see my code example
import java.awt.*;
import java.util.Vector;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.UIManager;
import javax.swing.plaf.ColorUIResource;
import javax.swing.plaf.metal.MetalComboBoxButton;
public class MyComboBox {
private Vector<String> listSomeString = new Vector<String>();
private JComboBox someComboBox = new JComboBox(listSomeString);
private JComboBox editableComboBox = new JComboBox(listSomeString);
private JComboBox non_EditableComboBox = new JComboBox(listSomeString);
private JFrame frame;
public MyComboBox() {
listSomeString.add("-");
listSomeString.add("Snowboarding");
listSomeString.add("Rowing");
listSomeString.add("Knitting");
listSomeString.add("Speed reading");
//
someComboBox.setPrototypeDisplayValue("xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx");
someComboBox.setFont(new Font("Serif", Font.BOLD, 16));
someComboBox.setEditable(true);
someComboBox.getEditor().getEditorComponent().setBackground(Color.YELLOW);
((JTextField) someComboBox.getEditor().getEditorComponent()).setBackground(Color.YELLOW);
//
editableComboBox.setPrototypeDisplayValue("xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx");
editableComboBox.setFont(new Font("Serif", Font.BOLD, 16));
editableComboBox.setEditable(true);
JTextField text = ((JTextField) editableComboBox.getEditor().getEditorComponent());
text.setBackground(Color.YELLOW);
JComboBox coloredArrowsCombo = editableComboBox;
Component[] comp = coloredArrowsCombo.getComponents();
for (int i = 0; i < comp.length; i++) {// hack valid only for Metal L&F
if (comp[i] instanceof MetalComboBoxButton) {
MetalComboBoxButton coloredArrowsButton = (MetalComboBoxButton) comp[i];
coloredArrowsButton.setBackground(null);
break;
}
}
//
non_EditableComboBox.setPrototypeDisplayValue("xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx");
non_EditableComboBox.setFont(new Font("Serif", Font.BOLD, 16));
//
frame = new JFrame();
frame.setLayout(new GridLayout(0, 1, 10, 10));
frame.add(someComboBox);
frame.add(editableComboBox);
frame.add(non_EditableComboBox);
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.setLocation(100, 100);
frame.pack();
frame.setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
UIManager.put("ComboBox.background", new ColorUIResource(Color.yellow));
UIManager.put("JTextField.background", new ColorUIResource(Color.yellow));
UIManager.put("ComboBox.selectionBackground", new ColorUIResource(Color.magenta));
UIManager.put("ComboBox.selectionForeground", new ColorUIResource(Color.blue));
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
@Override
public void run() {
MyComboBox aCTF = new MyComboBox();
}
});
}
}