javaInterface: ThreadedActionListener.java

import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.util.ArrayList;

/**
 * This is an action listener that will start a new thread instead
 * of blocking the EventQueue ("freezing" the GUI).
 * 
 * Use this wherever you have to poll the oswaldInterface
 * 
 * @author goskab
 *
 */
public abstract class ThreadedActionListener extends Thread implements ActionListener, Cloneable {
        ThreadedActionListener thread = null;
        /**
         * Don't touch this method, it starts up the proper thread
         */
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0) {
                try {
                        //check if our thread is dead, we only want one running at once
                        if ((thread != null && !thread.isAlive()) || thread == null) {
                                //clone the current object, and start that :)
                                thread = (ThreadedActionListener)this.clone();
                                thread.start();
                        }
                }
                catch (Exception e) {
                        System.out.println("Exception thrown while cloning. This shouldn't happen");
                }
        }
        
        /**
         * Your normal "actionPerformed" code goes in this method
         */
        public abstract void run();

}