How to Close One Java Swing Window and Open Another on Button Click

Question

How can I implement functionality in a Java Swing application that allows one window to close and another to open when a button is clicked?

public class MainFrame extends JFrame {
    private JButton openNewWindowButton;

    public MainFrame() {
        setTitle("Main Window");
        setSize(300, 200);
        setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

        openNewWindowButton = new JButton("Open New Window");
        openNewWindowButton.addActionListener(e -> openNewWindow());
        add(openNewWindowButton);
    }

    private void openNewWindow() {
        NewWindow newWindow = new NewWindow(this);
        newWindow.setVisible(true);
        this.dispose(); // Closes the main window
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(() -> {
            MainFrame mainFrame = new MainFrame();
            mainFrame.setVisible(true);
        });
    }
}

class NewWindow extends JFrame {
    public NewWindow(JFrame parent) {
        setTitle("New Window");
        setSize(300, 200);
        setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    }
}

Answer

In a Java Swing application, managing multiple windows is common for creating a responsive user interface. You can achieve the functionality of closing one window and opening another by utilizing Java's ActionListener interface in conjunction with JFrame class methods.

public class MainFrame extends JFrame {
    private JButton openNewWindowButton;

    public MainFrame() {
        setTitle("Main Window");
        setSize(300, 200);
        setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

        openNewWindowButton = new JButton("Open New Window");
        openNewWindowButton.addActionListener(e -> openNewWindow());
        add(openNewWindowButton);
    }

    private void openNewWindow() {
        NewWindow newWindow = new NewWindow(this);
        newWindow.setVisible(true);
        this.dispose(); // Closes the main window
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(() -> {
            MainFrame mainFrame = new MainFrame();
            mainFrame.setVisible(true);
        });
    }
}

class NewWindow extends JFrame {
    public NewWindow(JFrame parent) {
        setTitle("New Window");
        setSize(300, 200);
        setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    }
}

Causes

User needs to transition between different application states
Improving user experience by not cluttering the screen with multiple open windows

Solutions

Create a main JFrame that contains a JButton.
Implement an ActionListener for the button that handles opening the new JFrame and closing the current one.
Use `this.dispose()` in the main JFrame to close it when transitioning to the new window.

Common Mistakes

Mistake: Not using `dispose()` to close the current window, which keeps it in memory and may lead to resource leaks.

Solution: Always use `this.dispose()` after opening a new window to ensure proper closure.

Mistake: Forgetting to set the new window's visibility with `setVisible(true)`, causing the window not to appear.

Solution: Ensure to call `newWindow.setVisible(true);` immediately after creating the new window.

Helpers

Java Swing
close window
open new window
button click action
JFrame
Java GUI programming