Recent News

October 24, 2012

An update to the VOLANO chat software is available as a full version 2.11 package and as a patch to version 2.10. This version works around the bug in Oracle Java 7 that disables the enter and return keys on Mac OS X. See the Version 2.11 page for details.

October 22, 2012

If you have Oracle Java 7 on Apple Mac OS X and a Google account, you can help test the fix to the bug described below by going to www.volano.net. Just type a chat message and press the enter or return key to send it into the chat room. If the chat message is sent, it works. If the enter or return keys do nothing, it fails. Let me know how it goes!

— John Neffenger

October 17, 2012

The Oracle Java 7 Plug-in on Mac OS X disables the enter and return keys in the text field of the chat room window. As a result, Mac users who upgrade to Java 7 are unable to send messages in the chat room. There is a work-around that I will post soon in an update to the VOLANO chat software. I expect to complete the changes in the next few days and have a full version and upgrade version available for download next week.

Included in the text box below is the bug report I submitted to Oracle.

— John Neffenger

Bug report
Date Created: Thu Oct 18 13:31:28 MDT 2012 Type: bug Customer Name: John Neffenger status: Waiting Category: java Subcategory: classes_awt Company: Status Six Communications release: 7 hardware: x86 OSversion: macosx priority: 3 Synopsis: TextField doesn't support AWT 1.0 inheritance event model (newEventsOnly==true). Description: FULL PRODUCT VERSION : java version "1.7.0_07" Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_07-b10) Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 23.3-b01, mixed mode) ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION : Mac OS X Mountain Lion - System Version: OS X 10.8.2 (12C60), Kernel Version: Darwin 12.2.0 A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM : The TextField component in Oracle Java 7 on Mac OS X get marked with 'newEventsOnly' set to 'true', disabling any support for the deprecated AWT 1.0 inheritance event model. I think it happens in java.awt.Component with a call to this method: public synchronized void addInputMethodListener(InputMethodListener l) { if (l == null) { return; } inputMethodListener = AWTEventMulticaster.add(inputMethodListener, l); newEventsOnly = true; } After that call, no events are reported with the AWT 1.0 event model, essentially disabling the component for any programs still using the old model. REGRESSION. Last worked in version 6u31 STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM : Run the 'Java10' program included below with Oracle Java 7 on Mac OS X. Enter text in the text field and press the Enter key to post the text to the text area. Nothing happens. The Enter key events are never report to the program. EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR : EXPECTED - The Enter key should be reported as an action event to the program, allowing it to post the text to the text area. This is what happens with Java 7 on Linux and Windows. ACTUAL - Nothing happens. On Mac OS X you must press the Send button to post the text, as the Send button still reports the AWT 1.0 style events that the program expects. REPRODUCIBILITY : This bug can be reproduced always. ---------- BEGIN SOURCE ---------- package com.status6.events; import java.awt.Button; import java.awt.Event; import java.awt.FlowLayout; import java.awt.Frame; import java.awt.Panel; import java.awt.TextArea; import java.awt.TextField; /** * A frame that uses the AWT 1.0 inheritance event model. * * @author John Neffenger */ public class Java10 extends Frame { TextArea area; TextField field; Button send; Button quit; public Java10(String title) { super(title); area = new TextArea("", 25, 50, TextArea.SCROLLBARS_VERTICAL_ONLY); field = new TextField(50); send = new Button("Send"); quit = new Button("Quit"); area.setEditable(false); Panel panel = new Panel(new FlowLayout()); panel.add(field); panel.add(send); panel.add(quit); add("Center", area); add("South", panel); pack(); } private void postText() { area.append(field.getText() + '\n'); field.setText(""); field.requestFocus(); } private void quit() { setVisible(false); dispose(); System.exit(0); } @Override public boolean action(Event event, Object what) { System.out.println("Action = " + event); boolean handled = false; if (event.target == send || event.target == field) { postText(); handled = true; } else if (event.target == quit) { quit(); } return handled; } @Override public boolean handleEvent(Event event) { if (event.id == Event.WINDOW_DESTROY) { quit(); } return super.handleEvent(event); } @Override public void requestFocus() { field.requestFocus(); } /** * Creates the frame, sets it visible, and requests the keyboard focus. * * @param args the command line arguments */ public static void main(String[] args) { Frame frame = new Java10("My Frame"); frame.setVisible(true); frame.requestFocus(); } } ---------- END SOURCE ---------- CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND : The workaround is to rewrite the application to use the AWT 1.1 delegation event model, as follows: package com.status6.events; import java.awt.Button; import java.awt.FlowLayout; import java.awt.Frame; import java.awt.Panel; import java.awt.TextArea; import java.awt.TextField; import java.awt.event.ActionEvent; import java.awt.event.ActionListener; import java.awt.event.WindowAdapter; import java.awt.event.WindowEvent; /** * A frame that uses the AWT 1.1 delegation event model. * * @author John Neffenger */ public class Java11 extends Frame { TextArea area; TextField field; Button send; Button quit; public Java11(String title) { super(title); area = new TextArea("", 25, 50, TextArea.SCROLLBARS_VERTICAL_ONLY); field = new TextField(50); send = new Button("Send"); quit = new Button("Quit"); area.setEditable(false); Panel panel = new Panel(new FlowLayout()); panel.add(field); panel.add(send); panel.add(quit); add("Center", area); add("South", panel); addListeners(); pack(); } private void postText() { area.append(field.getText() + '\n'); field.setText(""); field.requestFocus(); } private void quit() { setVisible(false); dispose(); System.exit(0); } private void addListeners() { // Using references to an anonymous inner class. ActionListener postingListener = new ActionListener() { @Override public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) { System.out.println("Posting text..."); postText(); } }; field.addActionListener(postingListener); send.addActionListener(postingListener); // Using the compact form of anonymous inner classes without references. quit.addActionListener(new ActionListener() { @Override public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) { System.out.println("Quitting..."); quit(); } }); addWindowListener(new WindowAdapter() { @Override public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e) { System.out.println("Window closing..."); quit(); } }); } @Override public void requestFocus() { field.requestFocus(); } /** * Creates the frame, sets it visible, and requests the keyboard focus. * * @param args the command line arguments */ public static void main(String[] args) { Frame frame = new Java11("My Frame"); frame.setVisible(true); frame.requestFocus(); } }