JAVA SWING

23Y009 – JANARTHANAN A
23Y012 – KARTHIK KRISHNAN R
Introduction to JAVA SWING :
 Swing is a Set of API (API- Set of Classes and Interfaces)
 It is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) toolkit and a part of
the Java Foundation Classes (JFC) provided by Oracle
Corporation.
 It is used for creating graphical user interfaces in Java
applications.
 It is an Extension library to the AWT
 It was introduced as a replacement for the earlier Abstract
Window Toolkit (AWT) due to its platform-independent
nature and enhanced features.
 It provides a rich set of components for building interactive
and visually appealing GUI applications.
 Swing is more portable and more flexible
Need of JAVA SWING :
 Platform Independence :
Swing components are written entirely in Java, making them
platform-independent and allowing Swing-based applications to run on
various operating systems without modification.

 Rich Component Set :

Swing provides a wide range of components like buttons, labels, text
fields, tables, and more, enabling developers to create complex and user-
friendly interfaces.

 Customizability :
Swing components are highly customizable, allowing developers to
change their appearance, behavior, and functionality as per application
requirements.

 Event Handling :
Swing provides robust event handling mechanisms, making it easier
to manage user interactions and respond to user actions effectively.
Features of JAVA SWING :
 Lightweight :
Swing is lightweight compared to AWT because it doesn't rely
on the native platform's GUI components.
 Pluggable Look and Feel :
It supports pluggable look and feel, allowing developers to
change the appearance of applications easily.
 Double Buffering :
Swing uses double buffering by default, which enhances the
rendering performance of GUI components.
 Layout Managers :
It includes various layout managers for arranging components
within containers, providing flexibility in designing GUIs.
 Accessibility :
Swing supports accessibility features, making applications
more usable for people with disabilities.
Advantages :
 Platform Independence :
Applications built with Swing can run on different platforms
without changes.
 Rich Component Set :
Offers a wide range of components for building sophisticated
GUIs.
 Customizability :
Allows developers to customize the look and feel of
components.
 Event Handling :
Provides robust event handling mechanisms for managing
user interactions.
 Community Support :
Being a part of Java, Swing benefits from a large developer
community and extensive resources.
Disadvantages :
 Performance :
Swing applications may have slightly lower performance
compared to native GUI applications due to their lightweight
nature.
 Complexity :
Building complex Swing GUIs can be challenging,
especially when dealing with intricate layout requirements.
 Look and Feel :
While Swing supports different look and feel options,
achieving a native look on all platforms can be difficult.
 Learning Curve :
Learning Swing and mastering its various components
and concepts may require time and effort for developers new to
GUI programming in Java.
Hierarchy of SWING Class :
JAVA SWING Components :
Components plays a crucial role in creating interactive and user-friendly
graphical interfaces using Java Swing.

 JLabel :
Used to display a text or an image. It's commonly used
for adding descriptive text or icons to a GUI.

 JButton :
Represents a clickable button. Used for triggering
actions or events when clicked, such as submitting a form or
navigating to another screen.

 JCheckBox :
Presents a checkbox that can be selected or deselected.
JAVA SWING Components :
 JRadioButton :
Provides a set of mutually exclusive options where only
one can be selected at a time. Often used in groups where the
user needs to select one option from several.

 JComboBox :
Displays a drop-down list of items from which the user
can select one. Useful for selecting from a predefined list of
options.

 JTextField :
Allows users to input single-line text. Used for
capturing textual data like names, addresses, or search
queries.
JAVA SWING Components :
 JPasswordField :
Similar to JTextField but hides the entered text,
commonly used for password input fields.

 JList :
Displays a list of items from which users can select
one or more items. Useful for displaying lists of data, such
as contacts or files.

 JScrollBar :
Provides a scrollbar for scrolling through content
that doesn't fit within a fixed space, like text in a scrollable
text area.
JAVA SWING Components :
 JProgressBar :
Represents the progress of a task or operation. It
visually indicates the completion status of a process.

 JSpinner :
Allows users to select a value from a range of options
using spinner arrows. Commonly used for numeric or date
input.

 JTable :
Displays data in a tabular format with rows and
columns. Ideal for presenting structured data and
supporting sorting, filtering, and editing capabilities.
JAVA SWING Containers :
 JFrame :
The top-level container for Swing applications.
Represents the main window of a GUI application.
Can hold other Swing components such as buttons,
labels, and text fields.

 JPanel :
 A lightweight container used for organizing and grouping
components.
Often used to create sections or panels within a larger
GUI.
Can be added to a JFrame or another JPanel to structure
the interface.
JAVA SWING Containers :
 JScrollPane :
Provides a scrollable view for a single component that doesn't
fit within its container's visible area.
Automatically adds horizontal and/or vertical scrollbars as
needed.
Often used with components like JTextArea, JList, or JTable to
handle large amounts of data.

 JDialog :
Represents a pop-up dialog or secondary window.
Used for displaying messages, alerts, prompts, or additional
input forms.
Can be modal (blocks interaction with other windows until
closed) or modeless (allows interaction with other windows
while open).
JAVA SWING Containers :
JTabbedPane :
 Displays multiple tabs, each containing a different set of
components or content.
 Users can switch between tabs to access different sections
of the interface.
 Commonly used for organizing and presenting content in a
tabular format.

JSplitPane :
 Divides the container into two resizable areas with a divider
in between.
 Allows users to adjust the sizes of the areas by dragging the
divider.
 Useful for creating resizable split views, like a file explorer
with a folder tree and file list.
JAVA SWING PACKAGES :
 javax.swing :
This package contains the core components of Swing,
such as JButton, JLabel, JTable, JList, and many more. It also
contains the classes for creating top-level containers such as
JFrame and JDialog.

 javax.swing.event :
This package contains the classes for handling events
generated by the Swing components. It includes event listener
interfaces, event adapter classes, and event objects.

 javax.swing.border :
This package contains classes for creating borders around
the Swing components. It includes the classes for creating line
borders, etched borders, and titled borders.
JAVA SWING PACKAGES :
 javax.swing.layout :
This package contains the classes for creating and
managing layout managers in Swing. It includes the commonly
used layout managers such as BorderLayout, FlowLayout,
GridLayout, BoxLayout, and CardLayout.

 javax.swing.text :
This package contains the classes for creating and
managing text components in Swing. It includes classes for
creating text fields, text areas, and other text-related components.

 javax.swing.table :
This package contains the classes for creating and
managing tables in Swing. It includes the classes for creating
JTable, TableModel, TableColumn, and TableCellRenderer.