Checkbox in Java GUI | Quiz Style UI AWT Example

Creating a Checkbox in Java GUI is quite a simple process. Here, unlike the buttons we saw in a Java GUI program to add two numbers there is no addActionListener. We have addItemListener instead. Checkbox in Java GUI comes really handy when you are dealing with a quiz style setup.

We will see first how a checkbox in Java can be used to respond using itemStateChanged method in an example.

Checkbox in Java GUI Example

Here’s an example to tell you how Checkboxes appear in a GUI setup:

import java.awt.*;
import java.net.*;
import java.awt.event.*;

public class LearnAWT extends Frame { 
            Checkbox cb1; 
            Checkbox cb2; 
            Label l1;
            LearnAWT() { 
                setTitle("Checkbox Program"); 
                cb1 = new Checkbox("Psycho");
                cb1.setBounds(100, 100, 100, 100); 
                cb2 = new Checkbox("Moron"); 
                cb2.setBounds(100, 180, 100, 100); 
                 l1 = new Label(); 
                 l1.setBounds(20, 30, 140, 100); 
                 add(l1); 
                 add(cb1); 
                 add(cb2); 
                 setSize(400,400); 
                 setLayout(null);  
                 setVisible(true); 
                 
cb1.addItemListener(new ItemListener(){ 
           public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e) {
                             if(e.getStateChange() == 1) { 
                                        l1.setText("He calls you a Psycho"); 
                       }
             }
    }); 
cb2.addItemListener(new ItemListener(){ 
            public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e) { 
                              if(e.getStateChange() == 1) { 
                                           l1.setText("He calls you Moron"); 
                                }  
              } 
   }); 
} public static void main(String []args) { 
                 new LearnAWT(); 
         } 
}

Here we have made use of an ItemListener instead of an actionListener. The primary reason being a checkbox doesn’t have an actionListener. It has a focusListener, hierarchyListener, mouseListener etc. but doesn’t have actionListener under its aegis.

If you run the above program you will get a frame with two checkboxes in it like this:

As per the logic of the above program, checking on any box will return a text in a label. Go ahead and click on any of the checkbox. Here I have done it for you:

Here I have clicked on the first flag and hence the result.

If you are creating an MCQ design you need to keep adding Checkboxes. Then place a button and use the actionPerformed method to specify what clicking on the correct answer should flare.

I would leave that part as an exercise for you to perform. Let me know in the comment section how things fared.