespace) at the start of the game,
2. Introduce, for example, a boolean variable to handle the switching from player
1 to player 2,
3. Ensure that each grid element can only be changed once i.e. once a grid
element is changed to a nought or a cross, it cant be changed again.
4. When the new button is clicked, all the gamePanel JLabels are set to
(whitespace). Hint use the action performed event for the button
Good luck!

UFCE3J-20-3 Practical 4 Page 2