Suns Java Swing Tutorial.pdf

Getting Started with Swing

The Java TM Tutorial

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Examples Index

Trail : Creating a GUI with JFC/Swing

Lesson: Getting Started with Swing

This lesson gives you a quick introduction to using the JFC Swing packages to create a

program's GUI. First, it tells you what the JFC and Swing are. Next, it helps you get the

necessary releases and use them to compile and run a Swing program. Then it shows you

how to run applets. Finally, it takes you on a whirlwind tour of a simple Swing application.

If you're more interested in learning concepts than in running programs right now, feel free

to skip part or all of this lesson and to go to the next lesson, Swing Features and Concepts (in

Then return here when you're ready to start programming.

About the JFC and Swing

This section gives you a little history about the JFC and Swing. If you've developed

programs using AWT components, you'll probably be interested in the description of the

differences between AWT and Swing components.

Compiling and Running Swing Programs

To write programs using the Swing components, you must first download the appropriate

JDK and JFC releases. Then you can follow this section's instructions to compile and run the

small Swing application provided.

Running Swing Applets

To write Swing applets, you must first be able to run them. This section provides two

applets, with instructions for running them.

A Quick Tour of a Swing Application's Code

This section takes you through the code for a small Swing application. You'll see the code

that a Swing application absolutely must have, and you'll learn about some commonly used

Swing features.

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About the JFC and Swing

The Java TM Tutorial

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Trail : Creating a GUI with JFC/Swing

Lesson : Getting Started with Swing

About the JFC and Swing

This section answers four questions:

What are the JFC and Swing?

Which releases contain the Swing API?

What Swing packages should I use?

How are Swing components different from AWT components?

What Are the JFC and Swing?

JFC is short for Java TM Foundation Classes, which encompass a group of features to help

people build graphical user interfaces (GUIs). The JFC was first announced at the 1997

JavaOne developer conference and is defined as containing the following features:

The Swing Components

Include everything from buttons to split panes to tables. You can see mugshots of all

the components in A Visual Index to the Swing Components .

Pluggable Look and Feel Support

Gives any program that uses Swing components a choice of looks and feels. For

example, the same program can use either the Java TM look and feel or the Windows

look and feel. We expect many more look-and-feel packages -- including some that

use sound instead of a visual "look" -- to become available from various sources.

Accessibility API

Enables assistive technologies such as screen readers and Braille displays to get

information from the user interface.

Java 2D TM API (Java 2 Platform only)

Enables developers to easily incorporate high-quality 2D graphics, text, and images in

applications and in applets.

Drag and Drop Support (Java 2 Platform only)

Provides the ability to drag and drop between a Java application and a native

application.

The first three JFC features were implemented without any native code, relying only on the

API defined in JDK 1.1. As a result, they could and did become available as an extension to

JDK 1.1. This extension was released as JFC 1.1, which is sometimes called "the Swing

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About the JFC and Swing

release." The API in JFC 1.1 is often called "the Swing API."

Note: "Swing" was the codename of the project that developed the new

components. Although it's an unofficial name, it's frequently used to refer to the

new components and related API. It's immortalized in the package names for

the Swing API, which begin with javax.swing .

This trail concentrates on the Swing components. We help you choose the appropriate ones

for your GUI, tell you how to use them, and give you the background information you need

to use them effectively. We discuss the Pluggable look and feel and Accessibility support

when they affect how you write programs that use Swing components. This trail does not

cover the JFC features that appear only in the Java 2 Platform. For information about those,

refer to 2D Graphic s and to the JFC Home Page .

The following snapshots show three views of a GUI that uses Swing components. Each

picture shows the same program, but with a different look and feel. The program, called

Converter , is discussed in detail at the end of the next lesson, Swing Features and

Concepts .

Java look and feel

CDE/Motif look and feel

Windows look and feel

Which Releases Contain the Swing API?

The Swing API is available in two forms:

As a core part of the Java 2 Platform (standard edition of either v 1.2 or v 1.3)

JFC 1.1 (for use with JDK 1.1)

Which release you use depends on whether you need to use JDK 1.1 or the Java 2 Platform,

and on whether you're willing to be a beta tester for SDK v 1.3. It's a bit simpler to use the

Java 2 Platform because the JFC is built into the Java 2 Platform and you don't need to add

libraries to be able to use the Swing API. However, if you need to use JDK 1.1, then adding

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About the JFC and Swing

the Swing API (using JFC 1.1) isn't difficult. Instructions for doing both are in Compiling

and Running Swing Programs .

This trail describes the Swing 1.1 API, which is the version present in the Java 2 Platform

v 1.2 and in the release called "JFC 1.1 (with Swing 1.1)." Except where noted, the code in

this trail works unchanged with either release and subsequent compatible releases, such as

SDK v 1.3 and JFC 1.1 (with Swing 1.1.1).

Sun has released many versions of JFC 1.1, which are identified by the version of Swing

API they contain. One previous version, for example, was called "JFC 1.1 (with

Swing 1.0.3)." The last JFC 1.1 release was Swing version 1.1.1. It had the same API as

Swing 1.1, but added many bug fixes, some performance improvements, and a few new

capabilities such as HTML text in labels that required no API changes.

The following table shows some of the important releases containing Swing API. Bold font

indicates the releases typically used in shipping products.

Swing API

Version

Corresponding

JFC 1.1 Release

Corresponding

Java 2 Platform

Version (Standard

Edition)

Comments

Swing 1.0.3

JFC 1.1

(with Swing 1.0.3)

none

The release of JFC 1.1

included in Java

Plug-in TM 1.1.1 .

Swing 1.1

The first releases

containing the final

Swing 1.1 API

supported for use in

shipping products. Java

Plug-in 1.1.2 and Java

Plug-in 1.2 provide

applet support for

JDK 1.1 + Swing 1.1

and Java 2 Platform

v 1.2, respectively.

Note: This is the

API this trail

covers.

JFC 1.1

(with Swing 1.1)

v 1.2 , v 1.2.1

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About the JFC and Swing

Swing 1.1.1

JFC 1.1

(with Swing 1.1.1)

Adds performance

enhancements, many

bug fixes, and selected

new functionality

(requiring no API

changes) to Swing 1.1.

Java Plug-in 1.1.3 and

Java Plug-in 1.2.2

provide applet support

for JDK 1.1 +

Swing 1.1.1 and Java 2

Platform v 1.2.2,

respectively.

Note: This trail

includes notes

about this API.

Note: This is the last

release that supports

JDK 1.1.

v 1.2.2

no separate

"Swing" version

number

none

v 1.3 Beta

Adds significant

performance

enhancements and bug

fixes, along with some

new features and API

additions. For more

information, see the

release documentation

, especially Swing

Changes and New

Features . Java Plug-in

1.3 Beta provides

applet support for this

release.

What Swing Packages Should I Use?

The Swing API is powerful, flexible -- and immense. For example, the 1.1 version of the

API has 15 public packages: javax.accessibility , javax.swing ,

javax.swing.border , javax.swing.colorchooser , javax.swing.event ,

javax.swing.filechooser , javax.swing.plaf ,

javax.swing.plaf.basic , javax.swing.plaf.metal ,

javax.swing.plaf.multi , javax.swing.table , javax.swing.text ,

javax.swing.text.html , javax.swing.tree , and javax.swing.undo .

Fortunately, most programs use only a small subset of the API. This trail sorts out the API

for you, giving you examples of common code and pointing you to methods and classes

you're likely to need. Most of the code in this trail uses only one or two Swing packages:

javax.swing

javax.swing.event (not always required)

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