Table of contents

Introduction

Features of Java Swing

2.1.

1. Platform Independent

2.2.

2. Customizable

2.3.

3. Plugging

2.4.

4. MVC

2.5.

5. Manageable Look and Feel

2.6.

6. Lightweight

2.7.

7. Rich Control

2.8.

8. Configurable

JFC and Swing

3.1.

Swing Hierarchy

3.2.

Swing Classes in Java

3.3.

Methods of Component Class

Frequently Asked Questions

4.1.

What is the need for Swing in Java?

4.2.

What are the advantages of Swing in Java?

4.3.

What are Swing's two most important features in Java?

4.4.

Is it better to use AWT or Swing?

Conclusion

Last Updated: Dec 9, 2024

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Features of Swing Class

Author Kanak Rana

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Introduction

Swing in Java is a lightweight and platform-independent class of the Java foundation class. It's used to make applications that run on Windows. It contains elements such as a button, a scroll bar, and a text field. A graphical user interface is created by combining all of these elements. In this article, we'll go over the concepts and features of the Java Swing Framework includes several classes that provide more vital and more versatile GUI (Graphical User Interface) components than AWT(Abstract Window Toolkit).

Swing is a Sun Microsystems-published official Java GUI toolkit that closely resembles the look and feels of modern Java GUIs. It is used to create the graphical user interface for Java Class.
The concepts discussed in this article are as follows:

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Features of Java Swing

Platform Independent
Customizable
Plugging
MVC
Manageable Look and Feel
Lightweight

Let's learn about these features in detail:

1. Platform Independent

It is platform-independent, as the swing components used to construct the program are not platform-specific. It works on any platform and in any location.

2. Customizable

Swing controls are simple to customize. It can be changed, and the swing component application's visual appearance is independent of its internal representation.

3. Plugging

Java Swing has pluggable look and feel. This feature allows users to change the appearance and feel of Swing components without having to restart the application. The Swing library will enable components to have the same look and feel across all platforms, regardless of where the program is running. The Swing library provides an API that allows complete control over the appearance and feel of an application's graphical user interface.

4. MVC

The MVC Relationships:

A visual component is made up of three distinct aspects in general:

The appearance of the component when it is rendered on the screen.
The component responds to the user.
The state information connection with the component.

One component architecture has proven to be exceptionally effective over time.

MVC stands for Model-View-Controller.

The model agrees with the state information associated with the Component in MVC terminology.
The view determines how the component appears on screen and any aspects of the view that are influenced by the model's current state.
The controller is in charge of determining how the component responds to the user.

5. Manageable Look and Feel

It's simple to manage and configure. Its mechanism and composition pattern allows changes to be made to the settings while the program runs. Constant changes to the application code can be made without making any changes to the user interface.

6. Lightweight

Lightweight Components: The JDK's AWT has supported lightweight component development since version 1.1. A component must not rely on non-Java [O/s based] system classes to be considered light. The look and feel classes in Java help Swing components have their view.

You can also read about Why is Java Platform Independent here.

7. Rich Control

Swing offers a wide variety of rich, interactive controls such as buttons, text fields, tables, sliders, and trees. These components enable the creation of sophisticated user interfaces with advanced features like drag-and-drop support, tooltips, and event handling, enhancing user interaction.

8. Configurable

Swing allows extensive configuration of its components. Developers can set properties such as size, color, font, and event handling, and even define custom behaviours for components. This configurability ensures that the GUI can adapt to various application requirements and user preferences.

JFC and Swing

JFC stands for Java Foundation Classes, a set of classes used to create graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and add rich graphical features and interactivity to Java applications. The Java Classes Foundation holds Java Swing (JFC).

Swing Hierarchy

Swing Classes in Java

Swing Classes in Java	Description
JPanel	It is a Swing's version of the AWT class Panel, and it uses the same default layout, FlowLayout, as the AWT class Panel. JPanel is a direct descendant of JComponent.
JFrame	Swing's version of Frame is a direct descendant of the Frame class. The Content refers to the component that is added to the Frame.
JWindow:	This is Swing's version of Window and is a direct descendant of the Window class. It uses BorderLayout by default, just like Window.
JLabel	It is a descendant of JComponent used to make text labels.
JButton	The JButton class provides the operation of a push button. With JButton, you can associate a button with an icon, a string, or both.
JTextField	JTextFields are text fields that allow you to edit a single line of text.

Methods of Component Class

The methods of the Component class, which are listed below, are widely used in Java Swing.

public void add(Component c)- Add a component to another component.
public void setSize(int width,int height)- It specifies the component's size.
public void setLayout(LayoutManager m)- The layout manager for the component is set
public void setVisible(boolean b)- It controls the component's visibility. By default, it is false.

Check out this problem - Smallest Distinct Window .

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the need for Swing in Java?

Swing in Java is a lightweight and platform-independent class part of the Java foundation class. It's used to make applications that run in windows. It contains elements such as a button, a scroll bar, and a text field. A graphical user interface is created by combining all of these elements.

What are the advantages of Swing in Java?

Additional functionalities and components are added to AWT-replacement components.
Platform independence is a feature of Swing components.
Swing components can have a variety of looks and feel to them.
Swing components use the Model-View-Controller (MVC) paradigm, allowing a much more flexible user interface.

What are Swing's two most important features in Java?

Swing has two distinct features:

Swing components are light and independent of one another.

Swing allows for a pluggable appearance and feel. Metal (default), Windows, and Motif are the three PLAFs available to all users.

Is it better to use AWT or Swing?

Swing is much larger than AWT, a thin layer of code on top of the OS. Swing also has a much more prominent feature set. You have to implement many things yourself when using AWT, whereas Swing has them built-in. Compared to Swing, AWT feels very primitive to work with for GUI-intensive work.

Conclusion

Java Swing offers a robust, lightweight, and platform-independent framework for building graphical user interfaces. Its features, such as customizability, pluggable look and feel, and MVC architecture, make it a powerful tool for developers. Swing components are versatile and manageable, allowing for the creation of rich, interactive applications with a consistent user experience across different platforms. In this blog, we learned about Java Swing and the different features of Java Swing. You can check out more information about Java and Swing in Java below: