How do i access and change Pane from controller not assigned to it in JavaFX using Spring Framework

Question

My goal is to change center Pane in my main window of programm controlled by one controller by actions on buttons in different controller. I know i have to instantiate main window controller in other controller in order to access main window view, and i know that i can Autowire (inject) main controller class into different controller, but when i do this i get all my Css styling and main menu inactive, and without it i get Nullpointer exception when i try to use MainController from MainMenuController

i have main.fxml


<?import com.jfoenix.controls.JFXDrawer?>
<?import com.jfoenix.controls.JFXHamburger?>
<?import javafx.scene.layout.AnchorPane?>
<?import javafx.scene.layout.BorderPane?>
<?import javafx.scene.layout.StackPane?>

<StackPane fx:id="rootPane" prefHeight="720.0" prefWidth="1280.0" styleClass="root" stylesheets="@../style/dark-theme-contrast.css" xmlns="http://javafx.com/javafx/15.0.1" xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml/1" fx:controller="com.hrc.backoffice.MainController">
   <children>
      <AnchorPane accessibleRole="MENU_BUTTON" maxHeight="-Infinity" maxWidth="-Infinity" minHeight="-Infinity" minWidth="-Infinity" prefHeight="720.0" prefWidth="1280.0" styleClass="root" stylesheets="@../style/dark-theme-contrast.css">
         <children>
            <BorderPane prefHeight="720.0" prefWidth="1280.0" AnchorPane.bottomAnchor="0.0" AnchorPane.leftAnchor="0.0" AnchorPane.rightAnchor="0.0" AnchorPane.topAnchor="0.0">
               <left>
                  <JFXDrawer fx:id="mainMenuDrawer" alignment="CENTER_LEFT" defaultDrawerSize="220.0" prefWidth="0.0" resizableOnDrag="true" stylesheets="@../style/dark-theme-contrast.css" BorderPane.alignment="TOP_LEFT" />
               </left>
               <center>
                  <AnchorPane fx:id="mainWindowCenterPane" BorderPane.alignment="TOP_LEFT">
                     <children>
                        <JFXHamburger fx:id="mainMenuHamburger" styleClass="jfx-hamburger-icon" stylesheets="@../style/dark-theme-contrast.css" AnchorPane.leftAnchor="10.0" AnchorPane.topAnchor="10.0" />
                     </children>
                  </AnchorPane>
               </center>
            </BorderPane>
         </children>
      </AnchorPane>
   </children>

this is MainController.java

public class MainController implements Initializable {

    @FXML
    private StackPane rootPane;

    @FXML
    private JFXDrawer mainMenuDrawer;

    @FXML
    private JFXHamburger mainMenuHamburger;


    @FXML
    private AnchorPane mainWindowCenterPane;

    
    @Override
    public void initialize(URL location, ResourceBundle resources) {

        try {
            initDrawer();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
            Logger.getLogger(MainController.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, e);
        }
    }


    private void initDrawer() throws IOException {
        ScrollPane menuScrollpane = FXMLLoader.load(getClass().getResource("/view/mainMenu.fxml"));
        mainMenuDrawer.setSidePane(menuScrollpane);

        HamburgerSlideCloseTransition task = new HamburgerSlideCloseTransition(mainMenuHamburger);
        task.setRate(-1);
        mainMenuHamburger.addEventHandler(MouseEvent.MOUSE_CLICKED, event -> {
            mainMenuDrawer.toggle();
        });

        mainMenuDrawer.setOnDrawerOpening((event) -> {
            task.setRate(task.getRate() * -1);
            task.play();
            mainMenuDrawer.setMinWidth(220);
        });
        mainMenuDrawer.setOnDrawerClosed((event) -> {
            task.setRate(task.getRate() * -1);
            task.play();
            mainMenuDrawer.setMinWidth(0);
        });
    }

    public void setMainWindowCenterPane(AnchorPane mainWindowCenterPane) {
        this.mainWindowCenterPane = mainWindowCenterPane;
    }
    
}

here is main-menu.fxml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<?import com.jfoenix.controls.JFXButton?>
<?import javafx.scene.control.Accordion?>
<?import javafx.scene.control.ScrollPane?>
<?import javafx.scene.control.TitledPane?>
<?import javafx.scene.image.Image?>
<?import javafx.scene.image.ImageView?>
<?import javafx.scene.layout.VBox?>
<?import javafx.scene.text.Font?>

