Java: Flash a window to grab user's attention

Question

Is there a better way to flash a window in Java than this:

public static void flashWindow(JFrame frame) throws InterruptedException {
        int sleepTime = 50;
        frame.setVisible(false);
        Thread.sleep(sleepTime);
        frame.setVisible(true);
        Thread.sleep(sleepTime);
        frame.setVisible(false);
        Thread.sleep(sleepTime);
        frame.setVisible(true);
        Thread.sleep(sleepTime);
        frame.setVisible(false);
        Thread.sleep(sleepTime);
        frame.setVisible(true);
}

I know that this code is scary...But it works alright. (I should implement a loop...)

Answer 1

There are two common ways to do this: use JNI to set urgency hints on the taskbar's window, and create a notification icon/message. I prefer the second way, since it's cross-platform and less annoying.

See documentation on the TrayIcon class, particularly the displayMessage() method.

The following links may be of interest:

• New System Tray Functionality in Java SE 6
• Java Programming - Iconified window blinking
• TrayIcon for earlier versions of Java