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| Chapter 19 java.awt Reference |

# TextArea

## Name

TextArea

##

## Description

The `TextArea` class provides a multi-line `Component` for textual user input.

## Class Definition

    public class java.awt.TextArea
        extends java.awt.TextComponent {
      // Constants
      public final static int SCROLLBARS_BOTH;
      public final static int SCROLLBARS_HORIZONTAL_ONLY;
      public final static int SCROLLBARS_NONE;
      public final static int SCROLLBARS_VERTICAL_ONLY;

      // Constructors
      public TextArea();
      public TextArea (int rows, int columns);
      public TextArea (String text);
      public TextArea (String text, int rows, int columns);
      public TextArea (String text, int rows, int columns, int scrollbars);

      // Instance Methods
      public void addNotify();
      public synchronized void append (String string);
      public void appendText (String string);
      public int getColumns();
      public Dimension getMinimumSize();
      public Dimension getMinimumSize (int rows, int columns);
      public Dimension getPreferredSize();
      public Dimension getPreferredSize (int rows, int columns);
      public int getRows();
      public int getScrollbarVisibility();
      public synchronized void insert (String string, int position);
      public void insertText (String string, int position);
      public Dimension minimumSize();
      public Dimension minimumSize (int rows, int columns);
      public Dimension preferredSize();
      public Dimension preferredSize (int rows, int columns);
      public synchronized void replaceRange (String str, int start, int end);
      public void replaceText (String string, int startPosition, int endPosition);
      public void setColumns (int columns);
      public void setRows (int rows);

      // Protected Instance Methods
      protected String paramString();
    }

## Constants

### SCROLLBARS_BOTH

#### public final static int SCROLLBARS_BOTH

Show both the horizontal and vertical scrollbars.

### SCROLLBARS_HORIZONTAL_ONLY

#### public final static int SCROLLBARS_HORIZONTAL_ONLY

Show the horizontal scrollbar.

### SCROLLBARS_NONE

#### public final static int SCROLLBARS_NONE

Show no scrollbars.

### SCROLLBARS_VERTICAL_ONLY

#### public final static int SCROLLBARS_VERTICAL_ONLY

Show the vertical scrollbar.

## Constructors

### TextArea

#### public TextArea()

Description

  Constructs a `TextArea` object with the default size and no initial content. The default size of a text area varies widely from platform to platform, so it's best to avoid this constructor.

#### public TextArea (int rows, int columns)

Parameters

  rows

    Requested number of displayed rows.

  columns

    Requested number of displayed columns.

Description

  Constructs a `TextArea` object of the given size and no initial content.

#### public TextArea (String text)

Parameters

  text

    Initial text for `TextArea`.

Description

  Constructs a `TextArea` object with the given initial content.

#### public TextArea (String text, int rows, int columns)

Parameters

  text

    Initial text for `TextArea`.

  rows

    Requested number of displayed rows.

  columns

    Requested number of displayed columns.

Description

  Constructs a `TextArea` object with the given content and size.

#### public TextArea (String text, int rows, int columns, int scrollbars)

Parameters

  text

    Initial text for `TextArea`.

  rows

    Requested number of displayed rows.

  columns

    Requested number of displayed columns.

  scrollbars

    Requested scrollbar visibility. Use one of the constants defined.

Description

  Constructs a `TextArea` object with the given content, size, and scrollbar visibility.

## Instance Methods

### addNotify

#### public void addNotify()

Overrides

  `Component.addNotify()`

Description

  Creates `TextArea`'s peer.

### append

#### public synchronized void append (String string)

Parameters

  string

    Content to append to the end of the `TextArea`.

Description

  Appends the given text string to the text already displayed in the `TextArea`.

### appendText

#### public void appendText (String string)

Parameters

  string

    Content to append to end of `TextArea`.

Description

  Replaced by `append(String)`.

### getColumns

#### public int getColumns()

Returns

  The width of the `TextArea` in columns.

### getMinimumSize

#### public Dimension getMinimumSize()

Returns

  The minimum dimensions of the `TextArea`.

#### public Dimension getMinimumSize (int rows, int columns)

Parameters

  rows

    Number of rows within `TextArea` to size.

  columns

    Number of columns within `TextArea` to size.

Returns

  The minimum dimensions of a `TextArea` of the given size.

### getPreferredSize

#### public Dimension getPreferredSize()

Returns

  The preferred dimensions of the `TextArea`.

#### public Dimension getPreferredSize (int rows, int columns)

Parameters

  rows

    Number of rows within `TextArea` to size.

  columns

    Number of columns within `TextArea` to size.

Returns

  The preferred dimensions of a `TextArea` of the given size.

### getRows

#### public int getRows()

Returns

  The height of the `TextArea` in rows.

### getScrollbarVisibility

#### public int getScrollbarVisibility()

Returns

  One of the `SCROLLBAR_` constants indicating which scrollbars are visible.

### insert

#### public synchronized void insert (String string, int position)

Parameters

  string

    Content to place within `TextArea` content.

  position

    Location to insert content.

Description

  Places additional text within the `TextArea` at the given position.

### insertText

#### public void insertText (String string, int position)

Parameters

  string

    Content to place within `TextArea` content.

  position

    Location to insert content.

Description

  Places additional text within the `TextArea` at the given position. Replaced by `insert(String, int)`.

### minimumSize

#### public Dimension minimumSize()

Returns

  The minimum dimensions of the `TextArea`. Replaced by `getMinimumSize()`.

#### public Dimension minimumSize (int rows, int columns)

Parameters

  rows

    Number of rows within `TextArea` to size.

  columns

    Number of columns within `TextArea` to size.

Returns

  The minimum dimensions of a `TextArea` of the given size. Replaced by `getMinimumSize(int, int)`.

### preferredSize

#### public Dimension preferredSize()

Returns

  The preferred dimensions of the `TextArea`. Replaced by `getPreferredSize()`.

#### public Dimension preferredSize (int rows, int columns)

Parameters

  rows

    Number of rows within `TextArea` to size.

  columns

    Number of columns within `TextArea` to size.

Returns

  The preferred dimensions of a `TextArea` of the given size. Replaced by `getPreferredSize(int, int)`.

### replaceRange

#### public synchronized void replaceRange (String str, int start, int end)

Parameters

  str

    New content to place in `TextArea`.

  start

    Starting position of content to replace.

  end

    Ending position of content to replace.

Description

  Replaces a portion of the `TextArea`'s content with the given text.

### replaceText

#### public void replaceText (String string, int startPosition, int endPosition)

Parameters

  string

    New content to place in `TextArea`.

  startPosition

    Starting position of content to replace.

  endPosition

    Ending position of content to replace.

Description

  Replaces a portion of the `TextArea`'s content with the given text. Replaced by `replaceRange(String, int, int)`.

### setColumns

#### public void setColumns (int columns)

Parameters

  columns

    New number of columns.

Throws

  IllegalArgumentException

    If `columns` is less than zero.

Description

  Changes the number of columns.

### setRows

#### public void setRows (int rows)

Parameters

  rows

    New number of columns.

Throws

  IllegalArgumentException

    If `rows` is less than zero.

Description

  Changes the number of rows.

## Protected Instance Methods

### paramString

#### protected String paramString()

Returns

  String with current settings of `TextArea`.

Overrides

  `TextComponent.paramString()`

Description

  Helper method for `toString()` to generate string of current settings.

## See Also

`Dimension`, `TextComponent`, `String`

SystemColor |  | TextComponent