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MaskFormatter.javaAPI DocJava SE 5 API35931Fri Aug 26 14:58:16 BST 2005javax.swing.text

MaskFormatter

public class MaskFormatter extends DefaultFormatter
MaskFormatter is used to format and edit strings. The behavior of a MaskFormatter is controlled by way of a String mask that specifies the valid characters that can be contained at a particular location in the Document model. The following characters can be specified:
Character 

Description

# Any valid number, uses Character.isDigit.
' Escape character, used to escape any of the special formatting characters.
UAny character (Character.isLetter). All lowercase letters are mapped to upper case.
LAny character (Character.isLetter). All upper case letters are mapped to lower case.
AAny character or number (Character.isLetter or Character.isDigit)
?Any character (Character.isLetter).
*Anything.
HAny hex character (0-9, a-f or A-F).

Typically characters correspond to one char, but in certain languages this is not the case. The mask is on a per character basis, and will thus adjust to fit as many chars as are needed.

You can further restrict the characters that can be input by the setInvalidCharacters and setValidCharacters methods. setInvalidCharacters allows you to specify which characters are not legal. setValidCharacters allows you to specify which characters are valid. For example, the following code block is equivalent to a mask of '0xHHH' with no invalid/valid characters:

MaskFormatter formatter = new MaskFormatter("0x***");
formatter.setValidCharacters("0123456789abcdefABCDEF");

When initially formatting a value if the length of the string is less than the length of the mask, two things can happen. Either the placeholder string will be used, or the placeholder character will be used. Precedence is given to the placeholder string. For example:

MaskFormatter formatter = new MaskFormatter("###-####");
formatter.setPlaceholderCharacter('_');
formatter.getDisplayValue(tf, "123");

Would result in the string '123-____'. If setPlaceholder("555-1212") was invoked '123-1212' would result. The placeholder String is only used on the initial format, on subsequent formats only the placeholder character will be used.

If a MaskFormatter is configured to only allow valid characters (setAllowsInvalid(false)) literal characters will be skipped as necessary when editing. Consider a MaskFormatter with the mask "###-####" and current value "555-1212". Using the right arrow key to navigate through the field will result in (| indicates the position of the caret):

|555-1212
5|55-1212
55|5-1212
555-|1212
555-1|212
The '-' is a literal (non-editable) character, and is skipped.

Similar behavior will result when editing. Consider inserting the string '123-45' and '12345' into the MaskFormatter in the previous example. Both inserts will result in the same String, '123-45__'. When MaskFormatter is processing the insert at character position 3 (the '-'), two things can happen:

  1. If the inserted character is '-', it is accepted.
  2. If the inserted character matches the mask for the next non-literal character, it is accepted at the new location.
  3. Anything else results in an invalid edit

By default MaskFormatter will not allow invalid edits, you can change this with the setAllowsInvalid method, and will commit edits on valid edits (use the setCommitsOnValidEdit to change this).

By default, MaskFormatter is in overwrite mode. That is as characters are typed a new character is not inserted, rather the character at the current location is replaced with the newly typed character. You can change this behavior by way of the method setOverwriteMode.

Warning: Serialized objects of this class will not be compatible with future Swing releases. The current serialization support is appropriate for short term storage or RMI between applications running the same version of Swing. As of 1.4, support for long term storage of all JavaBeansTM has been added to the java.beans package. Please see {@link java.beans.XMLEncoder}.

version
1.12 12/19/03
since
1.4

Fields Summary
private static final char
DIGIT_KEY
private static final char
LITERAL_KEY
private static final char
UPPERCASE_KEY
private static final char
LOWERCASE_KEY
private static final char
ALPHA_NUMERIC_KEY
private static final char
CHARACTER_KEY
private static final char
ANYTHING_KEY
private static final char
HEX_KEY
private static final MaskCharacter[]
EmptyMaskChars
private String
mask
The user specified mask.
private transient MaskCharacter[]
maskChars
private String
validCharacters
List of valid characters.
private String
invalidCharacters
List of invalid characters.
private String
placeholderString
String used for the passed in value if it does not completely fill the mask.
private char
placeholder
String used to represent characters not present.
private boolean
containsLiteralChars
Indicates if the value contains the literal characters.
Constructors Summary
public MaskFormatter()
Creates a MaskFormatter with no mask.



