Special Effects and Game Development in Java(TM) - The Applet StatusDataText

import java.applet.*;

import java.awt.*;



public class statusdatatext extends Applet implements Runnable {



public Thread animationthread = null;

public String message;



public void init()

{

    message="Preparing to launch....";

    message+="6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... 0...";

}



public void start()

{

    if (animationthread == null)

    {

         animationthread = new Thread(this,"animationthread");

         animationthread.start();

    }

}



public void stop()

{

    if ((animationthread != null) && animationthread.isAlive())

        animationthread.stop();

    animationthread = null;

}



public void run()
{
    int L=message.length();
    boolean showcursor=false;

    //Write the message step by step with

    //the blinking cursor.

    for (int i=0; i<L; i++)

    {

         if (showcursor) showStatus(message.substring(0,i)+"_");

         else showStatus(message.substring(0,i));

         showcursor=!showcursor;

         try {Thread.sleep(100);}

         catch(InterruptedException e) {}

    }

    //The message is written. Animate the cursor

    //(keep it blinking).

    while (true)

    {

        if (showcursor) showStatus(message+"_");

        else showStatus(message);

        showcursor=!showcursor;

        try {Thread.sleep(100);}

        catch(InterruptedException e) {}

    }

}

}