This is a tutorial on how to use the JTextArea Component of Java. JTextArea is different from JTextField. Unlike JTextField that will only be used for one line of text, the JTextArea Component can hold more than one line to display text.

So, now let's start this tutorial!

1. Open JCreator or NetBeans and make a java program with a file name of jTextArea.java.

2. Import java.awt.* and javax.swing.* packages because we will going to have the JTextArea component and also the JPanel as the container of this.

1. import
   
   java.awt.*
   
   ;
   
2. import
   
   javax.swing.*
   
   ;
   

3. Instantiate a variable for JTextArea component.

1. JTextArea
   
   txtArea =
   
   new
   
   JTextArea
   
   (
   
   5
   
   ,18
   
   )
   
   ;
   

The 5 here means the rows and 18 means the columns of the JTextArea.

4. Create a constructor that is the same with the filename and set textarea's initial text, scrollbar, and border.

1. public
   
   jTextArea(
   
   )
   
   {
   
2. txtArea.setText
   
   (
   
   "Encode more text to see scrollbars"
   
   )
   
   ;
   
3. JScrollPane
   
   scrollingArea =
   
   new
   
   JScrollPane
   
   (
   
   txtArea)
   
   ;
   

Get the content pane, set layout, add to center.

1. JPanel
   
   content =
   
   new
   
   JPanel
   
   (
   
   )
   
   ;
   
2. content.setLayout
   
   (
   
   new
   
   BorderLayout
   
   (
   
   )
   
   )
   
   ;
   
3. content.add
   
   (
   
   scrollingArea, BorderLayout
   
   .CENTER
   
   )
   
   ;
   

Set window characteristics of the program.

1. this
   
   .setContentPane
   
   (
   
   content)
   
   ;
   
2. this
   
   .setDefaultCloseOperation
   
   (
   
   JFrame
   
   .EXIT_ON_CLOSE
   
   )
   
   ;
   
3. this
   
   .pack
   
   (
   
   )
   
   ;
   

5. In your Main, create a JFrame component that will hold the panel and the textArea and all other components. This will set the size, location, title, and visibility.

1. public
   
   static
   
   void
   
   main(
   
   String
   
   [
   
   ]
   
   args)
   
   {
   
2. JFrame
   
   txtArea =
   
   new
   
   jTextArea(
   
   )
   
   ;
   
3. txtArea.setTitle
   
   (
   
   "JTextArea Component"
   
   )
   
   ;
   
4. txtArea.setVisible
   
   (
   
   true
   
   )
   
   ;
   
5. txtArea.setSize
   
   (
   
   250
   
   ,140
   
   )
   
   ;
   
6. txtArea.setLocation
   
   (
   
   300
   
   ,300
   
   )
   
   ;
   
7. }
   

Output:


Here's the full code of this tutorial:

1. import
   
   java.awt.*
   
   ;
   
2. import
   
   javax.swing.*
   
   ;
   
3. 
   
4. public
   
   class
   
   jTextArea extends
   
   JFrame
   
   {
   
5. 
   
6. JTextArea
   
   txtArea =
   
   new
   
   JTextArea
   
   (
   
   5
   
   ,18
   
   )
   
   ;
   
7. 
   
8. public
   
   jTextArea(
   
   )
   
   {
   
9. 
   
10. txtArea.setText
    
    (
    
    "Encode more text to see scrollbars"
    
    )
    
    ;
    
11. JScrollPane
    
    scrollingArea =
    
    new
    
    JScrollPane
    
    (
    
    txtArea)
    
    ;
    
12. 
    
13. JPanel
    
    content =
    
    new
    
    JPanel
    
    (
    
    )
    
    ;
    
14. content.setLayout
    
    (
    
    new
    
    BorderLayout
    
    (
    
    )
    
    )
    
    ;
    
15. content.add
    
    (
    
    scrollingArea, BorderLayout
    
    .CENTER
    
    )
    
    ;
    
16. 
    
17. this
    
    .setContentPane
    
    (
    
    content)
    
    ;
    
18. this
    
    .setDefaultCloseOperation
    
    (
    
    JFrame
    
    .EXIT_ON_CLOSE
    
    )
    
    ;
    
19. this
    
    .pack
    
    (
    
    )
    
    ;
    
20. }
    
21. 
    
22. public
    
    static
    
    void
    
    main(
    
    String
    
    [
    
    ]
    
    args)
    
    {
    
23. JFrame
    
    txtArea =
    
    new
    
    jTextArea(
    
    )
    
    ;
    
24. txtArea.setTitle
    
    (
    
    "JTextArea Component"
    
    )
    
    ;
    
25. txtArea.setVisible
    
    (
    
    true
    
    )
    
    ;
    
26. txtArea.setSize
    
    (
    
    250
    
    ,140
    
    )
    
    ;
    
27. txtArea.setLocation
    
    (
    
    300
    
    ,300
    
    )
    
    ;
    
28. }
    
29. }
    

Hope this helps! :)

Best Regards,

Engr. Lyndon R. Bermoy
IT Instructor/System Developer/Android Developer/Freelance Programmer

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