JColorChooser (Java Platform SE 8 )
Keywords: javax.swing.JColorChooser class
Date: 2026-08-19

javax.swing

## Class JColorChooser

- java.lang.Object
- - java.awt.Component
  - - java.awt.Container
    - - javax.swing.JComponent
      - - javax.swing.JColorChooser

- All Implemented Interfaces:
    ImageObserver, MenuContainer, Serializable, Accessible

      public class JColorChooser
      extends JComponent
      implements Accessible

  `JColorChooser` provides a pane of controls designed to allow a user to manipulate and select a color. For information about using color choosers, see How to Use Color Choosers, a section in The Java Tutorial.

  This class provides three levels of API:

  1. A static convenience method which shows a modal color-chooser dialog and returns the color selected by the user.
  2. A static convenience method for creating a color-chooser dialog where `ActionListeners` can be specified to be invoked when the user presses one of the dialog buttons.
  3. The ability to create instances of `JColorChooser` panes directly (within any container). `PropertyChange` listeners can be added to detect when the current "color" property changes.

  Warning: Swing is not thread safe. For more information see Swing's Threading Policy.

  Warning: Serialized objects of this class will not be compatible with future Swing releases. The current serialization support is appropriate for short term storage or RMI between applications running the same version of Swing. As of 1.4, support for long term storage of all JavaBeans™ has been added to the `java.beans` package. Please see `XMLEncoder`.

- - ### Nested Class Summary

    Nested Classes
    Modifier and Type | Class and Description
    --- | ---
    `protected class` | `JColorChooser.AccessibleJColorChooser` This class implements accessibility support for the `JColorChooser` class.

    - ### Nested classes/interfaces inherited from class javax.swing.JComponent

      `JComponent.AccessibleJComponent`

    - ### Nested classes/interfaces inherited from class java.awt.Container

      `Container.AccessibleAWTContainer`

    - ### Nested classes/interfaces inherited from class java.awt.Component

      `Component.AccessibleAWTComponent, Component.BaselineResizeBehavior, Component.BltBufferStrategy, Component.FlipBufferStrategy`

  - ### Field Summary

    Fields
    Modifier and Type | Field and Description
    --- | ---
    `protected AccessibleContext` | `accessibleContext`
    `static String` | `CHOOSER_PANELS_PROPERTY` The chooserPanel array property name.
    `static String` | `PREVIEW_PANEL_PROPERTY` The preview panel property name.
    `static String` | `SELECTION_MODEL_PROPERTY` The selection model property name.

    - ### Fields inherited from class javax.swing.JComponent

      `listenerList, TOOL_TIP_TEXT_KEY, ui, UNDEFINED_CONDITION, WHEN_ANCESTOR_OF_FOCUSED_COMPONENT, WHEN_FOCUSED, WHEN_IN_FOCUSED_WINDOW`

    - ### Fields inherited from class java.awt.Component

      `BOTTOM_ALIGNMENT, CENTER_ALIGNMENT, LEFT_ALIGNMENT, RIGHT_ALIGNMENT, TOP_ALIGNMENT`

    - ### Fields inherited from interface java.awt.image.ImageObserver

      `ABORT, ALLBITS, ERROR, FRAMEBITS, HEIGHT, PROPERTIES, SOMEBITS, WIDTH`

  - ### Constructor Summary

    Constructors
    Constructor and Description
    `JColorChooser()` Creates a color chooser pane with an initial color of white.
    `JColorChooser(Color initialColor)` Creates a color chooser pane with the specified initial color.
    `JColorChooser(ColorSelectionModel model)` Creates a color chooser pane with the specified `ColorSelectionModel`.

