Demonstrate using the System Tray (AWT) to control a JavaFX application.

JavaFXTrayIconSample.java

import javafx.application.*;
import javafx.geometry.Pos;
import javafx.scene.*;
import javafx.scene.control.Label;
import javafx.scene.layout.*;
import javafx.scene.paint.Color;
import javafx.stage.*;

import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.net.URL;
import java.text.*;
import java.util.*;

// Java 8 code
public class JavaFXTrayIconSample extends Application {

    // one icon location is shared between the application tray icon and task bar icon.
    // you could also use multiple icons to allow for clean display of tray icons on hi-dpi devices.
    private static final String iconImageLoc =
            "http://icons.iconarchive.com/icons/scafer31000/bubble-circle-3/16/GameCenter-icon.png";

    // application stage is stored so that it can be shown and hidden based on system tray icon operations.
    private Stage stage;

    // a timer allowing the tray icon to provide a periodic notification event.
    private Timer notificationTimer = new Timer();

    // format used to display the current time in a tray icon notification.
    private DateFormat timeFormat = SimpleDateFormat.getTimeInstance();

    // sets up the javafx application.
    // a tray icon is setup for the icon, but the main stage remains invisible until the user
    // interacts with the tray icon.
    @Override public void start(final Stage stage) {
        // stores a reference to the stage.
        this.stage = stage;

        // instructs the javafx system not to exit implicitly when the last application window is shut.
        Platform.setImplicitExit(false);

        // sets up the tray icon (using awt code run on the swing thread).
        javax.swing.SwingUtilities.invokeLater(this::addAppToTray);

        // out stage will be translucent, so give it a transparent style.
        stage.initStyle(StageStyle.TRANSPARENT);

        // create the layout for the javafx stage.
        StackPane layout = new StackPane(createContent());
        layout.setStyle(
                "-fx-background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);"
        );
        layout.setPrefSize(300, 200);

        // this dummy app just hides itself when the app screen is clicked.
        // a real app might have some interactive UI and a separate icon which hides the app window.
        layout.setOnMouseClicked(event -> stage.hide());

        // a scene with a transparent fill is necessary to implement the translucent app window.
        Scene scene = new Scene(layout);
        scene.setFill(Color.TRANSPARENT);

        stage.setScene(scene);
    }

    /**
     * For this dummy app, the (JavaFX scenegraph) content, just says "hello, world".
     * A real app, might load an FXML or something like that.
     *
     * @return the main window application content.
     */
    private Node createContent() {
        Label hello = new Label("hello, world");
        hello.setStyle("-fx-font-size: 40px; -fx-text-fill: forestgreen;");
        Label instructions = new Label("(click to hide)");
        instructions.setStyle("-fx-font-size: 12px; -fx-text-fill: orange;");

        VBox content = new VBox(10, hello, instructions);
        content.setAlignment(Pos.CENTER);

        return content;
    }

    /**
     * Sets up a system tray icon for the application.
     */
    private void addAppToTray() {
        try {
            // ensure awt toolkit is initialized.
            java.awt.Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit();

            // app requires system tray support, just exit if there is no support.
            if (!java.awt.SystemTray.isSupported()) {
                System.out.println("No system tray support, application exiting.");
                Platform.exit();
            }

            // set up a system tray icon.
            java.awt.SystemTray tray = java.awt.SystemTray.getSystemTray();
            URL imageLoc = new URL(
                    iconImageLoc
            );
            java.awt.Image image = ImageIO.read(imageLoc);
            java.awt.TrayIcon trayIcon = new java.awt.TrayIcon(image);

            // if the user double-clicks on the tray icon, show the main app stage.
            trayIcon.addActionListener(event -> Platform.runLater(this::showStage));

            // if the user selects the default menu item (which includes the app name), 
            // show the main app stage.
            java.awt.MenuItem openItem = new java.awt.MenuItem("hello, world");
            openItem.addActionListener(event -> Platform.runLater(this::showStage));

            // the convention for tray icons seems to be to set the default icon for opening
            // the application stage in a bold font.
            java.awt.Font defaultFont = java.awt.Font.decode(null);
            java.awt.Font boldFont = defaultFont.deriveFont(java.awt.Font.BOLD);
            openItem.setFont(boldFont);

            // to really exit the application, the user must go to the system tray icon
            // and select the exit option, this will shutdown JavaFX and remove the
            // tray icon (removing the tray icon will also shut down AWT).
            java.awt.MenuItem exitItem = new java.awt.MenuItem("Exit");
            exitItem.addActionListener(event -> {
                notificationTimer.cancel();
                Platform.exit();
                tray.remove(trayIcon);
            });

            // setup the popup menu for the application.
            final java.awt.PopupMenu popup = new java.awt.PopupMenu();
            popup.add(openItem);
            popup.addSeparator();
            popup.add(exitItem);
            trayIcon.setPopupMenu(popup);

