public class AWTKeyStroke
extends Object
implements Serializable

An AWTKeyStroke represents a key action on the keyboard, or equivalent input device. AWTKeyStrokes can correspond to only a press or release of a particular key, just as KEY_PRESSED and KEY_RELEASED KeyEvents do; alternately, they can correspond to typing a specific Java character, just as KEY_TYPED KeyEvents do. In all cases, AWTKeyStrokes can specify modifiers (alt, shift, control, meta, altGraph, or a combination thereof) which must be present during the action for an exact match.

AWTKeyStrokes are immutable, and are intended to be unique. Client code should never create an AWTKeyStroke on its own, but should instead use a variant of getAWTKeyStroke. Client use of these factory methods allows the AWTKeyStroke implementation to cache and share instances efficiently.

protected AWTKeyStroke()

Constructs an AWTKeyStroke with default values. The default values used are:

Property	Default Value
Key Char	KeyEvent.CHAR_UNDEFINED
Key Code	KeyEvent.VK_UNDEFINED
Modifiers	none
On key release?	false

AWTKeyStrokes should not be constructed by client code. Use a variant of getAWTKeyStroke instead.

protected AWTKeyStroke(char, int, int, boolean)

Constructs an AWTKeyStroke with the specified values. AWTKeyStrokes should not be constructed by client code. Use a variant of getAWTKeyStroke instead.

char keyChar: the character value for a keyboard key

int keyCode: the key code for this AWTKeyStroke

int modifiers: a bitwise-ored combination of any modifiers

boolean onKeyRelease: true if this AWTKeyStroke corresponds to a key release; false otherwise

public final boolean equals(Object)

Returns true if this object is identical to the specified object.

Object anObject: the Object to compare this object to

public static AWTKeyStroke getAWTKeyStroke(char)

Returns a shared instance of an AWTKeyStroke that represents a KEY_TYPED event for the specified character.

char keyChar: the character value for a keyboard key

public static AWTKeyStroke getAWTKeyStroke(Character, int)

Returns a shared instance of an AWTKeyStroke that represents a KEY_TYPED event for the specified Character object and a set of modifiers. Note that the first parameter is of type Character rather than char. This is to avoid inadvertent clashes with calls to getAWTKeyStroke(int keyCode, int modifiers). The modifiers consist of any combination of following:

• java.awt.event.InputEvent.SHIFT_DOWN_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.CTRL_DOWN_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.META_DOWN_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.ALT_DOWN_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.ALT_GRAPH_DOWN_MASK

• java.awt.event.InputEvent.SHIFT_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.CTRL_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.META_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.ALT_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.ALT_GRAPH_MASK

Character keyChar: the Character object for a keyboard character

int modifiers: a bitwise-ored combination of any modifiers

IllegalArgumentException: if keyChar is null

public static AWTKeyStroke getAWTKeyStroke(int, int)

Returns a shared instance of an AWTKeyStroke, given a numeric key code and a set of modifiers. The returned AWTKeyStroke will correspond to a key press.

The "virtual key" constants defined in java.awt.event.KeyEvent can be used to specify the key code. For example:

• java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_ENTER
• java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_TAB
• java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_SPACE

• java.awt.event.InputEvent.SHIFT_DOWN_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.CTRL_DOWN_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.META_DOWN_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.ALT_DOWN_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.ALT_GRAPH_DOWN_MASK

• java.awt.event.InputEvent.SHIFT_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.CTRL_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.META_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.ALT_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.ALT_GRAPH_MASK

int keyCode: an int specifying the numeric code for a keyboard key

int modifiers: a bitwise-ored combination of any modifiers

public static AWTKeyStroke getAWTKeyStroke(int, int, boolean)

Returns a shared instance of an AWTKeyStroke, given a numeric key code and a set of modifiers, specifying whether the key is activated when it is pressed or released.

The "virtual key" constants defined in java.awt.event.KeyEvent can be used to specify the key code. For example:

• java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_ENTER
• java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_TAB
• java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_SPACE

• java.awt.event.InputEvent.SHIFT_DOWN_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.CTRL_DOWN_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.META_DOWN_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.ALT_DOWN_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.ALT_GRAPH_DOWN_MASK

• java.awt.event.InputEvent.SHIFT_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.CTRL_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.META_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.ALT_MASK
• java.awt.event.InputEvent.ALT_GRAPH_MASK

int keyCode: an int specifying the numeric code for a keyboard key

int modifiers: a bitwise-ored combination of any modifiers

boolean onKeyRelease: true if the AWTKeyStroke should represent a key release; false otherwise

public static AWTKeyStroke getAWTKeyStroke(String)

Parses a string and returns an AWTKeyStroke. The string must have the following syntax:

    <modifiers>* (<typedID> | <pressedReleasedID>)

    modifiers := shift | control | ctrl | meta | alt | altGraph
    typedID := typed <typedKey>
    typedKey := string of length 1 giving Unicode character.
    pressedReleasedID := (pressed | released) key
    key := KeyEvent key code name, i.e. the name following "VK_".
 

     "INSERT" => getAWTKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_INSERT, 0);
     "control DELETE" => getAWTKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_DELETE, InputEvent.CTRL_MASK);
     "alt shift X" => getAWTKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_X, InputEvent.ALT_MASK | InputEvent.SHIFT_MASK);
     "alt shift released X" => getAWTKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_X, InputEvent.ALT_MASK | InputEvent.SHIFT_MASK, true);
     "typed a" => getAWTKeyStroke('a');
 

String s: a String formatted as described above

IllegalArgumentException: if s is null, or is formatted incorrectly

public static AWTKeyStroke getAWTKeyStrokeForEvent(KeyEvent)

Returns an AWTKeyStroke which represents the stroke which generated a given KeyEvent.

This method obtains the keyChar from a KeyTyped event, and the keyCode from a KeyPressed or KeyReleased event. The KeyEvent modifiers are obtained for all three types of KeyEvent.

KeyEvent anEvent: the KeyEvent from which to obtain the AWTKeyStroke

NullPointerException: if anEvent is null

public final char getKeyChar()

Returns the character for this AWTKeyStroke.

public final int getKeyCode()

Returns the numeric key code for this AWTKeyStroke.

public final int getKeyEventType()

Returns the type of KeyEvent which corresponds to this AWTKeyStroke.

public final int getModifiers()

Returns the modifier keys for this AWTKeyStroke.

public int hashCode()

Returns a numeric value for this object that is likely to be unique, making it a good choice as the index value in a hash table.

public final boolean isOnKeyRelease()

Returns whether this AWTKeyStroke represents a key release.

protected Object readResolve()

Returns a cached instance of AWTKeyStroke (or a subclass of AWTKeyStroke) which is equal to this instance.

protected static void registerSubclass(Class)

Registers a new class which the factory methods in AWTKeyStroke will use when generating new instances of AWTKeyStrokes. After invoking this method, the factory methods will return instances of the specified Class. The specified Class must be either AWTKeyStroke or derived from AWTKeyStroke, and it must have a no-arg constructor. The constructor can be of any accessibility, including private. This operation flushes the current AWTKeyStroke cache.

java.lang.Class subclass: the new Class of which the factory methods should create instances

IllegalArgumentException: if subclass is null, or if subclass does not have a no-arg constructor

ClassCastException: if subclass is not AWTKeyStroke, or a class derived from AWTKeyStroke

public String toString()

Returns a string that displays and identifies this object's properties. The String returned by this method can be passed as a parameter to getAWTKeyStroke(String) to produce a key stroke equal to this key stroke.