Creating a custom tree with javafx

Question

Basically, I wanted to know if I could create a tree and custom it on javaFX... I tried to do it, but couldn't do anything so far with this code...

public class Main{
    ......

 public Main() throws Exception{
    ......    

   // TreeView created
    TreeView tv = (TreeView) fxmlLoader.getNamespace().get("treeview");

    TreeItem<String> rootItem = new TreeItem<String>("liss");
    rootItem.setExpanded(true);
    tv.setRoot(rootItem);

    /*for (int i = 1; i < 6; i++) {
        TreeItem<String> item = new TreeItem<String> ("Message" + i);
        rootItem.getChildren().add(item);
    }
    TreeItem<String> item = new TreeItem<String> ("MessageWoot");
    rootItem.getChildren().add(item);
*/
    //tv.setEditable(true);

    tv.setCellFactory(new Callback<TreeView<String>, TreeCell<String>>() {
        @Override
        public TreeCell<String> call(TreeView<String> arg0) {
            // custom tree cell that defines a context menu for the root tree item
            return new MyTreeCell();
        }
    });

    stage.show();
}

//
private static class MyTreeCell extends TextFieldTreeCell<String> {
    private ContextMenu addMenu = new ContextMenu();
    public boolean clickedFirstTime = false;

    public MyTreeCell() {
        // instantiate the root context menu
        MenuItem addMenuItem = new MenuItem("Expand");
        addMenu.getItems().add(addMenuItem);
        addMenuItem.setOnAction(new EventHandler() {

            public void handle(Event t) {
                TreeItem n0 =
                        new TreeItem<String>("'program'");
                TreeItem n1 =
                        new TreeItem<String>("<identifier>");
                TreeItem n2 =
                        new TreeItem<String>("body");

                getTreeItem().getChildren().add(n0);
                getTreeItem().getChildren().add(n1);
                getTreeItem().getChildren().add(n2);

            }
        });
    }

    @Override
    public void updateItem(String item, boolean empty) {
        super.updateItem(item, empty);

        // if the item is not empty and is a root...
        //if (!empty && getTreeItem().getParent() == null && this.clickedFirstTime) {
        System.out.println("UPDATEITEM -> clickedFirstTime : "+this.clickedFirstTime);
        if (!this.clickedFirstTime) {
            System.out.println("WOOT");
            setContextMenu(addMenu);
            this.clickedFirstTime = true;
        }
    }

}

And I'm questioning myself if this is the right "technology" which will solve what I'm trying to do...

What's my objective in this?

Firstly, I'm looking to add or delete a treeItem. I must say that a certain treeItem may be added only once or any N times, like a restriction (for example: treeItem < 6 for a certain level scope and a certain path of the root of tree view).

Secondly, make some treeItem editable and others not editable! When it is Editable, you may pop up something for the user in order to insert some input for example!

Is it possible ?

I saw the tutorial from https://docs.oracle.com/javafx/2/ui_controls/tree-view.htm#BABJGGGF but I'm really confused with this tutorial ... I don't really understand the cell factory mechanism... The fact that he does apply to TreeView when i want only a certain TreeItem... Or how could I control that effect/behaviour ? I mean, I'm really really lost with TreeView. Probably, TreeView isn't what I'm looking for ...

P.S.: I know that I cannot apply any visual effect or add menus to a tree items and that i use a cell factory mechanism to overcome this obstacle. Just I don't understand the idea and how could I do it !

Answer 1

So I decided to eliminate TreeView (because the documentation is so trash...) and, instead, I decided to implement a Webview !

Why ?

Like that, I could create an HTML document and use jstree (jquery plugin - https://www.jstree.com ) in there. It is a plugin which will create the treeview basically.

And the documentation is ten time better than treeview oracle documentation unfortunately.

Also, the possibility in creating/editing the tree with jstree is better. Which concludes me that it was the best solution that I could figure out for me.

Also, whoever who will read me, I did a bridge with the webview and my javafx application ! It is a connection between my HTML document and the java application (Read more here - https://blogs.oracle.com/javafx/entry/communicating_between_javascript_and_javafx).

Hope It will help more people.