  - ### Method Summary

    All Methods Static Methods Instance Methods Concrete Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `void` | `addChooserPanel(AbstractColorChooserPanel panel)` Adds a color chooser panel to the color chooser.
    `static JDialog` | `createDialog(Component c, String title, boolean modal, JColorChooser chooserPane, ActionListener okListener, ActionListener cancelListener)` Creates and returns a new dialog containing the specified `ColorChooser` pane along with "OK", "Cancel", and "Reset" buttons.
    `AccessibleContext` | `getAccessibleContext()` Gets the AccessibleContext associated with this JColorChooser.
    `AbstractColorChooserPanel[]` | `getChooserPanels()` Returns the specified color panels.
    `Color` | `getColor()` Gets the current color value from the color chooser.
    `boolean` | `getDragEnabled()` Gets the value of the `dragEnabled` property.
    `JComponent` | `getPreviewPanel()` Returns the preview panel that shows a chosen color.
    `ColorSelectionModel` | `getSelectionModel()` Returns the data model that handles color selections.
    `ColorChooserUI` | `getUI()` Returns the L&F object that renders this component.
    `String` | `getUIClassID()` Returns the name of the L&F class that renders this component.
    `protected String` | `paramString()` Returns a string representation of this `JColorChooser`.
    `AbstractColorChooserPanel` | `removeChooserPanel(AbstractColorChooserPanel panel)` Removes the Color Panel specified.
    `void` | `setChooserPanels(AbstractColorChooserPanel[] panels)` Specifies the Color Panels used to choose a color value.
    `void` | `setColor(Color color)` Sets the current color of the color chooser to the specified color.
    `void` | `setColor(int c)` Sets the current color of the color chooser to the specified color.
    `void` | `setColor(int r, int g, int b)` Sets the current color of the color chooser to the specified RGB color.
    `void` | `setDragEnabled(boolean b)` Sets the `dragEnabled` property, which must be `true` to enable automatic drag handling (the first part of drag and drop) on this component.
    `void` | `setPreviewPanel(JComponent preview)` Sets the current preview panel.
    `void` | `setSelectionModel(ColorSelectionModel newModel)` Sets the model containing the selected color.
    `void` | `setUI(ColorChooserUI ui)` Sets the L&F object that renders this component.
    `static Color` | `showDialog(Component component, String title, Color initialColor)` Shows a modal color-chooser dialog and blocks until the dialog is hidden.
    `void` | `updateUI()` Notification from the `UIManager` that the L&F has changed.

    - ### Methods inherited from class javax.swing.JComponent

      `addAncestorListener, addNotify, addVetoableChangeListener, computeVisibleRect, contains, createToolTip, disable, enable, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, fireVetoableChange, getActionForKeyStroke, getActionMap, getAlignmentX, getAlignmentY, getAncestorListeners, getAutoscrolls, getBaseline, getBaselineResizeBehavior, getBorder, getBounds, getClientProperty, getComponentGraphics, getComponentPopupMenu, getConditionForKeyStroke, getDebugGraphicsOptions, getDefaultLocale, getFontMetrics, getGraphics, getHeight, getInheritsPopupMenu, getInputMap, getInputMap, getInputVerifier, getInsets, getInsets, getListeners, getLocation, getMaximumSize, getMinimumSize, getNextFocusableComponent, getPopupLocation, getPreferredSize, getRegisteredKeyStrokes, getRootPane, getSize, getToolTipLocation, getToolTipText, getToolTipText, getTopLevelAncestor, getTransferHandler, getVerifyInputWhenFocusTarget, getVetoableChangeListeners, getVisibleRect, getWidth, getX, getY, grabFocus, hide, isDoubleBuffered, isLightweightComponent, isManagingFocus, isOpaque, isOptimizedDrawingEnabled, isPaintingForPrint, isPaintingOrigin, isPaintingTile, isRequestFocusEnabled, isValidateRoot, paint, paintBorder, paintChildren, paintComponent, paintImmediately, paintImmediately, print, printAll, printBorder, printChildren, printComponent, processComponentKeyEvent, processKeyBinding, processKeyEvent, processMouseEvent, processMouseMotionEvent, putClientProperty, registerKeyboardAction, registerKeyboardAction, removeAncestorListener, removeNotify, removeVetoableChangeListener, repaint, repaint, requestDefaultFocus, requestFocus, requestFocus, requestFocusInWindow, requestFocusInWindow, resetKeyboardActions, reshape, revalidate, scrollRectToVisible, setActionMap, setAlignmentX, setAlignmentY, setAutoscrolls, setBackground, setBorder, setComponentPopupMenu, setDebugGraphicsOptions, setDefaultLocale, setDoubleBuffered, setEnabled, setFocusTraversalKeys, setFont, setForeground, setInheritsPopupMenu, setInputMap, setInputVerifier, setMaximumSize, setMinimumSize, setNextFocusableComponent, setOpaque, setPreferredSize, setRequestFocusEnabled, setToolTipText, setTransferHandler, setUI, setVerifyInputWhenFocusTarget, setVisible, unregisterKeyboardAction, update`