               
      
        setAllowsInvalid(false);
        containsLiteralChars = true;
        maskChars = EmptyMaskChars;
        placeholder = ' ";
    
public MaskFormatter(String mask)
Creates a MaskFormatter with the specified mask. A ParseException will be thrown if mask is an invalid mask.

throws
ParseException if mask does not contain valid mask characters

        this();
        setMask(mask);
    
Methods Summary
private voidappend(java.lang.StringBuffer result, java.lang.String value, int[] index, java.lang.String placeholder, javax.swing.text.MaskFormatter$MaskCharacter[] mask)
Invokes append on the mask characters in mask.

        for (int counter = 0, maxCounter = mask.length;
             counter < maxCounter; counter++) {
            mask[counter].append(result, value, index, placeholder);
        }
    
booleancanReplace(ReplaceHolder rh)
This method does the following (assuming !getAllowsInvalid()): iterate over the max of the deleted region or the text length, for each character:
  1. If it is valid (matches the mask at the particular position, or matches the literal character at the position), allow it
  2. Else if the position identifies a literal character, add it. This allows for the user to paste in text that may/may not contain the literals. For example, in pasing in 5551212 into ###-#### when the 1 is evaluated it is illegal (by the first test), but there is a literal at this position (-), so it is used. NOTE: This has a problem that you can't tell (without looking ahead) if you should eat literals in the text. For example, if you paste '555' into #5##, should it result in '5555' or '555 '? The current code will result in the latter, which feels a little better as selecting text than pasting will always result in the same thing.
  3. Else if at the end of the inserted text, the replace the item with the placeholder
  4. Otherwise the insert is bogus and false is returned.

        // This method is rather long, but much of the burden is in
        // maintaining a String and swapping to a StringBuffer only if
        // absolutely necessary.
        if (!getAllowsInvalid()) {
            StringBuffer replace = null;
            String text = rh.text;
            int tl = (text != null) ? text.length() : 0;

            if (tl == 0 && rh.length == 1 && getFormattedTextField().
                              getSelectionStart() != rh.offset) {
                // Backspace, adjust to actually delete next non-literal.
                while (rh.offset > 0 && isLiteral(rh.offset)) {
                    rh.offset--;
                }
            }
            int max = Math.min(getMaxLength() - rh.offset,
                               Math.max(tl, rh.length));
            for (int counter = 0, textIndex = 0; counter < max; counter++) {
                if (textIndex < tl && isValidCharacter(rh.offset + counter,
                                                   text.charAt(textIndex))) {
                    char aChar = text.charAt(textIndex);
                    if (aChar != getCharacter(rh.offset + counter, aChar)) {
                        if (replace == null) {
                            replace = new StringBuffer();
                            if (textIndex > 0) {
                                replace.append(text.substring(0, textIndex));
                            }
                        }
                    }
                    if (replace != null) {
                        replace.append(getCharacter(rh.offset + counter,
                                                    aChar));
                    }
                    textIndex++;
                }
                else if (isLiteral(rh.offset + counter)) {
                    if (replace != null) {
                        replace.append(getLiteral(rh.offset + counter));
                        if (textIndex < tl) {
                            max = Math.min(max + 1, getMaxLength() -
                                           rh.offset);
                        }
                    }
                    else if (textIndex > 0) {
                        replace = new StringBuffer(max);
                        replace.append(text.substring(0, textIndex));
                        replace.append(getLiteral(rh.offset + counter));
                        if (textIndex < tl) {
                            // Evaluate the character in text again.
                            max = Math.min(max + 1, getMaxLength() -
                                           rh.offset);
                        }
                        else if (rh.cursorPosition == -1) {
                            rh.cursorPosition = rh.offset + counter;
                        }
                    }
                    else {
                        rh.offset++;
                        rh.length--;
                        counter--;
			max--;
                    }
                }
                else if (textIndex >= tl) {
                    // placeholder
                    if (replace == null) {
                        replace = new StringBuffer();
                        if (text != null) {
                            replace.append(text);
                        }
                    }
                    replace.append(getPlaceholderCharacter());
                    if (tl > 0 && rh.cursorPosition == -1) {
                        rh.cursorPosition = rh.offset + counter;
                    }
                }
                else {
                    // Bogus character.
                    return false;
                }
            }
            if (replace != null) {
                rh.text = replace.toString();
            }
            else if (text != null && rh.offset + tl > getMaxLength()) {
                rh.text = text.substring(0, getMaxLength() - rh.offset);
            }
            if (getOverwriteMode() && rh.text != null) {
                rh.length = rh.text.length();
            }
        }
        return super.canReplace(rh);
    
