JavaFX Programming Basics

Introduction to JavaFX

• JavaFX is a framework for developing Java GUI programs and is an excellent pedagogical tool for learning object-oriented programming.
• JavaFX API is an example of how object-oriented principles are applied.

JavaFX vs. Swing and AWT

• JavaFX is the new platform for developing rich GUI applications, replacing Swing and AWT.
• AWT is fine for developing simple graphical user interfaces but not for comprehensive GUI projects, and is prone to platform-specific bugs.
• Swing is a more robust, versatile, and flexible library that replaced AWT, but is now replaced by JavaFX.

Key Classes in JavaFX

• javafx.application.Application class defines the essential framework for writing JavaFX programs.
• The main class overrides the start method defined in javafx.application.Application.

Creating a JavaFX Application

• A JavaFX application is launched, the JVM constructs an instance of the class using its no-arg constructor and invokes its start method.
• The start method normally places UI controls in a scene and displays the scene in a stage.

Scenes and Stages

• A Scene object can be created using the constructor Scene(node, width, height).
• A Stage object is a window, and a primary stage is automatically created by the JVM when the application is launched.
• A Stage object is like a platform to support scenes, and nodes are like actors to perform in the scenes.

Nodes in JavaFX

• Node is the superclass of all visual components, including panes, groups, UI controls, and shapes.
• Subtypes of Node include Pane, Group, UI Control, and Shape.
• A Pane is a container class for automatically laying out nodes in a desired location and size.
• A Group is a container that groups a collection of nodes, and transformations or effects applied to a group apply to all children in the group.