jdk/src/share/classes/javax/swing/plaf/synth/package.html

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    <p>
      Synth is a skinnable look and feel in which all painting is
      delegated. Synth does not provide a default look. In
      order to use Synth you need to specify a
      <a href="doc-files/synthFileFormat.html">file</a>, or 
      provide a {@link
      javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthStyleFactory}. Both 
      configuration options require an 
      understanding of the synth architecture, which is described
      below, as well as an understanding of Swing's architecture.
    </p>
    <p>
      Unless otherwise specified null is not a legal value to any of
      the methods defined in the synth package and if passed in will
      result in a <code>NullPointerException</code>.
      

    <h2>Synth</h2>
    <p>
      Each {@link javax.swing.plaf.ComponentUI} implementation in Synth associates
      itself with one {@link
      javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthStyle} per {@link
      javax.swing.plaf.synth.Region}, most
      <code>Components</code> only have one <code>Region</code> and
      therefor only one <code>SynthStyle</code>.
      <code>SynthStyle</code>
      is used to access all style related properties: fonts, colors
      and other <code>Component</code> properties. In addition
      <code>SynthStyle</code>s are used to obtain 
      {@link javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthPainter}s for painting the background, border,
      focus and other portions of a <code>Component</code>. The <code>ComponentUI</code>s obtain
      <code>SynthStyle</code>s from a
      {@link javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthStyleFactory}.
      A <code>SynthStyleFactory</code>
      can be provided directly by way of 
      {@link javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthLookAndFeel#setStyleFactory(javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthStyleFactory)},
      or indirectly by way of
      {@link javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthLookAndFeel#load}. The
      following example uses the <code>SynthLookAndFeel.load()</code>
      method to configure a <code>SynthLookAndFeel</code> and sets it
      as the current look and feel:
    </p>
    <div class="example">
      <pre>
  SynthLookAndFeel laf = new SynthLookAndFeel();
  laf.load(MyClass.class.getResourceAsStream("laf.xml"), MyClass.class);
  UIManager.setLookAndFeel(laf);
      </pre>
    </div>
    <p>
      Many <code>JComponent</code>s are broken down into smaller
      pieces and identified by the type safe enumeration in
      {@link javax.swing.plaf.synth.Region}. For example, a <code>JTabbedPane</code>
      consists of a <code>Region</code> for the
      <code>JTabbedPane</code> ({@link
      javax.swing.plaf.synth.Region#TABBED_PANE}), the content
      area ({@link
      javax.swing.plaf.synth.Region#TABBED_PANE_CONTENT}), the
      area behind the tabs ({@link
      javax.swing.plaf.synth.Region#TABBED_PANE_TAB_AREA}), and the
      tabs ({@link
      javax.swing.plaf.synth.Region#TABBED_PANE_TAB}). Each
      <code>Region</code> of each
      <code>JComponent</code> will have a
      <code>SynthStyle</code>. This allows 
      you to customize individual pieces of each region of each
      <code>JComponent</code>.
    <p>
      Many of the Synth methods take a {@link javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthContext}. This 
      is used to provide information about the current
      <code>Component</code> and includes: the
      {@link javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthStyle} associated with the current
      {@link javax.swing.plaf.synth.Region}, the state of the <code>Component</code>
      as a bitmask (refer to {@link
      javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthConstants} for the valid
      states), and a {@link javax.swing.plaf.synth.Region} identifying the portion of 
      the <code>Component</code> being painted.
    <p>
      All text rendering by non-<code>JTextComponent</code>s is
      delegated to a {@link
      javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthGraphicsUtils}, which is
      obtained using the {@link javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthStyle} method
      {@link javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthStyle#getGraphicsUtils}. You can
      customize text rendering 
      by supplying your own {@link javax.swing.plaf.synth.SynthGraphicsUtils}.

    </p>

    <h2>Notes on specific components</h2>

    <h3>JTree</h3>
    <p>
      Synth provides a region for the cells of a tree:
      <code>Region.TREE_CELL</code>.  To specify the colors of the
      renderer you'll want to provide a style for the
      <code>TREE_CELL</code> region.  The following illustrates this:
<pre>
  &lt;style id="treeCellStyle">
    &lt;opaque value="TRUE"/>
    &lt;state>
      &lt;color value="WHITE" type="TEXT_FOREGROUND"/>
      &lt;color value="RED" type="TEXT_BACKGROUND"/>
    &lt;/state>
    &lt;state value="SELECTED">
      &lt;color value="RED" type="TEXT_FOREGROUND"/>
      &lt;color value="WHITE" type="BACKGROUND"/>
    &lt;/state>
  &lt;/style>
  &lt;bind style="treeCellStyle" type="region" key="TreeCell"/>
</pre>
    <p>
      This specifies a color combination of red on white, when
      selected, and white on red when not selected.  To see the
      background you need to specify that labels are not opaque.  The
      following XML fragment does that:
<pre>
  &lt;style id="labelStyle">
    &lt;opaque value="FALSE"/>
  &lt;/style>
  &lt;bind style="labelStyle" type="region" key="Label"/>
</pre>
      
    <h3>JList and JTable</h3>
    <p>
      The colors that the renderers for JList and JTable use are
      specified by way of the list and table Regions.  The following
      XML fragment illustrates how to specify red on white, when
      selected, and white on red when not selected:
<pre>
  &lt;style id="style">
    &lt;opaque value="TRUE"/>
    &lt;state>
      &lt;color value="WHITE" type="TEXT_FOREGROUND"/>
      &lt;color value="RED" type="TEXT_BACKGROUND"/>
      &lt;color value="RED" type="BACKGROUND"/>
    &lt;/state>
    &lt;state value="SELECTED">
      &lt;color value="RED" type="TEXT_FOREGROUND"/>
      &lt;color value="WHITE" type="TEXT_BACKGROUND"/>
    &lt;/state>
  &lt;/style>
  &lt;bind style="style" type="region" key="Table"/>
  &lt;bind style="style" type="region" key="List"/>
</pre>
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