Java RMI - GUI Application

In the previous chapter, we created a sample RMI application. In this chapter, we will explain how to create an RMI application where a client invokes a method which displays a GUI window (JavaFX).

Defining the Remote Interface

Here, we are defining a remote interface named Hello with a method named animation() in it.

import java.rmi.Remote; 
import java.rmi.RemoteException;  

// Creating Remote interface for our application 
public interface Hello extends Remote { 
   void animation() throws RemoteException; 
}

Developing the Implementation Class

In the Implementation class (Remote Object) of this application, we are trying to create a window which displays GUI content, using JavaFX.

import javafx.animation.RotateTransition;  
import javafx.application.Application;  
import javafx.event.EventHandler;   

import javafx.scene.Group;  
import javafx.scene.PerspectiveCamera;  
import javafx.scene.Scene;  
import javafx.scene.control.TextField;  
import javafx.scene.input.KeyEvent;  
import javafx.scene.paint.Color;  
import javafx.scene.paint.PhongMaterial; 
  
import javafx.scene.shape.Box;  
import javafx.scene.text.Font;  
import javafx.scene.text.FontWeight;
import javafx.scene.text.Text;   
import javafx.scene.transform.Rotate;  

import javafx.stage.Stage;  
import javafx.util.Duration;  

// Implementing the remote interface 
public class FxSample extends Application implements Hello {  
   @Override  
   public void start(Stage stage) { 
      // Drawing a Box  
      Box box = new Box();  

      // Setting the properties of the Box  
      box.setWidth(150.0);  
      box.setHeight(150.0);    
      box.setDepth(100.0);  

      // Setting the position of the box  
      box.setTranslateX(350);   
      box.setTranslateY(150);  
      box.setTranslateZ(50);  

      // Setting the text  
      Text text = new Text(
         "Type any letter to rotate the box, and click on the box to stop the rotation");

      // Setting the font of the text  
      text.setFont(Font.font(null, FontWeight.BOLD, 15));      

      // Setting the color of the text  
      text.setFill(Color.CRIMSON);  

      // Setting the position of the text  
      text.setX(20);  
      text.setY(50); 

      // Setting the material of the box  
      PhongMaterial material = new PhongMaterial();   
      material.setDiffuseColor(Color.DARKSLATEBLUE);   

      // Setting the diffuse color material to box  
      box.setMaterial(material);        

      // Setting the rotation animation to the box     
      RotateTransition rotateTransition = new RotateTransition();  

      // Setting the duration for the transition  
      rotateTransition.setDuration(Duration.millis(1000));  

      // Setting the node for the transition  
      rotateTransition.setNode(box);        

      // Setting the axis of the rotation  
      rotateTransition.setAxis(Rotate.Y_AXIS);  

      // Setting the angle of the rotation 
      rotateTransition.setByAngle(360);  

      // Setting the cycle count for the transition  
      rotateTransition.setCycleCount(50);  

      // Setting auto reverse value to false  
      rotateTransition.setAutoReverse(false);   

      // Creating a text filed  
      TextField textField = new TextField();    

      // Setting the position of the text field  
      textField.setLayoutX(50);  
      textField.setLayoutY(100);  

      // Handling the key typed event  
      EventHandler<KeyEvent> eventHandlerTextField = new EventHandler<KeyEvent>() {  
         @Override  
         public void handle(KeyEvent event) {  
            // Playing the animation  
            rotateTransition.play();  
         }            
      };               
      
      // Adding an event handler to the text feld  
      textField.addEventHandler(KeyEvent.KEY_TYPED, eventHandlerTextField);  

      // Handling the mouse clicked event(on box)  
      EventHandler<javafx.scene.input.MouseEvent> eventHandlerBox =  
         new EventHandler<javafx.scene.input.MouseEvent>() {  
         @Override  
         public void handle(javafx.scene.input.MouseEvent e) {  
            rotateTransition.stop();   
         }  
      };  
      
      // Adding the event handler to the box   
      box.addEventHandler(javafx.scene.input.MouseEvent.MOUSE_CLICKED, eventHandlerBox); 

      // Creating a Group object 
      Group root = new Group(box, textField, text);  

      // Creating a scene object  
      Scene scene = new Scene(root, 600, 300);       

      // Setting camera  
      PerspectiveCamera camera = new PerspectiveCamera(false);  
      camera.setTranslateX(0);  
      camera.setTranslateY(0);  
      camera.setTranslateZ(0);  
      scene.setCamera(camera);   

      // Setting title to the Stage
      stage.setTitle("Event Handlers Example");  

      // Adding scene to the stage  
      stage.setScene(scene);  

      // Displaying the contents of the stage  
      stage.show();  
   }  

   // Implementing the interface method 
   public void animation() {  
      launch();  
   }  
}

Server Program

An RMI server program should implement the remote interface or extend the implementation class. Here, we should create a remote object and bind it to the RMIregistry.

Following is the server program of this application. Here, we will extend the above created class, create a remote object, and registered it to the RMI registry with the bind name hello.

import java.rmi.registry.Registry; 
import java.rmi.registry.LocateRegistry; 
import java.rmi.RemoteException; 
import java.rmi.server.UnicastRemoteObject; 

public class Server extends FxSample { 
   public Server() {} 
   public static void main(String args[]) { 
      try { 
         // Instantiating the implementation class 
         FxSample obj = new FxSample();
      
         // Exporting the object of implementation class  
         // (here we are exporting the remote object to the stub) 
         Hello stub = (Hello) UnicastRemoteObject.exportObject(obj, 0);  
      
         // Binding the remote object (stub) in the registry 
         Registry registry = LocateRegistry.getRegistry(); 
         
         registry.bind("Hello", stub);  
         System.err.println("Server ready"); 
      } catch (Exception e) { 
         System.err.println("Server exception: " + e.toString()); 
         e.printStackTrace(); 
      } 
   } 
}

Client Program

Following is the client program of this application. Here, we are fetching the remote object and invoking its method named animation().

import java.rmi.registry.LocateRegistry; 
import java.rmi.registry.Registry;  

public class Client { 
   private Client() {} 
   public static void main(String[] args) {  
      try { 
         // Getting the registry 
         Registry registry = LocateRegistry.getRegistry(null); 
    
         // Looking up the registry for the remote object 
         Hello stub = (Hello) registry.lookup("Hello"); 
         
         // Calling the remote method using the obtained object 
         stub.animation(); 
         
         System.out.println("Remote method invoked"); 
      } catch (Exception e) {
         System.err.println("Client exception: " + e.toString()); 
         e.printStackTrace(); 
      } 
   } 
}