Java Swing GUI Components

Study Notes

Overview

Java Swing is a set of APIs for creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in Java. It is part of the Java Foundation Classes (JFC) and is built on top of the Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT).

Key Components

JFrame:

A top-level container for a GUI application
Provides a window with a title bar, borders, and a content pane

JPanel:

A generic container for GUI components
Can be added to a JFrame or another JPanel

JComponent:

The base class for all GUI components in Swing
Provides basic functionality such as size, location, and event handling

GUI Components

Labels and Buttons

JLabel: displays text or an image
JButton: a clickable button with text or an icon

Text Components

JTextField: a single-line text input field
JTextArea: a multi-line text input field
JTextPane: a styled text component

Lists and Tables

JList: a list of items that can be selected
JTable: a table with rows and columns of data

Menus

JMenuBar: a menu bar with multiple menus
JMenu: a dropdown menu with menu items
JMenuItem: an individual menu item

Event Handling

ActionListener: an interface for handling button clicks and other events
MouseListener: an interface for handling mouse clicks and movements
KeyListener: an interface for handling keyboard input

Layout Managers

BorderLayout: a layout manager for arranging components in a container
FlowLayout: a layout manager for arranging components in a row or column
GridLayout: a layout manager for arranging components in a grid

Threading and Updates

Event-Dispatching Thread (EDT): the thread responsible for updating the GUI
SwingUtilities.invokeLater(): a method for scheduling GUI updates on the EDT

Overview

Java Swing is a set of APIs for creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in Java.
It is part of the Java Foundation Classes (JFC) and built on top of the Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT).

Key Components

JFrame is a top-level container for a GUI application, providing a window with a title bar, borders, and a content pane.
JPanel is a generic container for GUI components, which can be added to a JFrame or another JPanel.
JComponent is the base class for all GUI components in Swing, providing basic functionality such as size, location, and event handling.

GUI Components

JLabel displays text or an image.
JButton is a clickable button with text or an icon.
JTextField is a single-line text input field.
JTextArea is a multi-line text input field.
JTextPane is a styled text component.
JList is a list of items that can be selected.
JTable is a table with rows and columns of data.
JMenuBar is a menu bar with multiple menus.
JMenu is a dropdown menu with menu items.
JMenuItem is an individual menu item.

Event Handling

ActionListener is an interface for handling button clicks and other events.
MouseListener is an interface for handling mouse clicks and movements.
KeyListener is an interface for handling keyboard input.

Layout Managers

BorderLayout is a layout manager for arranging components in a container.
FlowLayout is a layout manager for arranging components in a row or column.
GridLayout is a layout manager for arranging components in a grid.

Threading and Updates

Event-Dispatching Thread (EDT) is the thread responsible for updating the GUI.
SwingUtilities.invokeLater() is a method for scheduling GUI updates on the EDT.