Preserve JTable selection across TableModel change

Question

We\'re seeing JTable selection get cleared when we do a fireTableDataChanged() or fireTableRowsUpdated() from the TableModel.

Answer 1

I was facing same issue and when tried to search the reason I got this question but it seems a bug in Java SDK. http://bugs.sun.com/bugdatabase/view_bug.do?bug_id=4276786

WORK AROUND

A temporary work-around is available. It should be removed once this bug is fixed as it's suitability has NOT been tested against fixed releases.

Use this subclass of JTable.

Note: This is for the MetalLookAndFeel. If using other look and feels, the inner FixedTableUI subclass will have to extend the TableUI subclass for that look and feel.

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.table.*;
import javax.swing.event.*;
import javax.swing.plaf.basic.*;

public class FixedTable extends JTable {

  private boolean isControlDownInDrag;

  public FixedTable(TableModel model) {
      super(model);
      setUI(new FixedTableUI());
  }

  private class FixedTableUI extends BasicTableUI {
      private MouseInputHandler handler = new MouseInputHandler() {
          public void mouseDragged(MouseEvent e) {
              if (e.isControlDown()) {
                  isControlDownInDrag = true;
              }
              super.mouseDragged(e);
          }

          public void mousePressed(MouseEvent e) {
              isControlDownInDrag = false;
              super.mousePressed(e);
          }

          public void mouseReleased(MouseEvent e) {
              isControlDownInDrag = false;
              super.mouseReleased(e);
          }
      };

      protected MouseInputListener createMouseInputListener() {
          return handler;
      }
  }

  public void changeSelection(int rowIndex, int columnIndex, boolean toggle, boolean extend) {
      if (isControlDownInDrag) {
          ListSelectionModel rsm = getSelectionModel();
          ListSelectionModel csm = getColumnModel().getSelectionModel();

          int anchorRow = rsm.getAnchorSelectionIndex();
          int anchorCol = csm.getAnchorSelectionIndex();

          boolean anchorSelected = isCellSelected(anchorRow, anchorCol);

          if (anchorSelected) {
              rsm.addSelectionInterval(anchorRow, rowIndex);
              csm.addSelectionInterval(anchorCol, columnIndex);
          } else {
              rsm.removeSelectionInterval(anchorRow, rowIndex);
              csm.removeSelectionInterval(anchorCol, columnIndex);
          }

          if (getAutoscrolls()) {
              Rectangle cellRect = getCellRect(rowIndex, columnIndex, false);
              if (cellRect != null) {
                  scrollRectToVisible(cellRect);
              }
          }
      } else {
          super.changeSelection(rowIndex, columnIndex, toggle, extend);
      }
  }
}

Note Curtsey to http://bugs.sun.com