---
title: DialogWrapper
---


## DialogWrapper

The
[DialogWrapper](https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/blob/master/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/ui/DialogWrapper.java)
is the base class which is supposed to be used for all modal dialogs (and some non-modal dialogs) shown in *IntelliJ IDEA* plugins.
It provides the following features:

*  Button layout (platform-specific order of ```OK/Cancel``` buttons, Mac OS-specific ```Help``` button)

*  Context help

*  Remembering the size of the dialog

*  Non-modal validation (displaying an error message text when the data entered into the dialog is not valid)

*  Keyboard shortcuts

    *  ```Esc``` for closing the dialog

    *   ```Left/Right``` for switching between buttons

    *   ```Y/N``` for ```Yes/No``` actions if they exist in the dialog

*  Optional ```Do not ask again``` checkbox


When using the
[DialogWrapper](https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/blob/master/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/ui/DialogWrapper.java)
class for your own dialog, you need to follow these steps:

*  Call the base class constructor and provide either a project in the frame of which the dialog will be displayed, or a parent component for the dialog.

*  Call the ```init()``` method from the constructor of your dialog class

*  Call the setTitle() method to set the title for the dialog box

*  Implement the ```createCenterPanel()``` method to return the component comprising the main contents of the dialog.

*  *Optional*: Override the ```getPreferredFocusedComponent()``` method and return the component that should be focused when the dialog is first displayed.

*  *Optional*: Override the ```getDimensionServiceKey()``` method to return the identifier which will be used for persisting the dialog dimensions.

*  *Optional*: Override the ```getHelpId()``` method to return the context help topic associated with the dialog.

The
[DialogWrapper](https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/blob/master/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/ui/DialogWrapper.java)
class is often used together with UI Designer forms.
In this case, you bind a UI Designer form to your class extending
[DialogWrapper](https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/blob/master/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/ui/DialogWrapper.java),
bind the top-level panel of the form to a field and return that field from the ```createCenterPanel()``` method.

To display the dialog, you call the ```show()``` method and then use the ```getExitCode()``` method to check how the dialog was closed.

To customize the buttons displayed in the dialog (replacing the standard ```OK/Cancel/Help``` set of buttons), you can override either the ```createActions()``` or ```createLeftActions()``` methods.
Both of these methods return an array of Swing Action objects.
If the button that you're adding closes the dialog, you can use
[DialogWrapperExitAction](https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/blob/master/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/ui/DialogWrapper.java),
as the base class for your action.

To validate the data entered into the dialog, you can override the ```doValidate()``` method.
The method will be called automatically by timer.
If the currently entered data is valid, you need to return null from your implementation.
Otherwise, you need to return a
[ValidationInfo](https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/blob/master/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/ui/ValidationInfo.java)
class, which encapsulates an error message and an optional component associated with the invalid data.
If you specify a component, an error icon will be displayed next to it, and it will be focused when the user tries to invoke the ```OK``` action.