Structuring Java Swing Projects

• Best practices for structuring and organizing code in Java Swing projects
• Learning objectives include:
  • Understanding Java Swing architecture
  • Applying the MVC pattern in Java Swing applications
  • Organizing Java Swing projects using modular design
  • Implementing reusable components
  • Using best practices in event handling and threading

Why Proper Structure Matters

• Improves code readability and maintainability
• Makes debugging and extending features easier
• Proper code structure follows industry best practices for professional development
• Enables team collaboration through systematic organization

Recommended Java Swing Project Structure

• src/ directory contains:
  • view/ for UI components
  • model/ for data and logic
  • controller/ for event handling
• resources/ directory contains icons and configuration files
• test/ directory contains JUnit test cases

Implementing MVC in Java Swing

• MVC stands for Model View Controller
• Model manages data

public class User {
    private String name;
    public User(String name) { this.name = name; }
    public String getName() { return name; }
}

• View encompasses UI components

public class UserView extends JFrame {
    private JTextField nameField = new JTextField(20);
    public JTextField getNameField() { return nameField; }
}

• Controller handles logic

public class UserController {
    private UserView view;
    public UserController(UserView view) { this.view = view; }
}

Working with Complex Components (JTable)

• JTable is used to display tabular data

String[] columns = {"ID", "Name"};
Object[][] data = {{1, "Alice"}, {2, "Bob"}};
JTable table = new JTable(data, columns);

• AbstractTableModel is used for dynamic tables

Best Practices for Event Handling

• Use separate classes for complex event handling
• Use Lambda expressions for cleaner code (Java 8+)
• Implement SwingWorker for background tasks

SwingWorker worker = new SwingWorker<>() {
    protected Void doInBackground() {
        // Long-running task
        return null;
    }
};
worker.execute();