Jython - anyone got an idea why this Action isn't doing what I want? - swing

Question

This is about unit testing (using Python's unittest module). I'm trying to implement, programmatically, the user's pressing "F2" to start editing the cell of a JTable.
The utility method "run_in_edt" wraps the passed method in a Runnable and then runs it using invokeAndWait, rather than invokeLater.
def test_can_edit_table_date(self):
main_frame = FTCase2.app.main_frame
dates_table = main_frame.dates_table
def start_editing():
dates_table.requestFocus()
f2_key_stroke = javax.swing.KeyStroke.getKeyStroke( java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_F2, 0 )
im = dates_table.getInputMap( javax.swing.JComponent.WHEN_ANCESTOR_OF_FOCUSED_COMPONENT )
action_value = im.get( f2_key_stroke )
self.assertEqual( action_value, 'startEditing' )
am = dates_table.actionMap
self.f2_action = am.get( action_value )
self.assertIsNotNone( self.f2_action )
sel_row = dates_table.selectedRow
self.assertNotEqual( sel_row, -1 )
self.assertTrue( dates_table.isCellEditable( sel_row, 0 ))
self.start_editing_action_event = java.awt.event.ActionEvent( dates_table,
java.awt.event.ActionEvent.ACTION_FIRST, 'X' )
self.f2_action.actionPerformed( self.start_editing_action_event )
# dates_table.editCellAt( sel_row, 0 )
# self.assertTrue( dates_table.editing )
_utils.run_in_edt( start_editing )
# time.sleep( 1 )
def write_string_in_cell_editor():
self.assertTrue( dates_table.editing )
cell_editor = dates_table.cellEditor
self.assertIsNotNone( cell_editor )
cell_value = cell_editor.cellEditorValue
cell_editor.component.text = "mouse"
self.f2_action.actionPerformed( self.start_editing_action_event)
_utils.run_in_edt( write_string_in_cell_editor )
The problem: "dates_table.editing" always comes out false... and getting the cell editor returns None. I have also tried putting a sleep between these two Runnables, just in case it was a question of "events having to bubble up/down"...
NB I also tried with a more sensible value as the 3rd param of ActionEvent, such as action_value (i.e. 'startEditing'). No joy.
I can of course do:
dates_table.editCellAt( sel_row, 0 )
... with this uncommented, what's interesting is that, in the second method here, I set the JTextField's ("editor delegate") text to "mouse", and then "press F2" by using the action.actionPerformed... and... it works, in the sense that in my table cell renderer I allow only dates values or None, not strings, so an AssertionError is raised. Meaning that I have managed to simulate an F2 key press (NB although the name of this action is "startEditing", it also stops an editing session, in real life as in testing).
... I could content myself with using editCellAt, and having ascertained that F2 has the right entry in the right InputMap, and that the value is pops out is an Action (could be checked) with the name "startEditing", which is proven to be capable of ending an edit, I could just content myself with that.
But I so hate it when my understanding is revealed to be less than good! I want to know WHY this doesn't work...

Answer 1

Found the answer and put it here for reference.
My requestFocus() action on the JTable did indeed leave selection on the right row, but without any selection of the (single) column. Even when running as normal (not testing) the JTable column did not initially respond to F2. It was puzzling to me why the cell was not initially surrounded by a heavy black border. The answer was therefore to put this line after the requestFocus line:
dates_table.setColumnSelectionInterval( 0, 0 )