Java SE (Java Platform, Standard Edition)

Situation: I have an application running, and when the user clicks a button on the main menu, a new dialog opens.

Problem: This dialog takes awhile to load as it is retreiving information from the database etc ... hence I would like to launch a splash screen in one thread and the other dialog in a second thread.

Following is the Splash Screen class:

public class SplashScreen extends JWindow {

    public SplashScreen(int d) {
        duration = d;
        this.launchSplash();
    }
    
    public void launchSplash() {

        JPanel content = (JPanel) getContentPane();
        content.setBackground(Color.white);

        // Set the window's bounds, centering the window
        int width = 350;
        int height = 255;
        Dimension screen = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getScreenSize();
        int x = (screen.width - width) / 2;
        int y = (screen.height - height) / 2;
        setBounds(x, y, width, height);

        // Build the splash screen
        JLabel label = new JLabel();
        
        label.setIcon(new ImageIcon(getClass().getResource("loading.gif")) );          
        label.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);     
        content.add(label, BorderLayout.CENTER);           

        // Display it
        this.setVisible(true);

        // Wait a little while, maybe while loading resources
        try {
            Thread.sleep(duration);
        } catch (Exception e) {
        }

        this.setVisible(false);
//        System.exit(0);

    }

//    public static void main(String[] args) {
//
//        // Throw a nice little title page up on the screen first
//        SplashScreen splash = new SplashScreen(10000);
//
//        // Normally, we'd call splash.launchSplash() and get on 
//        // with the program. But, since this is only a test...
//
//        System.exit(0);
//
//    }

When I run this as a standalone, it works fine (i.e. uncomment the 'main' function). But when I try to call it from another function, it doesn't launch.

Eg: I am calling it when a button has been clicked. Code is as follows:

    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
     SplashScreen sd = new SplashScreen(10000);

     // Calling the dialog (that takes a long time to load) here 
:
:

}

Would like to know whether
[1] is it possible to launch a splash screen on the click of a button? As usually a splash screen is done at the beginning of an application before anything is loaded. In my case an application is already running, during which a splash screen needs to be launched.
[2] Would using the new splashscreen class of Java 6.0 support this?
[3] If not what is the best way to approach this problem

Appreciate any input.
Thanks,

Edited by: mnr on Feb 20, 2008 9:47 AM