JAVA Swing - tabbed panel setSelectedIndex() on a card panel from another card panel

Question

I have a GUI as shown below. the tabbed pane in the card layout card 1 panel show 1st tab by default. When i navigate to card 2, I would like to know how to make the button there to navigate to card 1 tab 3. I know how to get to card 1 from that button by using getParent(), but I don't know how to show a specific tab I want from there. (Note: card 1 and card 2 are two different JPanel classes, the parent is a JFrame class)

Image: Left side as card 1 with tabbed panel , Right side as card 2

The following is my code:

the main JFrame:

import java.awt.CardLayout;

public class NewJFrame extends javax.swing.JFrame {

public NewJFrame() {
    initComponents();
}

/**
 * This method is called from within the constructor to initialize the form.
 * WARNING: Do NOT modify this code. The content of this method is always
 * regenerated by the Form Editor.
 */
@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
// <editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc="Generated Code">                          
private void initComponents() {

    jbtCard1 = new javax.swing.JButton();
    jbtCard2 = new javax.swing.JButton();
    cardPane = new javax.swing.JPanel();
    jPanelCard11 = new CardLayoutTest.JPanelCard1();
    jPanelCard21 = new CardLayoutTest.JPanelCard2();

    setDefaultCloseOperation(javax.swing.WindowConstants.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

    jbtCard1.setText("Card 1");
    jbtCard1.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
        public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
            jbtCard1ActionPerformed(evt);
        }
    });

    jbtCard2.setText("Card 2");
    jbtCard2.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
        public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
            jbtCard2ActionPerformed(evt);
        }
    });

    cardPane.setName(""); // NOI18N
    cardPane.setLayout(new java.awt.CardLayout());
    cardPane.add(jPanelCard11, "card1");
    cardPane.add(jPanelCard21, "card2");

    javax.swing.GroupLayout layout = new javax.swing.GroupLayout(getContentPane());
    getContentPane().setLayout(layout);
    layout.setHorizontalGroup(
        layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.TRAILING, layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addGap(87, 87, 87)
            .addComponent(jbtCard1)
            .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, Short.MAX_VALUE)
            .addComponent(jbtCard2)
            .addGap(80, 80, 80))
        .addComponent(cardPane, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, Short.MAX_VALUE)
    );
    layout.setVerticalGroup(
        layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.TRAILING, layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addComponent(cardPane, javax.swing.GroupLayout.DEFAULT_SIZE, 260, Short.MAX_VALUE)
            .addPreferredGap(javax.swing.LayoutStyle.ComponentPlacement.RELATED)
            .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.BASELINE)
                .addComponent(jbtCard2)
                .addComponent(jbtCard1))
            .addContainerGap())
    );

    pack();
}// </editor-fold>                        

private void jbtCard1ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {                                         
    CardLayout card = (CardLayout) cardPane.getLayout();
    card.show(cardPane, "card1");
}                                        

private void jbtCard2ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {                                         
    CardLayout card = (CardLayout) cardPane.getLayout();
    card.show(cardPane, "card2");
}                                        


public static void main(String args[]) {
    /* Set the Nimbus look and feel */
    //<editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc=" Look and feel setting code (optional) ">
    /* If Nimbus (introduced in Java SE 6) is not available, stay with the default look and feel.
     * For details see http://download.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/lookandfeel/plaf.html 
     */
    try {
        for (javax.swing.UIManager.LookAndFeelInfo info : javax.swing.UIManager.getInstalledLookAndFeels()) {
            if ("Nimbus".equals(info.getName())) {
                javax.swing.UIManager.setLookAndFeel(info.getClassName());
                break;
            }
        }
    } catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
        java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(NewJFrame.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    } catch (InstantiationException ex) {
        java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(NewJFrame.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    } catch (IllegalAccessException ex) {
        java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(NewJFrame.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    } catch (javax.swing.UnsupportedLookAndFeelException ex) {
        java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(NewJFrame.class.getName()).log(java.util.logging.Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    }
    //</editor-fold>

    /* Create and display the form */
    java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
        public void run() {
            new NewJFrame().setVisible(true);
        }
    });
}
// Variables declaration - do not modify                     
private javax.swing.JPanel cardPane;
private CardLayoutTest.JPanelCard1 jPanelCard11;
private CardLayoutTest.JPanelCard2 jPanelCard21;
private javax.swing.JButton jbtCard1;
private javax.swing.JButton jbtCard2;
// End of variables declaration                   
}

Card 1 Panel:

public class JPanelCard1 extends javax.swing.JPanel {

public JPanelCard1() {
    initComponents();
}

// <editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc="Generated Code">                          
private void initComponents() {

    jTabbedPane1 = new javax.swing.JTabbedPane();
    jPanel1 = new javax.swing.JPanel();
    jLabel2 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
    jPanel2 = new javax.swing.JPanel();
    jLabel1 = new javax.swing.JLabel();
    jPanel3 = new javax.swing.JPanel();
    jLabel3 = new javax.swing.JLabel();

    jLabel2.setText("card 1 tab 1 ");

