import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Component;
import java.awt.EventQueue;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.util.ArrayList;

import javax.swing.AbstractListModel;
import javax.swing.DefaultListModel;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JList;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
import javax.swing.ListCellRenderer;

public class Test {

    private JFrame frame;
    private ArrayList<Person> persons = new ArrayList<>();

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            public void run() {
                try {
                    Test window = new Test();
                    window.frame.setVisible(true);
                } catch (Exception e) {
                    e.printStackTrace();
                }
            }
        });
    }

    public Test() {
        initialize();
    }

    private void initialize() {
        frame = new JFrame();
        frame.setBounds(100, 100, 450, 300);
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        frame.getContentPane().setLayout(new BorderLayout());
        for (int i = 0; i < 111111; i++) {
            Person p = new Person(i);
            persons.add(p);
        }
        PersonList pl = new PersonList(persons);
        JScrollPane sp = new JScrollPane(pl);
        frame.getContentPane().add(sp, BorderLayout.CENTER);
        JButton addPerson = new JButton("add person");
        addPerson.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {

            @Override
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                Person p = new Person(166);
                /*
                 * This will make the list dissapear.
                 */
                // persons.add(p);
                // pl.repaint();
                // pl.revalidate();
                /*
                 * This will cause high memory usage on each button click.
                 */
                jlist.Test.PersonList.PersonModel m = (jlist.Test.PersonList.PersonModel) pl.getModel();
                m.add(p);
            }
        });
        frame.getContentPane().add(addPerson, BorderLayout.PAGE_END);

    }

    @SuppressWarnings("serial")
    private class PersonList extends JList<Person> {
        private ArrayList<Person> listPersons;

        public PersonList(ArrayList<Person> persons) {
            this.listPersons = persons;
            setModel(new PersonModel());
            setCellRenderer(new PersonRenderer());
        }

        private class PersonRenderer extends JTextField implements ListCellRenderer<Person> {

            @Override
            public Component getListCellRendererComponent(JList<? extends Person> list, Person value, int index,
                    boolean isSelected, boolean cellHasFocus) {
                setText("height: " + value.getHeight());
                return this;
            }

        }

        private class PersonModel extends AbstractListModel<Person> {
            public void add(Person p) {
                listPersons.add(p);
                fireContentsChanged(this, listPersons.size(), listPersons.size() - 1);
            }

            @Override
            public Person getElementAt(int arg0) {
                return listPersons.get(arg0);
            }

            @Override
            public int getSize() {
                return listPersons.size();
            }

        }
    }

    private class Person {
        private int height;

        public Person(int height) {
            this.setHeight(height);
        }

        @SuppressWarnings("unused")
        public int getHeight() {
            return height;
        }

        public void setHeight(int height) {
            this.height = height;
        }
    }
}