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.awt.Container

      `add, add, add, add, add, addContainerListener, addImpl, addPropertyChangeListener, addPropertyChangeListener, applyComponentOrientation, areFocusTraversalKeysSet, countComponents, deliverEvent, doLayout, findComponentAt, findComponentAt, getComponent, getComponentAt, getComponentAt, getComponentCount, getComponents, getComponentZOrder, getContainerListeners, getFocusTraversalKeys, getFocusTraversalPolicy, getLayout, getMousePosition, insets, invalidate, isAncestorOf, isFocusCycleRoot, isFocusCycleRoot, isFocusTraversalPolicyProvider, isFocusTraversalPolicySet, layout, list, list, locate, minimumSize, paintComponents, preferredSize, printComponents, processContainerEvent, processEvent, remove, remove, removeAll, removeContainerListener, setComponentZOrder, setFocusCycleRoot, setFocusTraversalPolicy, setFocusTraversalPolicyProvider, setLayout, transferFocusDownCycle, validate, validateTree`

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.awt.Component

      `action, add, addComponentListener, addFocusListener, addHierarchyBoundsListener, addHierarchyListener, addInputMethodListener, addKeyListener, addMouseListener, addMouseMotionListener, addMouseWheelListener, bounds, checkImage, checkImage, coalesceEvents, contains, createImage, createImage, createVolatileImage, createVolatileImage, disableEvents, dispatchEvent, enable, enableEvents, enableInputMethods, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, firePropertyChange, getBackground, getBounds, getColorModel, getComponentListeners, getComponentOrientation, getCursor, getDropTarget, getFocusCycleRootAncestor, getFocusListeners, getFocusTraversalKeysEnabled, getFont, getForeground, getGraphicsConfiguration, getHierarchyBoundsListeners, getHierarchyListeners, getIgnoreRepaint, getInputContext, getInputMethodListeners, getInputMethodRequests, getKeyListeners, getLocale, getLocation, getLocationOnScreen, getMouseListeners, getMouseMotionListeners, getMousePosition, getMouseWheelListeners, getName, getParent, getPeer, getPropertyChangeListeners, getPropertyChangeListeners, getSize, getToolkit, getTreeLock, gotFocus, handleEvent, hasFocus, imageUpdate, inside, isBackgroundSet, isCursorSet, isDisplayable, isEnabled, isFocusable, isFocusOwner, isFocusTraversable, isFontSet, isForegroundSet, isLightweight, isMaximumSizeSet, isMinimumSizeSet, isPreferredSizeSet, isShowing, isValid, isVisible, keyDown, keyUp, list, list, list, location, lostFocus, mouseDown, mouseDrag, mouseEnter, mouseExit, mouseMove, mouseUp, move, nextFocus, paintAll, postEvent, prepareImage, prepareImage, processComponentEvent, processFocusEvent, processHierarchyBoundsEvent, processHierarchyEvent, processInputMethodEvent, processMouseWheelEvent, remove, removeComponentListener, removeFocusListener, removeHierarchyBoundsListener, removeHierarchyListener, removeInputMethodListener, removeKeyListener, removeMouseListener, removeMouseMotionListener, removeMouseWheelListener, removePropertyChangeListener, removePropertyChangeListener, repaint, repaint, repaint, resize, resize, setBounds, setBounds, setComponentOrientation, setCursor, setDropTarget, setFocusable, setFocusTraversalKeysEnabled, setIgnoreRepaint, setLocale, setLocation, setLocation, setName, setSize, setSize, show, show, size, toString, transferFocus, transferFocusBackward, transferFocusUpCycle`

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

      `clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait`

- - ### Field Detail

    - #### SELECTION_MODEL_PROPERTY

          public static final String SELECTION_MODEL_PROPERTY

      The selection model property name.
      See Also:
        Constant Field Values

    - #### PREVIEW_PANEL_PROPERTY

          public static final String PREVIEW_PANEL_PROPERTY

      The preview panel property name.
      See Also:
        Constant Field Values

    - #### CHOOSER_PANELS_PROPERTY

          public static final String CHOOSER_PANELS_PROPERTY

      The chooserPanel array property name.
      See Also:
        Constant Field Values

    - #### accessibleContext

          protected AccessibleContext accessibleContext

  - ### Constructor Detail

    - #### JColorChooser

          public JColorChooser()

      Creates a color chooser pane with an initial color of white.

