How to superimpose a Jinternalframe?

Question

The main screen of the system I’m developing opens with a JInternalFrame welcome automatically, and it contains some buttons for registration, calendar etc...

However, when I click on one button to call another JInternalFrame (register or agenda), He stands behind, and only the JTextFields above.

I want to know how to treat it, how to make the hierarchy of these JInternalFrame so that it overlaps the others when you click on it...

To facilitate the explanation, let’s assume I have the JInternalFrameBemVindo(which automatically opens with the main screen) and a JInternalFrameCadMedico(which opens after clicking the button contained in the main screen)

Here is the code of the main screen:

public class Tela extends javax.swing.JFrame {

public Tela() {
    initComponents();
}

/**
 * This method is called from within the constructor to initialize the form.
 * WARNING: Do NOT modify this code. The content of this method is always
 * regenerated by the Form Editor.
 */
@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
// <editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc="Generated Code">                          
private void initComponents() {

    jInternalFrame1 = new javax.swing.JInternalFrame();
    jButton1 = new javax.swing.JButton();

    setDefaultCloseOperation(javax.swing.WindowConstants.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

    jInternalFrame1.setVisible(true);

    jButton1.setText("Chamar outra tela");
    jButton1.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
        public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
            jButton1ActionPerformed(evt);
        }
    });

    javax.swing.GroupLayout jInternalFrame1Layout = new javax.swing.GroupLayout(jInternalFrame1.getContentPane());
    jInternalFrame1.getContentPane().setLayout(jInternalFrame1Layout);
    jInternalFrame1Layout.setHorizontalGroup(
        jInternalFrame1Layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(jInternalFrame1Layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addGap(192, 192, 192)
            .addComponent(jButton1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 211, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
            .addContainerGap(209, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );
    jInternalFrame1Layout.setVerticalGroup(
        jInternalFrame1Layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(jInternalFrame1Layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addGap(112, 112, 112)
            .addComponent(jButton1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 104, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
            .addContainerGap(150, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );

    javax.swing.GroupLayout layout = new javax.swing.GroupLayout(getContentPane());
    getContentPane().setLayout(layout);
    layout.setHorizontalGroup(
        layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addGap(107, 107, 107)
            .addComponent(jInternalFrame1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
            .addContainerGap(78, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );
    layout.setVerticalGroup(
        layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.TRAILING, layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addContainerGap(25, Short.MAX_VALUE)
            .addComponent(jInternalFrame1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
            .addGap(68, 68, 68))
    );

    pack();
}// </editor-fold>                        

private void jButton1ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {                                         
    // TODO add your handling code here:
    NewJInternalFrame tela = new NewJInternalFrame();
    getContentPane().add(tela);
    tela.setVisible(true);

}                                        

/**
 * @param args the command line arguments
 */
public static void main(String args[]) {
    /* Set the Nimbus look and feel */
    //<editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc=" Look and feel setting code (optional) ">
    /* If Nimbus (introduced in Java SE 6) is not available, stay with the default look and feel.
     * For details see http://download.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/lookandfeel/plaf.html 
     */
    try {
        for (javax.swing.UIManager.LookAndFeelInfo info : javax.swing.UIManager.getInstalledLookAndFeels()) {
            if ("Nimbus".equals(info.getName())) {
                javax.swing.UIManager.setLookAndFeel(info.getClassName());
                break;
            }
        }
    } catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
        java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(Tela.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    } catch (InstantiationException ex) {
        java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(Tela.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    } catch (IllegalAccessException ex) {
        java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(Tela.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    } catch (javax.swing.UnsupportedLookAndFeelException ex) {
        java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(Tela.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    }
    //</editor-fold>

    /* Create and display the form */
    java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
        public void run() {
            new Tela().setVisible(true);
        }
    });
}

// Variables declaration - do not modify                     
private javax.swing.JButton jButton1;
private javax.swing.JInternalFrame jInternalFrame1;
// End of variables declaration                   
}

