Set the foreground and background color to the text area import java.awt.*; import java.awt.event.*; import java.applet.*; class colopat extends Frame { Checkbox r,g,b; Checkbox m,y,gr,p,w,bl,c; TextArea ta; Checkbox r1,g1,b1; Checkbox m1,y1,gr1,p1,w1,bl1,c1; Label ba,fo; Panel pa1,p2,p3; colopat() { setSize(800,600); setLayout(new BorderLayout()); pa1=new Panel(new GridLayout(5,2,10,10)); p2=new Panel(new GridLayout(5,2,10,10)); CheckboxGroup cbg=new CheckboxGroup(); r=new Checkbox("red",cbg,false); g=new Checkbox("green",cbg,false); b=new Checkbox("blue",cbg,false); m=new Checkbox("megenta",cbg,false); y=new Checkbox("yellow",cbg,false); gr=new Checkbox("grey",cbg,false); p=new Checkbox("pink",cbg,false); w=new Checkbox("white",cbg,false); bl=new Checkbox("black",cbg,true); c=new Checkbox("cyan",cbg,false); ba=new Label("BACKGROUND COLORS",Label.CENTER); ba.setBackground(Color.pink); pa1.add(ba); pa1.add(r); pa1.add(b); pa1.add(m); pa1.add(y); pa1.add(gr); pa1.add(p); pa1.add(w); pa1.add(bl); pa1.add(c); add("West",pa1); ta=new TextArea(5,25); p3=new Panel(new GridLayout(3,1)); p3.add(new Label("Text Area",1)); p3.add(ta); add("Center",p3); r.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); g.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); b.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); m.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); y.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); gr.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); p.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); w.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); c.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); bl.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); CheckboxGroup cbg1=new CheckboxGroup(); r1=new Checkbox("red",cbg1,false); g1=new Checkbox("green",cbg1,false); b1=new Checkbox("blue",cbg1,false); m1=new Checkbox("megenta",cbg1,false); y1=new Checkbox("yellow",cbg1,false); gr1=new Checkbox("grey",cbg1,false); p1=new Checkbox("pink",cbg1,false); w1=new Checkbox("white",cbg1,false); bl1=new Checkbox("black",cbg1,true); c1=new Checkbox("cyan",cbg1,false); fo=new Label("FOREGROUND COLORS"); fo.setBackground(Color.pink); p2.add(fo); p2.add(c1); p2.add(g1); p2.add(b1); p2.add(m1); p2.add(y1); p2.add(gr1); p2.add(p1); p2.add(w1); p2.add(bl1); p2.add(c1); add("East",p2); r1.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); g1.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); b1.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); m1.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); y1.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); gr1.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); p1.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); w1.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); c1.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); bl1.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); c1.addItemListener(new CheckBoxHandler(this)); addWindowListener(new mywindowAdapter(this)); setVisible(true); } public static void main(String args[]) { new colopat(); } } class CheckBoxHandler implements ItemListener { colopat cp; CheckBoxHandler(colopat cp) { this.cp=cp; } public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent ie) { if(cp.r.getState()) cp.ta.setBackground(Color.red); else if(cp.g.getState()) cp.ta.setBackground(Color.green); else if(cp.b.getState()) cp.ta.setBackground(Color.blue); else if(cp.m.getState()) cp.ta.setBackground(Color.magenta); else if(cp.y.getState()) cp.ta.setBackground(Color.yellow); else if(cp.gr.getState()) cp.ta.setBackground(Color.lightGray); else if(cp.bl.getState()) cp.ta.setBackground(Color.black); else if(cp.w.getState()) cp.ta.setBackground(Color.white); else if(cp.p.getState()) cp.ta.setBackground(Color.pink); else cp.ta.setBackground(Color.cyan); if(cp.r1.getState()) cp.ta.setForeground(Color.red); else if(cp.g1.getState()) cp.ta.setForeground(Color.green); else if(cp.b1.getState()) cp.ta.setForeground(Color.blue); else if(cp.m1.getState()) cp.ta.setForeground(Color.magenta); else if(cp.y1.getState()) cp.ta.setForeground(Color.yellow); else if(cp.gr1.getState()) cp.ta.setForeground(Color.lightGray); else if(cp.bl1.getState()) cp.ta.setForeground(Color.black); else if(cp.w1.getState()) cp.ta.setForeground(Color.white); else if(cp.p1.getState()) cp.ta.setForeground(Color.pink); else cp.ta.setForeground(Color.cyan); } } class mywindowAdapter extends WindowAdapter { colopat cp; mywindowAdapter(colopat cp) { this.cp=cp; } public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e) { System.exit(0); } }