Why never change the notifier in receiving a change event

Question

I posted an answer to Java TableModelListener and Live Feed Listener?, but I get a comment by – kleopatra

nonono - you never change the notifier in receiving a change event. 
As to probable effects, think: nasty loops. As to code sanity, think: 
indecent intimacy. It's the task of the model itself to internally 
update related values if necessary.

can somone to explain me what's Change the notifier in receiving a Change Event, what could be happen, what she really means, because as I tried everything that I know that I only receiving RepaintManager Exceptions from very quickly loop,

I never get another Exception, where

• I multiplaeyd that to the 50 x 1000 matrix,

• with prepareRenderer (change Color for possitive/negative value)

• with refresh rate 175 miliseconds

code demonstrated changing the notifier and two another (maybe correct) way how do that

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.util.Random;
import java.util.concurrent.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.event.*;
import javax.swing.table.DefaultTableModel;

public class ChangeNotifiersOnEvent extends JFrame implements Runnable {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
    private boolean runProcess = true;
    private Random random = new Random();
    private javax.swing.Timer timerRun;
    private Executor executor = Executors.newCachedThreadPool();
    private String[] columnNames = {"Source", "Hit", "Last", "Ur_Diff"};
    private JTable table;
    private Object[][] data = {{"Swing Timer", 2.99, 5, 1.01},
        {"Swing Worker", 7.10, 5, 1.010}, {"TableModelListener", 25.05, 5, 1.01}};
    private DefaultTableModel model = new DefaultTableModel(data, columnNames);

    public ChangeNotifiersOnEvent() {
        table = new JTable(model) {

            private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

            @Override
            public Class getColumnClass(int column) {
                return getValueAt(0, column).getClass();
            }
        };
        model.addTableModelListener(new TableModelListener() {

            @Override
            public void tableChanged(TableModelEvent tme) {
                if (tme.getType() == TableModelEvent.UPDATE) {
                    if (tme.getColumn() == 1 && tme.getLastRow() == 2) {
                        double dbl = ((Double) table.getModel().getValueAt(2, 1))
                                - ((Integer) table.getModel().getValueAt(2, 2));
                        table.getModel().setValueAt(dbl, 2, 3);
                    } else if (tme.getColumn() == 1 && tme.getLastRow() == 0) {
                        prepareUpdateTableCell();
                    } else if (tme.getColumn() == 1 && tme.getLastRow() == 1) {
                        executor.execute(new MyTask(MyTask.UPDATE_TABLE_COLUMN));
                    }
                }
            }
        });
        table.setRowHeight(30);
        table.setFont(new Font("Serif", Font.BOLD, 20));
        table.getColumnModel().getColumn(0).setPreferredWidth(180);
        table.setPreferredScrollableViewportSize(table.getPreferredSize());
        JScrollPane scrollPane = new JScrollPane(table);
        add(scrollPane, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        new Thread(this).start();
    }

    private void prepareUpdateTableCell() {
        timerRun = new javax.swing.Timer(10, UpdateTableCell());
        timerRun.setRepeats(false);
        timerRun.start();
    }

    private Action UpdateTableCell() {
        return new AbstractAction("Update Table Cell") {

            private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

            @Override
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                double dbl = ((Double) table.getModel().getValueAt(0, 1))
                        - ((Integer) table.getModel().getValueAt(0, 2));
                table.getModel().setValueAt(dbl, 0, 3);
            }
        };
    }

    @Override
    public void run() {
        while (runProcess) {
            try {
                Thread.sleep(250);
            } catch (Exception e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
            changeTableValues();
        }
    }

    private void changeTableValues() {
        Runnable doRun = new Runnable() {

            @Override
            public void run() {
                table.getModel().setValueAt(random.nextInt(128) + random.nextDouble(), 0, 1);
                table.getModel().setValueAt(random.nextInt(256) + random.nextDouble(), 1, 1);
                table.getModel().setValueAt(random.nextInt(512) + random.nextDouble(), 2, 1);

                table.getModel().setValueAt(random.nextInt(128), 0, 2);
                table.getModel().setValueAt(random.nextInt(128), 1, 2);
                table.getModel().setValueAt(random.nextInt(128), 2, 2);
            }
        };
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(doRun);
    }

    private class MyTask extends SwingWorker<Void, Integer> {

        private static final String UPDATE_TABLE_COLUMN = "update";
        private String namePr;
        private double dbl;

        MyTask(String str) {
            this.namePr = str;
        }

        @Override
        protected Void doInBackground() throws Exception {
            dbl = ((Double) table.getModel().getValueAt(1, 1))
                    - ((Integer) table.getModel().getValueAt(1, 2));
            return null;
        }

        @Override
        protected void done() {
            SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {

                @Override
                public void run() {
                    table.getModel().setValueAt(dbl, 1, 3);
                }
            });
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {

            @Override
            public void run() {
                ChangeNotifiersOnEvent frame = new ChangeNotifiersOnEvent();
                frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
                frame.setLocation(150, 150);
                frame.pack();
                frame.setVisible(true);
            }
        });
    }
}

Conflagrant

Why does your MyTask.done() implementation use invokeLater ? If you need to do something on the EDT done() is your chance. – Meuse

@Meuse code is for testing purposes, usage of invokeLater ---> a) notify EDT, b) moving desired code to the end of EDT (many times mentioned for JTextComponents and its XxxListeners, Focus etc...), sure implemententations in API for done, process, publish, setProcess quite guarantee that all events are done on EDT, sry I'm hate SwingWokrer – Conflagrant

A SwingWorker.done() method that only does an invokeLater smells like an anti-pattern. I understand "b/c testing". I still don't believe a) or b) accomplish anything in this example. If you're trying to understand something having needless threading quirks doesn't help. – Meuse

Answer 1

I think she means that if you don't really think about your code then you can introduce an infinite loop.

Most people when when they create the table would probably make columns 1, 2 editable and make column 3 uneditable since column 3 is just the difference between the two columns.

So when they write the TableModelListener they will check for the UPDATE event but forget to check to see which column is updated because they think the table won't allow them to update column 3.

They forget that when the TableModelListener updates column 3 another UPDATE event will be generated thus causing the infinite loop. Of course, proper coding, like in your example, will prevent the loop.

In general, it should not cause an exception.

The second point is about business rules. The business rules should be defined on one place, in this case the model. The data itself and the updating of the data should be done in a single place.

Estefanaestel