public int showDialog() {          
   initComponents();          
   setVisible(true);        
    // waiting here...        
    return returnValue
}

import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;

import javax.swing.AbstractAction;
import javax.swing.Action;
import javax.swing.InputMap;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JCheckBox;
import javax.swing.JComponent;
import javax.swing.JDialog;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JRootPane;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
import javax.swing.KeyStroke;

package utils;

import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;

import javax.swing.AbstractAction;
import javax.swing.Action;
import javax.swing.InputMap;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JCheckBox;
import javax.swing.JComponent;
import javax.swing.JDialog;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JRootPane;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
import javax.swing.KeyStroke;

/**
* @author brvmlwlw
*
*/
public class FindDialog extends JDialog implements ActionListener {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 3792644416895234356L;

    private JButton btnFind;
    private JCheckBox chkCaseSensitive;
    private JButton btnCancel;
    private JTextField txtFind;

    // TODO: will be used to determine if the search is case sensitive or not
    // when implemented
    // private boolean caseSensitive = false;

    private String title = "Find...";
    private int returnValue;

    private String CMD_CANCEL = "Cancel";
    private String CMD_FIND = "Find";

    public int OPTION_CANCEL = 0;
    public int OPTION_FIND = 1;

    public FindDialog(JFrame parent, boolean modal) {
        super(parent, modal);
        initComponents();
    }

    private void initComponents() {
        setLayout(null);

        txtFind = new JTextField();
        add(txtFind);
        txtFind.setBounds(12, 21, 236, 22);

        btnFind = new JButton();
        add(btnFind);
        btnFind.setText("Find");
        btnFind.setBounds(88, 83, 68, 24);
        btnFind.addActionListener(this);

        btnCancel = new JButton();
        add(btnCancel);
        btnCancel.setText("Cancel");
        btnCancel.setBounds(167, 83, 85, 24);
        btnCancel.addActionListener(this);

        chkCaseSensitive = new JCheckBox();
        add(chkCaseSensitive);
        chkCaseSensitive.setText("Case Sensitive");
        chkCaseSensitive.setBounds(93, 56, 149, 18);
        chkCaseSensitive.addActionListener(this);

        setSize(270, 166);
        setTitle(title);
    }

    public String getSearchString() {
        return txtFind.getText();
    }

    /**
     * Gets the length of the string that was searched.
     *
     * @return The length of the string that was searched.
     */
    public int getStringLength() {
        return txtFind.getText().length();
    }

    /**
     * This is overridden for the purposes of custom keypress functionality.
     */
    protected JRootPane createRootPane() {
        JRootPane rootPane = new JRootPane();
        KeyStroke escapeStroke = KeyStroke.getKeyStroke("ESCAPE");
        KeyStroke enterStroke = KeyStroke.getKeyStroke("ENTER");
        Action escapeListener = new AbstractAction() {
            private static final long serialVersionUID = 4076623498523743687L;

            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent actionEvent) {
                windowAction(CMD_CANCEL);
            }
        };
        InputMap inputMap = rootPane
                .getInputMap(JComponent.WHEN_IN_FOCUSED_WINDOW);
        inputMap.put(escapeStroke, "ESCAPE");
        rootPane.getActionMap().put("ESCAPE", escapeListener);

        Action findListener = new AbstractAction() {
            private static final long serialVersionUID = 4076623498523743687L;

            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent actionEvent) {
                windowAction(CMD_FIND);
            }
        };
        inputMap.put(enterStroke, "ENTER");
        rootPane.getActionMap().put("ENTER", findListener);

        return rootPane;
    } //createRootPane()

    /**
     * Shows the dialog and waits for user input before returning.
     *
     * @param s
     *            The string to be searched.
     * @return The index where the search string is found. If no string is found
     *         then OPTION_NO_FIND is returned (to be implemented). Note: To get
     *         the length of the string found use getStringLength()
     */
    public int showDialog() {
        initComponents();
        setVisible(true);
        // waiting here...
        return returnValue;
    }

    private void windowAction(Object actionCommand) {
        String cmd = null;
        boolean ret = false; // sets whether to return from dialog
        if (actionCommand != null) {
            if (actionCommand instanceof ActionEvent) {
                cmd = ((ActionEvent) actionCommand).getActionCommand();
            } else {
                cmd = actionCommand.toString();
            }
        }
        if (cmd == null) {
            // do nothing
        } else if (cmd.equals(CMD_CANCEL)) {
            returnValue = OPTION_CANCEL;
            setVisible(false);
            ret = true;
        } else if (cmd.equals(CMD_FIND)) {
            //if (!(txtFind.getText().equals(""))) { // if any text was entered
                returnValue = OPTION_FIND;
                ret = true;
            //}
        }
        if (ret) //return from the dialog
            setVisible(false);
    } // windowAction()

    @Override
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
        String action = new String(e.getActionCommand());

        // TODO: this code is just a place holder.
        if (action.equals(CMD_CANCEL) || action.equals(CMD_FIND)) {
            windowAction(action);
        }
    }
}