How to Create a Status Bar at the Bottom of a Java Application

How do I implement a status bar at the bottom of my Java application using Swing?

JFrame frame = new JFrame("My Application");
JPanel panel = new JPanel();

JLabel statusLabel = new JLabel("Status: Ready");
JProgressBar progressBar = new JProgressBar();

panel.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
panel.add(statusLabel, BorderLayout.WEST);
panel.add(progressBar, BorderLayout.CENTER);

frame.add(panel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
frame.setSize(500, 300);
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.setVisible(true);

To create a status bar at the bottom of a Java application, you can make use of the Swing library. A status bar typically consists of a text label and a progress bar. Here’s how you can implement this in a simple Java app.

import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        JFrame frame = new JFrame("My Application");
        JPanel panel = new JPanel();

        JLabel statusLabel = new JLabel("Status: Ready");
        JProgressBar progressBar = new JProgressBar();

        panel.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        panel.add(statusLabel, BorderLayout.WEST);
        panel.add(progressBar, BorderLayout.CENTER);

        frame.add(panel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
        frame.setSize(500, 300);
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }
}

Causes

• Not knowing which layout manager to use for positioning components.
• Lack of familiarity with Swing components like JLabel and JProgressBar.

Solutions

• Use BorderLayout to position the status bar at the bottom of the frame.
• Incorporate JLabel for displaying status messages and JProgressBar for progress indication.
• Ensure you import the necessary Swing classes in your Java program.

Mistake: Not setting the layout manager properly, leading to incorrect component placement.

Solution: Use BorderLayout and place your status bar in the SOUTH region.

Mistake: Forgetting to import necessary classes, causing 'cannot find symbol' errors.

Solution: Ensure you import javax.swing.* and java.awt.* at the beginning of your code.

Mistake: Not updating the status label or progress bar dynamically during app execution.

Solution: Use methods like `setText()` for JLabel and `setValue()` for JProgressBar to update their states.