FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
1.4.2_02

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Windows 98 [Version 4.10.1998]
Windows XP



A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
I created a keyboard menu to enter letters for an application. Using dispatchEvent for this worked fine in Personal Java, JVM 1.2.2, 1.3.1. however, in 1.4.1, 1.4.2, all keystrokes were lost. When I added a requestFocus for the control receiving the events, it still lost some events.

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
in sample app provided, tap on the [A-Z] button
[note: the two choice menus are related to a problem reported separately]

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
both "text" objects should display the letters A-Z in same sequence
ACTUAL -
1st text field displays all letters correctly.
2nd text field displays all letters < JVM 1.4;
but loses some of the letters >= JVM 1.4

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced often.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;

/*
example that illustrates 2 problems with JVM >= 1.4 (at least on Windows)

1. popup doesn't work for subclass of Choice
2. keyevents lost

these works fine in Personal Java, JVM 1.2.2, 1.3.1

S. Weyer ###@###.###
*/

public class ChoiceKeyTest
  extends Frame
  implements ActionListener
{

  Choice choice1;
  ChoiceNT choice2;
  Button keyButton;
  KeyText text1, text2;
  char keyLetter;
  StringBuffer sb = null;

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    new ChoiceKeyTest();
  }

  public ChoiceKeyTest() {
    setTitle("ChoiceKeyTest; Java: " + System.getProperty("java.version"));
    addWindowListener(new WindowAdapter() {
        public void windowClosing(WindowEvent ev) {
          try { System.exit(0); }
          catch (IllegalStateException ignore) {}; // from Mac possibly
        }});

    choice1 = new Choice();
    choice1.add("Choice: popup ok");
    choice2 = new ChoiceNT();
    choice2.add("ChoiceNT: popup not ok JVM >= 1.4");
    String s;
    for (int i=1; i <= 5; i++) { // add a few more items
      s = Integer.toString(i);
      choice1.add(s);
      choice2.add(s);
    };
    keyButton = new Button("A-Z");
    keyButton.addActionListener(this);
    keyLetter = 'A';
    text1 = new KeyText("direct:");
    text2 = new KeyText("dispEv:");

    setLayout(new GridLayout(5,1));
    add(choice1);
    add(choice2);
    add(keyButton);
    add(text1);
    add(text2);
    pack();
    setVisible(true);
  }

  public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ev) {
    if (ev.getSource() == keyButton) {
      // for text1, add 'key' directly
      text1.addChar(keyLetter);
      // for text2, add key via dispatchEvent
      text2.requestFocus(); // unnec for JVM < 1.4
      // even w/ requestFocus, some events still ignored/lost for >= JVM 1.4
      text2.dispatchEvent(new KeyEvent(this, KeyEvent.KEY_RELEASED, System.currentTimeMillis(), KeyEvent.VK_SHIFT, keyLetter));
      keyLetter++;
      if (keyLetter > 'Z')
        keyLetter = 'A';
    }
  }
}


class ChoiceNT // for an app where another control uses Tab for internal navigation
  extends Choice
{
  public boolean isFocusTraversable() { // refuse focus (via tab)
    return false;
  }
}

class KeyText
  extends Canvas
{
  StringBuffer sb;
  static Font font = new Font("Monospaced", Font.PLAIN, 12);

  KeyText(String s) {
    addKeyListener(new KeyAdapter() {
      public void keyReleased(KeyEvent ev) {
        addChar(ev.getKeyChar());
      }});
    sb = new StringBuffer(s);
  }

  void addChar(char ch) {
    sb.append(ch);
    repaint();
  }

  public void paint(Graphics g) {
    g.setFont(font);
    g.drawString(sb.toString(), 0, 14);
  }

  public final Dimension getMinimumSize() {
    return new Dimension(200,16);
  }
  public final Dimension getPreferredSize() {
    return getMinimumSize();
  }
}

---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
I avoid using dispatchEvent (which is too bad since this seems like the 'right way' to make such controls work generally); I just call my internal "addChar" method directly.

Release Regression From : 1.3.1
The above release value was the last known release where this
bug was known to work. Since then there has been a regression.
###@###.### 2005-03-28 22:17:08 GMT