Java Swing

Book excerpt: Swing is a fully-featured user interface development kit for Java applications. Building on the foundations of the Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT), Swing enables cross-platform applications to use any of several pluggable look-and-feels. Swing developers can take advantage of its rich, flexible features and modular components, building elegant user interfaces with very little code. This second edition of Java Swing thoroughly covers all the features available in Java 2 SDK 1.3 and 1.4. More than simply a reference, this new edition takes a practical approach. It is a book by developers for developers, with hundreds of useful examples, from beginning level to advanced, covering every component available in Swing. All these features mean that there's a lot to learn. Even setting aside its platform flexibility, Swing compares favorably with any widely available user interface toolkit--it has great depth. Swing makes it easy to do simple things but is powerful enough to create complex, intricate interfaces. Java Swing, 2nd edition includes : A new chapter on Drag and Drop Accessibility features for creating a user interface meeting the needs of all users Coverage of the improved key binding infrastructure introduced in SDK 1.3 A new chapter on JFormattedTextField and input validation Mac OS X coverage and examples Coverage of the improved focus system introduced in SDK 1.4 Pluggable Look-and-Feel coverage Coverage of the new layout manager, SpringLayout, from SDK 1.4 Properties tables that summarize important features of each component Coverage of the 1.4 Spinner component Details about using HTML in components A new appendix listing bound actions for each component A supporting web site with utilities, examples, and supplemental materials Whether you're a seasoned Java developer or just trying to find out what Java can do, you'll find Java Swing, 2nd edition an indispensable guide.