Difference between AWT and Swing in Java

What is Swing in Java?

Swing is another Java toolkit which is a lightweight graphical user interface (GUI), used for creating various Java applications. The Swing components are platform-independent. It allows designers to create buttons and scroll bars.

Swing comes with packages for devising desktop applications using Java. Swing components are programmed using the robust Java programming language. It is an important subset of the Java Foundation Classes (JFC).

Components of Java Swing

The prime 12 AWT Components are:

1. ImageIcon: The ImageIcon component is used for creating an icon sized-image from an image residing at the source URL.
2. JButton: JButton class is used for creating a push-button on the UI. The button can contain some display text or images. It generates an event when clicked or double-clicked.
3. JLabel: JLabel class is used for rendering a read-only text label or images on the UI. It does not generate any events.
4. JTextField: JTextField renders an editable single-line text box. A user is allowed to input non-formatted text in the box.
5. JPasswordField: JPasswordField is a subclass of JTextField class. It renders a text box that masks the user input text with bullet points. This is used for inserting passwords into the application
6. JCheckBox: JCheckBox renders a check-box with a label. The check-box has two states – on/off. When selected, the state is on and a small tick is displayed in the box.
7. JRadioButton: JRadioButton is used to render a group of radio buttons in the UI. A designer can select one choice from the group.
8. JList: JList component Renders a scrollable list of elements. A designer can select a value or multiple values from the list. This select behaviour is defined in the code by the developer.
9. JComboBox: JComboBox class is used to render a dropdown of the list of options.
10. JFileChooser: JFileChooser class renders a file selection utility. This component allows a designer to select a file from the local system.
11. JTabbedPane: JTabbedPane is another essential component that allows the designer to switch between tabs in an application. This is a highly useful UI component as it allows the designer to browse more content without navigating to different pages.
12. JSlider: The JSlider component displays a slider which the designer can drag to change its value. The constructor takes three arguments – minimum value, maximum value, an initial value.

Difference Between AWT and Swing in Java

Below is the tabular explanation of AWT vs Swing in Java

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Swing and AWT the same?

AWT and Swing are both parts of a group of Java class libraries called the Java Foundation Classes (JFC). But, they are not the same. They have different functionalities and execution times.

Is AWT more superior than swing?

Swing is usually regarded as being superior to AWT for building graphical user interfaces in Java. The favored option for contemporary GUI creation, Swing provides greater flexibility, platform freedom, and a richer set of components.

What is the difference between Java and Java Swing?

AWT and Swing are the two toolkits for building interactive Graphical User Interfaces (GUI). The key difference between AWT and Swing in Java is that AWT is Java’s conventional platform-dependent, graphics and user interface widget toolkit whereas Swing is a GUI widget toolkit for Java which is an extension of AWT.

Is Java swing better than JavaFX?

Swing has a better collection of GUI components, while JavaFX has a simple number of UI components available which is quite low than what Swing provides.

Which is easier: JavaFX or swing?

JavaFX UI is usually quite a lot easier than the Swing UI, as it requires lesser lines of code. (LOC)

Why is AWT platform-independent?

AWT (Abstract Window Toolkit) is platform-independent because it provides a set of APIs that map directly to the native GUI system of the underlying platform, ensuring consistent behavior and appearance of GUI applications across different operating systems.

Conclusion

Finally, after understanding the difference between AWT and Swing in Java we can conclude that both AWT and Swing go hand in hand. AWT and Swing are both in use, but their implementation is decided on the basis of the platform dependency criteria, MVC pattern, execution time, and other functionalities. However, both of them are unique and separate entities, each comes with its own components and cons and specific business use cases.

If you are thinking of building a career in Java Development or Programming with AWT or Swing you can learn about a few software technologies including Spring, Hibernate, and so on, this will help you in dealing with servers better and devising the algorithms efficiently.

Before getting enrolled in any course understand the technical terms distinctly, so that you get to learn exactly what you have been looking for.
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