<ScrollPane fx:id="mainMenuScrollPane" prefHeight="720.0" prefWidth="220.0" stylesheets="@../style/dark-theme-contrast.css" xmlns="http://javafx.com/javafx/15.0.1" xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml/1" fx:controller="com.hrc.backoffice.MainMenuController">
   <content>
      <VBox fx:id="mainMenuVbox" prefHeight="574.0" prefWidth="200.0" stylesheets="@../style/dark-theme-contrast.css">
         <children>
            <Accordion fx:id="mainMenuAccordion" stylesheets="@../style/dark-theme-contrast.css">
               <panes>
                  
                  <TitledPane fx:id="menuProductMenu" alignment="TOP_RIGHT" contentDisplay="RIGHT" expanded="false" nodeOrientation="RIGHT_TO_LEFT" stylesheets="@../style/dark-theme-contrast.css" text="Меню">
                     <graphic>
                        <ImageView fitHeight="25.0" fitWidth="25.0" pickOnBounds="true" preserveRatio="true">
                           <image>
                              <Image url="@../images/028-menu1.png" />
                           </image>
                        </ImageView>
                     </graphic>
                     <content>
                        <VBox prefHeight="100.0" prefWidth="216.0" styleClass="titled-pane" stylesheets="@../style/dark-theme-contrast.css">
                           <children>
                              <JFXButton fx:id="compositeProductMenu" alignment="BASELINE_RIGHT" buttonType="RAISED" onAction="#initCompositeProductMenu" prefHeight="30.0" prefWidth="170.0" text="Блюда" textFill="WHITE">
                                 <font>
                                    <Font size="13.0" />
                                 </font>
                              </JFXButton>
                              <JFXButton fx:id="semifinishedProductMenu" alignment="BASELINE_RIGHT" buttonType="RAISED" layoutX="20.0" layoutY="20.0" prefHeight="30.0" prefWidth="170.0" text="Полуфабрикаты" textFill="WHITE">
                                 <font>
                                    <Font size="13.0" />
                                 </font>
                              </JFXButton>
                              <JFXButton fx:id="compositeProductMenuCategories" alignment="BASELINE_RIGHT" buttonType="RAISED" layoutX="20.0" layoutY="45.0" prefHeight="30.0" prefWidth="170.0" text="Категории блюд" textFill="WHITE">
                                 <font>
                                    <Font size="13.0" />
                                 </font>
                              </JFXButton>
                              <JFXButton fx:id="productModificators" alignment="BASELINE_RIGHT" buttonType="RAISED" layoutX="10.0" layoutY="60.0" prefHeight="30.0" prefWidth="170.0" text="Модификаторы" textFill="WHITE">
                                 <font>
                                    <Font size="13.0" />
                                 </font>
                              </JFXButton>
                           </children>
                        </VBox>
                     </content>
                     <font>
                        <Font name="System Bold Italic" size="14.0" />
                     </font>
                  </TitledPane>
                  
               </panes>
            </Accordion>
         </children>
      </VBox>
   </content>

and MainMenuController.java

public class MainMenuController  implements Initializable {

    @FXML
    private ScrollPane mainMenuScrollPane;

    @FXML
    private VBox mainMenuVbox;

    @FXML
    private Accordion mainMenuAccordion;

    @FXML
    private TitledPane menuFinances;

    @FXML
    private TitledPane menuProductMenu;

    @FXML
    private JFXButton compositeProductMenu;

    @FXML
    private JFXButton semifinishedProductMenu;

    @FXML
    private JFXButton compositeProductMenuCategories;

    @FXML
    private JFXButton productModificators;

    @FXML
    private TitledPane menuStock;

    @FXML
    private TitledPane menuProductOperations;

    @FXML
    private TitledPane menuMarketing;

    @FXML
    private TitledPane menuCompany;

    @FXML
    private TitledPane menuStatistics;

    @FXML
    private TitledPane menuSettings;

    MainController mainController;

//    @Autowired
//    public MainMenuController(MainController mainController) {
//        this.mainController = mainController;
//    }

    @Override
    public void initialize(URL location, ResourceBundle resources) {
        initCompositeProductMenu();
//        compositeProductMenu.setOnAction(event -> {
//            try {
//                AnchorPane productMenuPane = FXMLLoader.load(getClass().getResource("/view/product-menu-list.fxml"));
//                mainController.setMainWindowCenterPane(productMenuPane);
//            } catch (IOException e) {
//                e.printStackTrace();
//            }
//        });
    }