            // create a timer which periodically displays a notification message.
            notificationTimer.schedule(
                    new TimerTask() {
                        @Override
                        public void run() {
                            javax.swing.SwingUtilities.invokeLater(() ->
                                trayIcon.displayMessage(
                                        "hello",
                                        "The time is now " + timeFormat.format(new Date()),
                                        java.awt.TrayIcon.MessageType.INFO
                                )
                            );
                        }
                    },
                    5_000,
                    60_000
            );

            // add the application tray icon to the system tray.
            tray.add(trayIcon);
        } catch (java.awt.AWTException | IOException e) {
            System.out.println("Unable to init system tray");
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

    /**
     * Shows the application stage and ensures that it is brought ot the front of all stages.
     */
    private void showStage() {
        if (stage != null) {
            stage.show();
            stage.toFront();
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException, java.awt.AWTException {
        // Just launches the JavaFX application.
        // Due to way the application is coded, the application will remain running
        // until the user selects the Exit menu option from the tray icon.
        launch(args);
    }
}

@EasyG0ing1

setOnAction continues to work on my machine running Windows 10. Which O.S. are you testing the functionality on, if Windows 10 can,
you share the exact code that you're using? I've tested mainly on Windows 10, but have yet to try other OS.

There may be a way of going about the design that you mention, but adding the implementation directly into FXTrayIcon may be slightly hacky. If I were trying to design the application you mention, I would "anchor" the pane based off of the OS and the relative location of the system tray. E.g. bottom-right on Windows 10, maybe top-left on Ubuntu with GNOME. I believe AWT's SystemTray exposes some API for size/width/height, but not position on the screen, so I will have to do some research.

Thanks! I got tired of waiting on a native implementation from JavaFX and Gluon, so I "attempted" to write it myself via abstracting AWT. Hope that you find it useful.

@dustinkredmond

@EasyG0ing1

setOnAction continues to work on my machine running Windows 10. Which O.S. are you testing the functionality on, if Windows 10 can,
you share the exact code that you're using? I've tested mainly on Windows 10, but have yet to try other OS.

I actually started thinking that you might be using Windows because obviously, it's working for you and the only logical explanation assuming everything else is the same, would be a different OS ... I'm using macOS Catalina (10.15.7).

There may be a way of going about the design that you mention, but adding the implementation directly into FXTrayIcon may be slightly hacky. If I were trying to design the application you mention, I would "anchor" the pane based off of the OS and the relative location of the system tray. E.g. bottom-right on Windows 10, maybe top-left on Ubuntu with GNOME. I believe AWT's SystemTray exposes some API for size/width/height, but not position on the screen, so I will have to do some research.

Yeah as I have been thinking about it, I think perhaps it might be just as well to pick up the coordinate of the mouse pointer at the moment the user clicks on the icon, then set the upper left corner of the stage to the left of the mouse, using the X coordinate and subtracting from it, half the width of the stage. Since the icon is so small, I don't think it would be too noticeable that the stage moves with the mouse when the icon is clicked.

Thanks! I got tired of waiting on a native implementation from JavaFX and Gluon, so I "attempted" to write it myself via abstracting AWT. Hope that you find it useful.

Based on the fact that the native implementation isn't getting any noise, I just might be the only one ... although I find that dumbfounding... writing apps that rest in the system tray has become quite popular these days.

I do sincerely appreciate your efforts in making this happen. This has been a long time coming for me personally and I lack the knowledge, apparently, to achieve what you did. I have zero experience with AWT - I started learning Java with FX only.

Thank you!

@EasyG0ing1 That makes sense, as MacOS is the only of the big three (Windows/Linux/Mac) that I haven't tested on. I will definitely look at incorporating more cross-platform behavior in future releases, I have a MacBook Air sitting around somewhere that I should be putting to use for this project. 😅

I'm glad that you like the library thus far, consider giving it a star or follow if you haven't already, as I plan to add more features in my free time going forward. I plan to add tray-related notifications and the like very soon.

@dustinkredmond

@EasyG0ing1 That makes sense, as MacOS is the only of the big three (Windows/Linux/Mac) that I haven't tested on. I will definitely look at incorporating more cross-platform behavior in future releases, I have a MacBook Air sitting around somewhere that I should be putting to use for this project. 😅

I shouldn't even comment on this ... but ... the pure versatility, reliability and pain free experience of a Mac along with its capabilities that rival Windows ... just ... well ... ok ... no judgments here ... you use what makes you happy ... OF COURSE! :-)

Now why the double click works in Windows and not on a mac ... would be an AWT issue, would it not?

I'm glad that you like the library thus far, consider giving it a star or follow if you haven't already, as I plan to add more features in my free time going forward. I plan to add tray-related notifications and the like very soon.

So here's something I feel pretty stupid about ... I've been using github for years, and I had no idea that you could rate projects ... when I scrolled up, I see the star now ... and I'm sure I've seen it before, but obviously I never paid any attention to what it was about... thanks for educating me on that! lol. I will definitely rate and follow.

Mike

@dustinkredmond

Dustin,

I can't find a way to send IMs in gist so if you would, shoot me an email: sims.mike@gmail.com I wanted to get your opinion on a couple of things that are OT for this forum.

Thanks,

Mike

@EasyG0ing1 Absolutely, I just sent you a message.