How to use Key Bindings instead of Key Listeners

Question

I\'m using KeyListeners in my code (game or otherwise) as the way for my on-screen objects to react to user key input. Here is my code:

public class MyGame e         


        

Answer 1

Note: this is not an answer, just a comment with too much code :-)

Getting keyStrokes via getKeyStroke(String) is the correct way - but needs careful reading of the api doc:

modifiers := shift | control | ctrl | meta | alt | altGraph
typedID := typed 
typedKey := string of length 1 giving Unicode character.
pressedReleasedID := (pressed | released) key
key := KeyEvent key code name, i.e. the name following "VK_".

The last line should better be exact name, that is case matters: for the down key the exact key code name is VK_DOWN, so the parameter must be "DOWN" (not "Down" or any other variation of upper/lower case letters)

Not entirely intuitive (read: had to dig a bit myself) is getting a KeyStroke to a modifier key. Even with proper spelling, the following will not work:

KeyStroke control = getKeyStroke("CONTROL"); 

Deeper down in the awt event queue, a keyEvent for a single modifier key is created with itself as modifier. To bind to the control key, you need the stroke:

KeyStroke control = getKeyStroke("ctrl CONTROL");