This class creates a labeled button. The application can cause
some action to happen when the button is pushed. This image
depicts three views of a "Quit" button as it appears
under the Solaris operating system:
The first view shows the button as it appears normally.
The second view shows the button
when it has input focus. Its outline is darkened to let the
user know that it is an active object. The third view shows the
button when the user clicks the mouse over the button, and thus
requests that an action be performed.
The gesture of clicking on a button with the mouse
is associated with one instance of ActionEvent,
which is sent out when the mouse is both pressed and released
over the button. If an application is interested in knowing
when the button has been pressed but not released, as a separate
gesture, it can specialize processMouseEvent,
or it can register itself as a listener for mouse events by
calling addMouseListener. Both of these methods are
defined by Component, the abstract superclass of
all components.
When a button is pressed and released, AWT sends an instance
of ActionEvent to the button, by calling
processEvent on the button. The button's
processEvent method receives all events
for the button; it passes an action event along by
calling its own processActionEvent method.
The latter method passes the action event on to any action
listeners that have registered an interest in action
events generated by this button.
If an application wants to perform some action based on
a button being pressed and released, it should implement
ActionListener and register the new listener
to receive events from this button, by calling the button's
addActionListener method. The application can
make use of the button's action command as a messaging protocol.
Adds the specified action listener to receive action events from
this button. Action events occur when a user presses or releases
the mouse over this button.
Removes the specified action listener so that it no longer
receives action events from this button. Action events occur
when a user presses or releases the mouse over this button.
Processes events on this button. If an event is
an instance of ActionEvent, this method invokes
the processActionEvent method. Otherwise,
it invokes processEvent on the superclass.