private chargetCharacter(int index, char aChar)
Returns the character to insert at the specified location based on the passed in character. This provides a way to map certain sets of characters to alternative values (lowercase to uppercase...).

        return getMaskCharacter(index).getChar(aChar);
    
public java.lang.StringgetInvalidCharacters()
Returns the characters that are not valid for input.

return
illegal characters.

        return invalidCharacters;
    
private intgetInvalidOffset(java.lang.String string, boolean completeMatch)
Returns -1 if the passed in string is valid, otherwise the index of the first bogus character is returned.

        int iLength = string.length();

        if (iLength != getMaxLength()) {
            // trivially false
            return iLength;
        }
        for (int counter = 0, max = string.length(); counter < max; counter++){
            char aChar = string.charAt(counter);

            if (!isValidCharacter(counter, aChar) &&
                (completeMatch || !isPlaceholder(counter, aChar))) {
                return counter;
            }
        }
        return -1;
    
private chargetLiteral(int index)
Returns the literal character at the specified location.

        return getMaskCharacter(index).getChar((char)0);
    
public java.lang.StringgetMask()
Returns the formatting mask.

return
Mask dictating legal character values.

        return mask;
    
private javax.swing.text.MaskFormatter$MaskCharactergetMaskCharacter(int index)
Returns the MaskCharacter at the specified location.

        if (index >= maskChars.length) {
            return null;
        }
        return maskChars[index];
    
private intgetMaxLength()
Returns the maximum length the text can be.

        return maskChars.length;
    
public java.lang.StringgetPlaceholder()
Returns the String to use if the value does not completely fill in the mask.

return
String used when formatting if the value does not completely fill the mask

        return placeholderString;
    
public chargetPlaceholderCharacter()
Returns the character to use in place of characters that are not present in the value, ie the user must fill them in.

return
Character used when formatting if the value does not completely fill the mask

        return placeholder;
    
public java.lang.StringgetValidCharacters()
Returns the valid characters that can be input.

return
Legal characters

        return validCharacters;
    
public booleangetValueContainsLiteralCharacters()
Returns true if stringToValue should return literal characters in the mask.

return
True if literal characters in mask should be returned in stringToValue

        return containsLiteralChars;
    
public voidinstall(javax.swing.JFormattedTextField ftf)
Installs the DefaultFormatter onto a particular JFormattedTextField. This will invoke valueToString to convert the current value from the JFormattedTextField to a String. This will then install the Actions from getActions, the DocumentFilter returned from getDocumentFilter and the NavigationFilter returned from getNavigationFilter onto the JFormattedTextField.

Subclasses will typically only need to override this if they wish to install additional listeners on the JFormattedTextField.

If there is a ParseException in converting the current value to a String, this will set the text to an empty String, and mark the JFormattedTextField as being in an invalid state.

