in order to capture key events of ALL text fields in a JFrame, one can employ a key event post processor. Here is a working example, after you add the obvious includes.
public class KeyListenerF1Demo extends JFrame implements KeyEventPostProcessor {
public static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
public KeyListenerF1Demo() {
setTitle(getClass().getName());
// Define two labels and two text fields all in a row.
setLayout(new FlowLayout());
JLabel label1 = new JLabel("Text1");
label1.setName("Label1");
add(label1);
JTextField text1 = new JTextField(10);
text1.setName("Text1");
add(text1);
JLabel label2 = new JLabel("Text2");
label2.setName("Label2");
add(label2);
JTextField text2 = new JTextField(10);
text2.setName("Text2");
add(text2);
// Register a key event post processor.
KeyboardFocusManager.getCurrentKeyboardFocusManager()
.addKeyEventPostProcessor(this);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
JFrame f = new KeyListenerF1Demo();
f.setName("MyFrame");
f.pack();
f.setVisible(true);
}
@Override
public boolean postProcessKeyEvent(KeyEvent ke) {
// Check for function key F1 pressed.
if (ke.getID() == KeyEvent.KEY_PRESSED
&& ke.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_F1) {
// Get top level ancestor of focused element.
Component c = ke.getComponent();
while (null != c.getParent())
c = c.getParent();
// Output some help.
System.out.println("Help for " + c.getName() + "."
+ ke.getComponent().getName());
// Tell keyboard focus manager that event has been fully handled.
return true;
}
// Let keyboard focus manager handle the event further.
return false;
}
}