    - #### JColorChooser

          public JColorChooser(Color initialColor)

      Creates a color chooser pane with the specified initial color.
      Parameters:
        `initialColor` - the initial color set in the chooser

    - #### JColorChooser

          public JColorChooser(ColorSelectionModel model)

      Creates a color chooser pane with the specified `ColorSelectionModel`.
      Parameters:
        `model` - the `ColorSelectionModel` to be used

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### showDialog

          public static Color showDialog(Component component,
                                         String title,
                                         Color initialColor)
                                  throws HeadlessException

      Shows a modal color-chooser dialog and blocks until the dialog is hidden. If the user presses the "OK" button, then this method hides/disposes the dialog and returns the selected color. If the user presses the "Cancel" button or closes the dialog without pressing "OK", then this method hides/disposes the dialog and returns `null`.
      Parameters:
        `component` - the parent `Component` for the dialog
        `title` - the String containing the dialog's title
        `initialColor` - the initial Color set when the color-chooser is shown
      Returns:
        the selected color or `null` if the user opted out
      Throws:
        `HeadlessException` - if GraphicsEnvironment.isHeadless() returns true.
      See Also:
        `GraphicsEnvironment.isHeadless()`

    - #### createDialog

          public static JDialog createDialog(Component c,
                                             String title,
                                             boolean modal,
                                             JColorChooser chooserPane,
                                             ActionListener okListener,
                                             ActionListener cancelListener)
                                      throws HeadlessException

      Creates and returns a new dialog containing the specified `ColorChooser` pane along with "OK", "Cancel", and "Reset" buttons. If the "OK" or "Cancel" buttons are pressed, the dialog is automatically hidden (but not disposed). If the "Reset" button is pressed, the color-chooser's color will be reset to the color which was set the last time `show` was invoked on the dialog and the dialog will remain showing.
      Parameters:
        `c` - the parent component for the dialog
        `title` - the title for the dialog
        `modal` - a boolean. When true, the remainder of the program is inactive until the dialog is closed.
        `chooserPane` - the color-chooser to be placed inside the dialog
        `okListener` - the ActionListener invoked when "OK" is pressed
        `cancelListener` - the ActionListener invoked when "Cancel" is pressed
      Returns:
        a new dialog containing the color-chooser pane
      Throws:
        `HeadlessException` - if GraphicsEnvironment.isHeadless() returns true.
      See Also:
        `GraphicsEnvironment.isHeadless()`

    - #### getUI

          public ColorChooserUI getUI()

      Returns the L&F object that renders this component.
      Returns:
        the `ColorChooserUI` object that renders this component

    - #### setUI

          public void setUI(ColorChooserUI ui)

      Sets the L&F object that renders this component.
      Parameters:
        `ui` - the `ColorChooserUI` L&F object
      See Also:
        `UIDefaults.getUI(javax.swing.JComponent)`

    - #### updateUI

          public void updateUI()

      Notification from the `UIManager` that the L&F has changed. Replaces the current UI object with the latest version from the `UIManager`.
      Overrides:
        `updateUI` in class `JComponent`
      See Also:
        `JComponent.updateUI()`

    - #### getUIClassID

          public String getUIClassID()

      Returns the name of the L&F class that renders this component.
      Overrides:
        `getUIClassID` in class `JComponent`
      Returns:
        the string "ColorChooserUI"
      See Also:
        `JComponent.getUIClassID()`, `UIDefaults.getUI(javax.swing.JComponent)`

    - #### getColor

          public Color getColor()

      Gets the current color value from the color chooser. By default, this delegates to the model.
      Returns:
        the current color value of the color chooser

    - #### setColor

          public void setColor(Color color)

      Sets the current color of the color chooser to the specified color. The `ColorSelectionModel` will fire a `ChangeEvent`
      Parameters:
        `color` - the color to be set in the color chooser
      See Also:
        `Container.addPropertyChangeListener(java.beans.PropertyChangeListener)`

    - #### setColor

          public void setColor(int r,
                               int g,
                               int b)

      Sets the current color of the color chooser to the specified RGB color. Note that the values of red, green, and blue should be between the numbers 0 and 255, inclusive.
      Parameters:
        `r` - an int specifying the amount of Red
        `g` - an int specifying the amount of Green
        `b` - an int specifying the amount of Blue
      Throws:
        `IllegalArgumentException` - if r,g,b values are out of range
      See Also:
        `Color`

    - #### setColor

          public void setColor(int c)

      Sets the current color of the color chooser to the specified color.
      Parameters:
        `c` - an integer value that sets the current color in the chooser where the low-order 8 bits specify the Blue value, the next 8 bits specify the Green value, and the 8 bits above that specify the Red value.