While this is a public method, this is typically only useful for subclassers of JFormattedTextField. JFormattedTextField will invoke this method at the appropriate times when the value changes, or its internal state changes.

param
ftf JFormattedTextField to format for, may be null indicating uninstall from current JFormattedTextField.

        super.install(ftf);
        // valueToString doesn't throw, but stringToValue does, need to
        // update the editValid state appropriately
        if (ftf != null) {
            Object value = ftf.getValue();

            try {
                stringToValue(valueToString(value));
            } catch (ParseException pe) {
                setEditValid(false);
            }
        }
    
private booleanisLiteral(int index)
Returns true if the character at the specified location is a literal, that is it can not be edited.

        return getMaskCharacter(index).isLiteral();
    
booleanisNavigatable(int offset)
Returns true if the MaskFormatter allows invalid, or the offset is less than the max length and the character at offset is a literal.

        if (!getAllowsInvalid()) {
            return (offset < getMaxLength() && !isLiteral(offset));
        }
        return true;
    
private booleanisPlaceholder(int index, char aChar)
Returns true if the placeholder character matches aChar.

        return (getPlaceholderCharacter() == aChar);
    
private booleanisValidCharacter(int index, char aChar)
Returns true if the passed in character matches the mask at the specified location.

        return getMaskCharacter(index).isValidCharacter(aChar);
    
booleanisValidEdit(ReplaceHolder rh)

        if (!getAllowsInvalid()) {
            String newString = getReplaceString(rh.offset, rh.length, rh.text);

            try {
                rh.value = stringToValue(newString, false);

                return true;
            } catch (ParseException pe) {
                return false;
            }
        }
        return true;
    
private voidreadObject(java.io.ObjectInputStream s)
Subclassed to update the internal representation of the mask after the default read operation has completed.

        s.defaultReadObject();
        try {
            updateInternalMask();
        } catch (ParseException pe) {
            // assert();
        }
    
public voidsetInvalidCharacters(java.lang.String invalidCharacters)
Allows for further restricting of the characters that can be input. Only characters specified in the mask, not in the invalidCharacters, and in validCharacters will be allowed to be input. Passing in null (the default) implies the valid characters are only bound by the mask and the valid characters.

param
invalidCharacters If non-null, specifies illegal characters.

        this.invalidCharacters = invalidCharacters;
    
public voidsetMask(java.lang.String mask)
Sets the mask dictating the legal characters. This will throw a ParseException if mask is not valid.

throws
ParseException if mask does not contain valid mask characters

        this.mask = mask;
        updateInternalMask();
    
public voidsetPlaceholder(java.lang.String placeholder)
Sets the string to use if the value does not completely fill in the mask. A null value implies the placeholder char should be used.

param
placeholder String used when formatting if the value does not completely fill the mask

        this.placeholderString = placeholder;
    
public voidsetPlaceholderCharacter(char placeholder)
Sets the character to use in place of characters that are not present in the value, ie the user must fill them in. The default value is a space.

This is only applicable if the placeholder string has not been specified, or does not completely fill in the mask.

param
placeholder Character used when formatting if the value does not completely fill the mask

        this.placeholder = placeholder;
    
public voidsetValidCharacters(java.lang.String validCharacters)
Allows for further restricting of the characters that can be input. Only characters specified in the mask, not in the invalidCharacters, and in validCharacters will be allowed to be input. Passing in null (the default) implies the valid characters are only bound by the mask and the invalid characters.

param
validCharacters If non-null, specifies legal characters.

        this.validCharacters = validCharacters;
    
public voidsetValueContainsLiteralCharacters(boolean containsLiteralChars)
If true, the returned value and set value will also contain the literal characters in mask.

