How to Add a Hyperlink to a JLabel in Java Swing?

Question

What is the best method to add a clickable hyperlink in a JLabel in Java Swing, and how can I make it open a web browser when clicked?

JLabel label = new JLabel();
label.setText("<html><a href='your_link_here'>Click Here</a></html>");
label.setCursor(Cursor.getPredefinedCursor(Cursor.HAND_CURSOR));

Answer

In Java Swing, you can easily create a clickable hyperlink in a JLabel by using HTML tags within the JLabel's text. To open the hyperlink in a web browser when the user clicks on it, you can add a mouse listener to the JLabel.

// Import necessary packages
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.io.*;
import java.net.*;

// Main class to demonstrate hyperlink in JLabel
public class HyperlinkInJLabel {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        JFrame frame = new JFrame("Hyperlink Example");
        JLabel label = new JLabel();

        // Set HTML content with hyperlink
        label.setText("<html><a href=''>Visit OpenAI</a></html>");
        label.setCursor(Cursor.getPredefinedCursor(Cursor.HAND_CURSOR));

        // Add MouseListener to open URL in browser
        label.addMouseListener(new MouseAdapter() {
            public void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e) {
                try {
                    Desktop desktop = Desktop.getDesktop();
                    URI uri = new URI("https://openai.com");
                    desktop.browse(uri);
                } catch (Exception ex) {
                    ex.printStackTrace();
                }
            }
        });

        frame.add(label);
        frame.setSize(300, 200);
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }
}

Causes

Using JLabel allows incorporating HTML, making it easy to create clickable links.
User interaction can be captured with MouseListener to trigger an action.

Solutions

Set the JLabel text as HTML that includes an <a> tag.
Add a MouseListener to the JLabel to detect clicks and open the browser.

Common Mistakes

Mistake: Not setting the correct HTML format for the JLabel text.

Solution: Ensure you use <html> tag and proper <a> tag formatting.

Mistake: Forgetting to handle exceptions when opening a web browser.

Solution: Implement try-catch blocks to handle potential exceptions.

Helpers

JLabel hyperlink
Java Swing hyperlink example
open link in browser Java