    - #### setDragEnabled

          public void setDragEnabled(boolean b)

      Sets the `dragEnabled` property, which must be `true` to enable automatic drag handling (the first part of drag and drop) on this component. The `transferHandler` property needs to be set to a non-`null` value for the drag to do anything. The default value of the `dragEnabled` property is `false`.

      When automatic drag handling is enabled, most look and feels begin a drag-and-drop operation when the user presses the mouse button over the preview panel. Some look and feels might not support automatic drag and drop; they will ignore this property. You can work around such look and feels by modifying the component to directly call the `exportAsDrag` method of a `TransferHandler`.

      Parameters:
        `b` - the value to set the `dragEnabled` property to
      Throws:
        `HeadlessException` - if `b` is `true` and `GraphicsEnvironment.isHeadless()` returns `true`
      Since:
        1.4
      See Also:
        `GraphicsEnvironment.isHeadless()`, `getDragEnabled()`, `JComponent.setTransferHandler(javax.swing.TransferHandler)`, `TransferHandler`

    - #### getDragEnabled

          public boolean getDragEnabled()

      Gets the value of the `dragEnabled` property.
      Returns:
        the value of the `dragEnabled` property
      Since:
        1.4
      See Also:
        `setDragEnabled(boolean)`

    - #### setPreviewPanel

          public void setPreviewPanel(JComponent preview)

      Sets the current preview panel. This will fire a `PropertyChangeEvent` for the property named "previewPanel".
      Parameters:
        `preview` - the `JComponent` which displays the current color
      See Also:
        `Container.addPropertyChangeListener(java.beans.PropertyChangeListener)`

    - #### getPreviewPanel

          public JComponent getPreviewPanel()

      Returns the preview panel that shows a chosen color.
      Returns:
        a `JComponent` object -- the preview panel

    - #### addChooserPanel

          public void addChooserPanel(AbstractColorChooserPanel panel)

      Adds a color chooser panel to the color chooser.
      Parameters:
        `panel` - the `AbstractColorChooserPanel` to be added

    - #### removeChooserPanel

          public AbstractColorChooserPanel removeChooserPanel(AbstractColorChooserPanel panel)

      Removes the Color Panel specified.
      Parameters:
        `panel` - a string that specifies the panel to be removed
      Returns:
        the color panel
      Throws:
        `IllegalArgumentException` - if panel is not in list of known chooser panels

    - #### setChooserPanels

          public void setChooserPanels(AbstractColorChooserPanel[] panels)

      Specifies the Color Panels used to choose a color value.
      Parameters:
        `panels` - an array of `AbstractColorChooserPanel` objects

    - #### getChooserPanels

          public AbstractColorChooserPanel[] getChooserPanels()

      Returns the specified color panels.
      Returns:
        an array of `AbstractColorChooserPanel` objects

    - #### getSelectionModel

          public ColorSelectionModel getSelectionModel()

      Returns the data model that handles color selections.
      Returns:
        a `ColorSelectionModel` object

    - #### setSelectionModel

          public void setSelectionModel(ColorSelectionModel newModel)

      Sets the model containing the selected color.
      Parameters:
        `newModel` - the new `ColorSelectionModel` object

    - #### paramString

          protected String paramString()

      Returns a string representation of this `JColorChooser`. This method is intended to be used only for debugging purposes, and the content and format of the returned string may vary between implementations. The returned string may be empty but may not be `null`.
      Overrides:
        `paramString` in class `JComponent`
      Returns:
        a string representation of this `JColorChooser`

    - #### getAccessibleContext

          public AccessibleContext getAccessibleContext()

      Gets the AccessibleContext associated with this JColorChooser. For color choosers, the AccessibleContext takes the form of an AccessibleJColorChooser. A new AccessibleJColorChooser instance is created if necessary.
      Specified by:
        `getAccessibleContext` in interface `Accessible`
      Overrides:
        `getAccessibleContext` in class `Component`
      Returns:
        an AccessibleJColorChooser that serves as the AccessibleContext of this JColorChooser

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