    javax.swing.GroupLayout jPanel1Layout = new javax.swing.GroupLayout(jPanel1);
    jPanel1.setLayout(jPanel1Layout);
    jPanel1Layout.setHorizontalGroup(
        jPanel1Layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(jPanel1Layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addGap(101, 101, 101)
            .addComponent(jLabel2)
            .addContainerGap(233, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );
    jPanel1Layout.setVerticalGroup(
        jPanel1Layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(jPanel1Layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addGap(62, 62, 62)
            .addComponent(jLabel2)
            .addContainerGap(138, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );

    jTabbedPane1.addTab("tab1", jPanel1);

    jLabel1.setText("card 1 tab 2");

    javax.swing.GroupLayout jPanel2Layout = new javax.swing.GroupLayout(jPanel2);
    jPanel2.setLayout(jPanel2Layout);
    jPanel2Layout.setHorizontalGroup(
        jPanel2Layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(jPanel2Layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addGap(73, 73, 73)
            .addComponent(jLabel1)
            .addContainerGap(264, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );
    jPanel2Layout.setVerticalGroup(
        jPanel2Layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(jPanel2Layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addGap(92, 92, 92)
            .addComponent(jLabel1)
            .addContainerGap(108, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );

    jTabbedPane1.addTab("tab2", jPanel2);

    jLabel3.setText("card 1 tab 3");

    javax.swing.GroupLayout jPanel3Layout = new javax.swing.GroupLayout(jPanel3);
    jPanel3.setLayout(jPanel3Layout);
    jPanel3Layout.setHorizontalGroup(
        jPanel3Layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(jPanel3Layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addGap(140, 140, 140)
            .addComponent(jLabel3)
            .addContainerGap(197, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );
    jPanel3Layout.setVerticalGroup(
        jPanel3Layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(jPanel3Layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addGap(71, 71, 71)
            .addComponent(jLabel3)
            .addContainerGap(129, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );

    jTabbedPane1.addTab("tab3", jPanel3);

    javax.swing.GroupLayout layout = new javax.swing.GroupLayout(this);
    this.setLayout(layout);
    layout.setHorizontalGroup(
        layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addComponent(jTabbedPane1)
    );
    layout.setVerticalGroup(
        layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addComponent(jTabbedPane1, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE, 242, javax.swing.GroupLayout.PREFERRED_SIZE)
            .addGap(0, 58, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );
}// </editor-fold>                        
// Variables declaration - do not modify                     
private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel1;
private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel2;
private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel3;
private javax.swing.JPanel jPanel1;
private javax.swing.JPanel jPanel2;
private javax.swing.JPanel jPanel3;
private javax.swing.JTabbedPane jTabbedPane1;
// End of variables declaration                   
}

Card 2 Panel:

import java.awt.CardLayout;
import javax.swing.JPanel;

public class JPanelCard2 extends javax.swing.JPanel {

public JPanelCard2() {
    initComponents();
}

/**
 * This method is called from within the constructor to initialize the form.
 * WARNING: Do NOT modify this code. The content of this method is always
 * regenerated by the Form Editor.
 */
@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
// <editor-fold defaultstate="collapsed" desc="Generated Code">                          
private void initComponents() {

    jButton1 = new javax.swing.JButton();
    jLabel1 = new javax.swing.JLabel();

    jButton1.setText("go to Card 1 tab 3");
    jButton1.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
        public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
            jButton1ActionPerformed(evt);
        }
    });

    jLabel1.setText("Card 2");

    javax.swing.GroupLayout layout = new javax.swing.GroupLayout(this);
    this.setLayout(layout);
    layout.setHorizontalGroup(
        layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addGroup(layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
                .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
                    .addGap(261, 261, 261)
                    .addComponent(jButton1))
                .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
                    .addGap(52, 52, 52)
                    .addComponent(jLabel1)))
            .addContainerGap(18, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );
    layout.setVerticalGroup(
        layout.createParallelGroup(javax.swing.GroupLayout.Alignment.LEADING)
        .addGroup(layout.createSequentialGroup()
            .addGap(48, 48, 48)
            .addComponent(jLabel1)
            .addGap(75, 75, 75)
            .addComponent(jButton1)
            .addContainerGap(140, Short.MAX_VALUE))
    );
}// </editor-fold>                        

private void jButton1ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {                                         
    //show card 1 from here
    CardLayout card = (CardLayout) this.getParent().getLayout();
    card.show((JPanel) this.getParent(), "card1");
    //card1 shown, but how to show specific tab in the tab pane from here?
}                                        

// Variables declaration - do not modify                     
private javax.swing.JButton jButton1;
private javax.swing.JLabel jLabel1;
// End of variables declaration                   
}

Answer 1

I think you're looking for JTabbedPane.html.setSelectedIndex(int).

The following isn't the most elegant solution, but it should work without requiring a lot of refactoring.

Add a method in NewJFrame:

public CardLayoutTest.JPanelCard1 getJPanelCard11() {
    return jPanelCard11;
}

Add a method in JPanelCard1:

public void setTab(int index) {
    jTabbedPane1.setSelectedIndex(index);
}

Call these in JPanelCard2:

private void jButton1ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {                                         
    //show card 1 from here
    CardLayout card = (CardLayout) this.getParent().getLayout();
    card.show((JPanel) this.getParent(), "card1");

    //card1 shown, show specific tab in the tab pane from here:

    NewJFrame parent = (NewJFrame) this.getParent();
    ((JPanelCard1) parent.getJPanelCard11()).setTab(1);
}