API addition proposal -- Add Action enum and methods to javafx.application.Application

[Michael Hall]

> On Oct 12, 2024, at 9:35 AM, David Kopp <codebangusllc at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hello everyone,
> 
> I develop cross platform JavaFX applications. On MacOS one of the annoying things about JavaFX is that it does not provide a way to add About <<app_name>> and Settings… to the application menu bar like the java.awt.Desktop class does in Swing.
> 
> My proposal is to add similar functionality to JavaFX. I propose adding the following to javafx.platform.Application:
> 



> On Oct 12, 2024, at 9:35 AM, David Kopp <codebangusllc at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hello everyone,
> 
> I develop cross platform JavaFX applications. On MacOS one of the annoying things about JavaFX is that it does not provide a way to add About <<app_name>> and Settings… to the application menu bar like the java.awt.Desktop class does in Swing.
> 

It would be convenient. Recently I wanted to check that I was current with Scene Builder, but there was no about item with the version.

I looked at this some time back. 

https://marc.info/?l=openjdk-openjfx-dev&m=167391490829873&w=2

I did this, incomplete as a lot of my stuff is, after the following note.

https://github.com/mik3hall/JavaFXDesktop

On Jan 6, 2023, at 4:35 PM, Michael Hall <mik3hall at gmail.com> wrote:

I haven’t verified if this would further allow changing the java.awt.Desktop about handler. 

I did check that custom AboutHandlers are possible for OS/X JavaFX applications. 
With…

	static {
		//java.awt.Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit(); // Start AppKit
		Thread t = new Thread(() -> { java.awt.Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit(); });
      	t.start();  
	}

I made the Application class itself the handler…

public class HelloWorld extends Application implements AboutHandler {

Setting the handler seemed to also need some thread management.

	@Override
	public void init() {
    	Thread t = new Thread(() -> {
			Desktop desktop = Desktop.getDesktop();
			desktop.setAboutHandler((AboutHandler)this);   
		});
		t.start();		  				
	}

It appeared this could be done in the init or about anywhere in the javaFX start method.

The handler I think comes in on the AWT EventQueue so needs to be changed to javaFX

    public void handleAbout(AboutEvent evt) {
    	System.out.println("got to handleAbout");
    	Platform.runLater(() -> {
    		Alert alert = new Alert(AlertType.INFORMATION, "About HelloWorld");
			alert.showAndWait();
		});
    }

Checking on Windows 10 VirtualBox it appeared Desktop.Action.APP_ABOUT isn’t supported. 
I had trouble with my VirtualBox linux images so didn’t verify there but I’m guessing this is viewed as OS/X only and not supported there either.

I never really did determine why javaFX applications are different. My last thought had been that they instantiated an NSApplication early so a NSApplicationAWT wss never obtained. However, I later thought I saw where I passed a check indicating I had to have NSApplicationAWT. With a fix so you get the About menu item it seemed a little moot. What I provided for ApplicationDelegate seems to be one such fix. You can come up with your own fix but I think it will need to done jdk side though to provide this functionality to javafx app’s. I might bring this up on the javafx list if the jdk does make it possible at some point.

I haven’t looked at any other Desktop functionality for javafx app’s yet having no immediate need myself.   

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