    @FXML
    private void initCompositeProductMenu() {

        compositeProductMenu.addEventHandler(ActionEvent.ACTION, event1 -> {
            try {
                AnchorPane productMenuPane = FXMLLoader.load(getClass().getResource("/view/product-menu-list.fxml"));
                mainController.setMainWindowCenterPane(productMenuPane);
            } catch (IOException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }

        });

    }

}

and the view i want to pass to main window in product-menu-list.fxml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<?import com.jfoenix.controls.JFXTabPane?>
<?import javafx.geometry.Insets?>
<?import javafx.scene.control.Tab?>
<?import javafx.scene.control.TableColumn?>
<?import javafx.scene.control.TableView?>
<?import javafx.scene.layout.AnchorPane?>


<AnchorPane prefHeight="720.0" prefWidth="1200.0" stylesheets="@../style/dark-theme-contrast.css" xmlns="http://javafx.com/javafx/15.0.1" xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml/1" fx:controller="com.hrc.backoffice.ProductMenuListController">
   <children>
      <JFXTabPane prefHeight="720.0" prefWidth="1200.0" stylesheets="@../style/dark-theme-contrast.css" AnchorPane.bottomAnchor="0.0" AnchorPane.leftAnchor="0.0" AnchorPane.rightAnchor="0.0" AnchorPane.topAnchor="0.0">
         <tabs>
            <Tab text="Untitled Tab">
              <content>
                <AnchorPane minHeight="0.0" minWidth="0.0" prefHeight="180.0" prefWidth="200.0">
                     <children>
                        <TableView prefHeight="691.2000202824526" prefWidth="1200.0000352125912" AnchorPane.bottomAnchor="0.0" AnchorPane.leftAnchor="0.0" AnchorPane.rightAnchor="0.0" AnchorPane.topAnchor="0.0">
                          <columns>
                            <TableColumn prefWidth="75.0" text="C1" />
                            <TableColumn prefWidth="75.0" text="C2" />
                              <TableColumn prefWidth="75.0" text="C1" />
                              <TableColumn prefWidth="75.0" text="C2" />
                          </columns>
                           <columnResizePolicy>
                              <TableView fx:constant="CONSTRAINED_RESIZE_POLICY" />
                           </columnResizePolicy>
                           <padding>
                              <Insets top="5.0" />
                           </padding>
                        </TableView>
                     </children>
                  </AnchorPane>
              </content>
            </Tab>
            <Tab text="Untitled Tab">
              <content>
                <AnchorPane minHeight="0.0" minWidth="0.0" prefHeight="180.0" prefWidth="200.0" />
              </content>
            </Tab>
            <Tab text="Untitled Tab">
              <content>
                <AnchorPane minHeight="0.0" minWidth="0.0" prefHeight="180.0" prefWidth="200.0" />
              </content>
            </Tab>
         </tabs>
      </JFXTabPane>
   </children>
</AnchorPane>

I know i have to instantiate main window controller in other controller in order to access main window view, and i know that i can Autowire (inject) main controller class into different controller, but when i do this i get all my Css styling and main menu inactive, and without it i get Nullpointer exception when i try to use MainController from MainMenuController of course.

what i get with @Autowired // public MainMenuController(MainController mainController) { // this.mainController = mainController; // }

is Complitelly inactive white window with only Hamburger widget visible but inactive

What am i missing???

Project Structure

Effect

This is really a design issue. You really want a new controller instance each time you load any given FXML file, so your controllers should have prototype scope. On the other hand, if you do that, you won’t have a reference to the controller instance you want in the other controller. It’s just generally a bad idea for one controller to have a reference to another, as it introduces unnecessary coupling. Consider using a MVC approach instead, so you can inject a single model instance into any controller that needs it. See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32342864/applying-mvc-with-javafx — James_D, Feb 12 '21 at 12:45
@James_D already nailed the problem - as always :) For your next question, please provide a [mcve] (vs. the complete near-production thing which contains tons of unrelated code to wade through) — kleopatra, Feb 12 '21 at 14:27
Note also your `setMainWindowCenterPane(...)` doesn't actually do anything to the UI. You would need something like `rootPane.getChildren().setAll(mainWindowCenterPane)`. — James_D, Feb 12 '21 at 15:46
Thank you @James_D for quick response, i will dig into that direction — Roman_G, Feb 12 '21 at 16:45

How do i access and change Pane from controller not assigned to it in JavaFX using Spring Framework

0 Answers0