For example, if the mask is '(###) ###-####', the current value is '(415) 555-1212', and valueContainsLiteralCharacters is true stringToValue will return '(415) 555-1212'. On the other hand, if valueContainsLiteralCharacters is false, stringToValue will return '4155551212'.

param
containsLiteralChars Used to indicate if literal characters in mask should be returned in stringToValue

        this.containsLiteralChars = containsLiteralChars;
    
public java.lang.ObjectstringToValue(java.lang.String value)
Parses the text, returning the appropriate Object representation of the String value. This strips the literal characters as necessary and invokes supers stringToValue, so that if you have specified a value class (setValueClass) an instance of it will be created. This will throw a ParseException if the value does not match the current mask. Refer to {@link #setValueContainsLiteralCharacters} for details on how literals are treated.

throws
ParseException if there is an error in the conversion
param
value String to convert
see
#setValueContainsLiteralCharacters
return
Object representation of text

        return stringToValue(value, true);
    
private java.lang.ObjectstringToValue(java.lang.String value, boolean completeMatch)
Actual stringToValue implementation. If completeMatch is true, the value must exactly match the mask, on the other hand if completeMatch is false the string must match the mask or the placeholder string.

        int errorOffset = -1;

        if ((errorOffset = getInvalidOffset(value, completeMatch)) == -1) {
            if (!getValueContainsLiteralCharacters()) {
                value = stripLiteralChars(value);
            }
            return super.stringToValue(value);
        }
        throw new ParseException("stringToValue passed invalid value",
                                 errorOffset);
    
private java.lang.StringstripLiteralChars(java.lang.String string)
Removes the literal characters from the passed in string.

        StringBuffer sb = null;
        int last = 0;

        for (int counter = 0, max = string.length(); counter < max; counter++){
            if (isLiteral(counter)) {
                if (sb == null) {
                    sb = new StringBuffer();
                    if (counter > 0) {
                        sb.append(string.substring(0, counter));
                    }
                    last = counter + 1;
                }
                else if (last != counter) {
                    sb.append(string.substring(last, counter));
                }
                last = counter + 1;
            }
        }
        if (sb == null) {
            // Assume the mask isn't all literals.
            return string;
        }
        else if (last != string.length()) {
            if (sb == null) {
                return string.substring(last);
            }
            sb.append(string.substring(last));
        }
        return sb.toString();
    
private voidupdateInternalMask()
Updates the internal representation of the mask.

        String mask = getMask();
        ArrayList fixed = new ArrayList();
        ArrayList temp = fixed;

        if (mask != null) {
            for (int counter = 0, maxCounter = mask.length();
                 counter < maxCounter; counter++) {
                char maskChar = mask.charAt(counter);

                switch (maskChar) {
                case DIGIT_KEY:
                    temp.add(new DigitMaskCharacter());
                    break;
                case LITERAL_KEY:
                    if (++counter < maxCounter) {
                        maskChar = mask.charAt(counter);
                        temp.add(new LiteralCharacter(maskChar));
                    }
                    // else: Could actually throw if else
                    break;
                case UPPERCASE_KEY:
                    temp.add(new UpperCaseCharacter());
                    break;
                case LOWERCASE_KEY:
                    temp.add(new LowerCaseCharacter());
                    break;
                case ALPHA_NUMERIC_KEY:
                    temp.add(new AlphaNumericCharacter());
                    break;
                case CHARACTER_KEY:
                    temp.add(new CharCharacter());
                    break;
                case ANYTHING_KEY:
                    temp.add(new MaskCharacter());
                    break;
                case HEX_KEY:
                    temp.add(new HexCharacter());
                    break;
                default:
                    temp.add(new LiteralCharacter(maskChar));
                    break;
                }
            }
        }
        if (fixed.size() == 0) {
            maskChars = EmptyMaskChars;
        }
        else {
            maskChars = new MaskCharacter[fixed.size()];
            fixed.toArray(maskChars);
        }
    
public java.lang.StringvalueToString(java.lang.Object value)
Returns a String representation of the Object value based on the mask. Refer to {@link #setValueContainsLiteralCharacters} for details on how literals are treated.

throws
ParseException if there is an error in the conversion
param
value Value to convert
see
#setValueContainsLiteralCharacters
return
String representation of value

        String sValue = (value == null) ? "" : value.toString();
        StringBuffer result = new StringBuffer();
        String placeholder = getPlaceholder();
        int[] valueCounter = { 0 };

        append(result, sValue, valueCounter, placeholder, maskChars);
        return result.toString();