And the code of JInternalFrame that is called and "should" override the JInternalFrame which is contained in the previous code screen (it is called to be visible when the button is pressed):

public class NewJInternalFrame extends javax.swing.JInternalFrame {

public NewJInternalFrame() {
    initComponents();
}

/**
 * This method is called from within the constructor to initialize the form.
 * WARNING: Do NOT modify this code. The content of this method is always
 * regenerated by the Form Editor.
 */
@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
// <editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc="Generated Code">                          
private void initComponents() {

    jLabel1 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
    jLabel2 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
    jLabel3 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
    jTextField1 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
    jTextField2 = new javax.swing.JTextField();
    jTextField3 = new javax.swing.JTextField();

    jLabel1.setText("jLabel1");

    jLabel2.setText("jLabel2");

    jLabel3.setText("jLabel3");

    jTextField1.setText("jTextField1");

    jTextField2.setText("jTextField1");

    jTextField3.setText("jTextField1");

    javax.swing.GroupLayout layout = new javax.swing.GroupLayout(getContentPane());
    getContentPane().setLayout(layout);
    layout.setHorizontalGroup(
        layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addGap(31, 31, 31)
            .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.TRAILING)
                .addComponent(jLabel3)
                .addComponent(jLabel2)
                .addComponent(jLabel1))
            .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.UNRELATED)
            .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
                .addComponent(jTextField1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addComponent(jTextField2, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
                .addComponent(jTextField3, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE))
            .addContainerGap(260, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );
    layout.setVerticalGroup(
        layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addContainerGap()
            .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.BASELINE)
                .addComponent(jLabel1)
                .addComponent(jTextField1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE))
            .addGap(27, 27, 27)
            .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.BASELINE)
                .addComponent(jLabel2)
                .addComponent(jTextField2, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE))
            .addGap(30, 30, 30)
            .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.BASELINE)
                .addComponent(jLabel3)
                .addComponent(jTextField3, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE))
            .addContainerGap(150, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );

    pack();
}// </editor-fold>                        


// Variables declaration - do not modify                     
private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel1;
private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel2;
private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel3;
private javax.swing.JTextField jTextField1;
private javax.swing.JTextField jTextField2;
private javax.swing.JTextField jTextField3;
// End of variables declaration                   
}

Answer 1

To use JInternalFrame, you need to add them within a JDesktopPane. By adding straight to JFrame is that your code does not work as expected.

Change your screen by adding one JDesktopPane filling the entire space of JFrame, and keep adding the internal frames in this container, and not directly in Jframe.

As your code was generated by GUI-Builder, I could not change, but I made an example based on your code:

import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.EventQueue;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javax.swing.*;


/**
 *
 * @author diego.felipe
 */
public class JInternalFrameTest  {

    JFrame frame = new JFrame();

    public void createAndShowGUI() {

        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(WindowConstants.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.setTitle("Frame principal");
        frame.setSize(600, 500);
        //essas duas linhas são primordiais pro restante
        //do código
        JDesktopPane desk = new JDesktopPane();
        frame.setContentPane(desk);

        JInternalFrame mboxFrame = new JInternalFrame();
        JButton botao = new JButton("Chamar outra tela");
        botao.setSize(104, 104);

        botao.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
            @Override
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                MyInternalFrame tela = new MyInternalFrame();
                //repare que o internalFrame foi adicionado ao
                //desktoppane e não ao JFrame 
                desk.add(tela);
                tela.setVisible(true);
            }
        });

        mboxFrame.setContentPane(botao);
        mboxFrame.setSize(300, 200);
        mboxFrame.setLocation(50, 50);
        mboxFrame.setVisible(true);
        //aqui a adição também foi feita
        //no desktoppane
        desk.add(mboxFrame);

        frame.setVisible(true);
        frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);

    }

    class MyInternalFrame extends JInternalFrame {

        public MyInternalFrame() {
            createGUI();
        }

        private void createGUI() {

            BoxLayout boxLayout = new BoxLayout(this.getContentPane(), BoxLayout.Y_AXIS);
            setLayout(boxLayout);
            setPreferredSize(new Dimension(300, 200));

            JLabel label = new JLabel("Label1");

            JTextField campo = new JTextField("campo de texto");
            add(label);
            add(campo);
            pack();
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        try {
            for (javax.swing.UIManager.LookAndFeelInfo info : javax.swing.UIManager.getInstalledLookAndFeels()) {
                if ("Nimbus".equals(info.getName())) {
                    javax.swing.UIManager.setLookAndFeel(info.getClassName());
                    break;
                }
            }
        } catch (ClassNotFoundException | InstantiationException | IllegalAccessException | javax.swing.UnsupportedLookAndFeelException ex) {
            java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(Tela.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }

        EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                JInternalFrameTest test = new JInternalFrameTest();
                test.createAndShowGUI();
            }
        });
    }
}

Upshot:

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Useful references:

• How to Use Internal Frames

• Adding Internal Frames to a Jdesktoppane