For the HSQLDB product, in the package
org.hsqldb.util.DatabaseManagerSwing class I could not add a progress
bar because it did not make sense for this app. I added a panel at the
bottom of the screen with a button(with Icon) and a JLabel as my output
status message area. Then wrote a method so other methods could set the
status icon(red or Green) and message based on processing mode. So
visually you would know the states and what it was or was not doing.

If you do not have the product I have some screenshots here:
http://weconsultants.servebeer.com/JHackerAppManager/Portal?xpc=1$@5

To setup the status panel it went something like this..

        jStatusLine = new JLabel();
        iReadyStatus = new JButton(new
ImageIcon(CommonSwing.getIcon("StatusReady")));
        iReadyStatus.setSelectedIcon(
            new ImageIcon(CommonSwing.getIcon("StatusRunning")));
        pStatus = new JPanel();
        pStatus.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        pStatus.add(iReadyStatus, BorderLayout.WEST);
        pStatus.add(jStatusLine, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        fMain.getContentPane().add(pStatus, "South");

The source for the HSQLDB project can be found at their website if you
want to look at...either download the jar file or look at it cvs
http://hsqldb.org/

Thanks in Advance...
IchBin, Pocono Lake, Pa, USA
http://weconsultants.servebeer.com/JHackerAppManager
__________________________________________________________________________

'If there is one, Knowledge is the "Fountain of Youth"'
-William E. Taylor,  Regular Guy (1952-)

This is a classic mechanism:

 static char spins[] = { '-', '\\', '|', '/' };
 static int pos = 0;

 static void spinner() {
   System.out.print(spins[pos] + "\r");
   pos = (pos + 1) % 4;
 }

Call spinner() occasionally while doing your work. It gives the user
an indication that the program hasn't died as well as some idea of the
rate it's progressing.

You get a similar effect with "bubbles" instead:

 static char bubbles[] = { '.', 'o', 'O', 'o', '.' };

/gordon