Advanced Programming

Code: SWEG2033

Chapter Two

AWT and Swing

Part One
Objective Components

Introduction Useful Methods of Component class

Advantages of GUI over CUI  Frames

Advantages of GUI over CUI  Label

GUI based Applications  Checkbox

Basic Terminology of GUI  CheckboxGroup

Java GUI API  Choice

AWT Hierarchy  TextArea

 Button
 Objective
• Within this chapter you will be introduced to many of the Java
components for constructing graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

• With the information in this chapter you will be able to develop your
own GUIs.

3
 Introduction
• Graphical User Interface (GUI) offers user interaction via some graphical
components.

• E.g. window, frame, Panel, Button, Textfield, Text-Area, List-box,

Combo- box, Label, Checkbox etc. These all are known as components.
Using these components we can create an interactive user interface for an
application.

• GUI provides result to end user in response to raised events. GUI is

entirely based events.

• For example clicking over a button, closing a window, opening a window,

typing something in a TextArea etc. These activities are known as events.

4
 Introduction
• GUI makes it easier for the end user to use an application. It
also makes them interesting.

• A GUI gives an application a distinctive “look” and “feel”.

• There are many sets of visual components and containers for user
interface design in JAVA. But the two are basic :
• AWT (Abstract Window Toolkit) - in package java.awt and

• Swing - in package javax.swing

5
 Introduction
Class Activity 1

Discuss about GUI and User Experience (UIX)

What is the Advantage of GUI over Character based system

6
 Advantages of GUI over CUI

• GUI provides graphical icons to interact while the CUI (Character or

command User Interface) offers the simple text-based interfaces.

• GUI makes the application more entertaining and interesting on the

other hand CUI does not.

• GUI offers click and execute environment while in CUI every time
we have to enter the command for a task.

• GUI provides multitasking environment so as the CUI also does but

CUI does not provide same ease as the GUI do.

7
 Class Activity 2 :

List and Discuss GUI based Application

8
 GUI based Applications

Following are some of the examples for GUI based applications:

• Automated Teller Machine (ATM)

• Airline Ticketing System

• Information Kiosks at railway stations
• Mobile Applications

• Navigation System

9
 Basic Terminology of GUI
1. Component : is an object having a graphical representation that can
be displayed on the screen and that can interact with the user. For
examples buttons, checkboxes, list and scrollbars of a graphical user
interface.

2. Container : The Container is a component that can contain another

components like buttons, text fields, labels etc. The classes that
extends Container class are known as container such as Frame, Dialog
and Panel.

3. Panel : The Panel is the container that doesn't contain title bar and
menu bars. It can have other components like button, text field etc.

10
 Basic Terminology of GUI
4. Window :
• Window is a rectangular area which is displayed on the screen.

• In different window we can execute different program and display

different data.
• Window provide us with multitasking environment.(e.g., modal
window )
• A window must have either a frame, dialog, or another window
defined as its owner when it's constructed.

11
 Basic Terminology of GUI
5. Frame : A Frame is a top-level window with a title and a border. The
size of the frame includes any area designated for the border. Frame
encapsulates window. It and has a title bar, menu bar, borders, and
resizing corners.

6. Canvas: Canvas component represents a blank rectangular area of the

screen onto which the application can draw.

12
Basic Terminology of GUI

13
 AWT vs. Swing
• The AWT (Abstract Window Toolkit) package is java package designed
for doing windowing interfaces.

• Every user interface considers the following three main aspects:

1. UI elements: These are the core visual elements, the user eventually sees and
interacts with.

2. Layouts: They define how UI elements should be organized on the screen and
provide a final look and feel to the GUI (Graphical User Interface).

3. Behavior: These are events that occur when the user interacts with UI elements.

14
AWT vs. Swing

15
 AWT vs. Swing

• The class Component is the abstract base class for the non-menu user
interface controls of AWT. Component represents an object with
graphical representation.
• Following is the declaration for java.awt.Component class:

16
 AWT vs. Swing

Following are the fields for java.awt.Component class:

• static float BOTTOM_ALIGNMENT : Ease-of-use constant for
getAlignmentY.

• static float CENTER_ALIGNMENT : Ease-of-use constant for

getAlignmentY and getAlignmentX.

• static float LEFT_ALIGNMENT : Ease-of-use constant for getAlignmentX.

• static float RIGHT_ALIGNMENT : Ease-of-use constant for getAlignmentX.

• static float TOP_ALIGNMENT : Ease-of-use constant for getAlignmentY().

17
 AWT vs. Swing
Methods of AWT
1. protected Component() – Constructor functions.
2. boolean action(Event evt, Object what): should register this
component as ActionListener on component which fires action
events.

3. void addComponentListener(ComponentListener l): Adds the

specified component listener to receive component events from this
component.
N.B: In general in AWT we have almost 221 for deferent purpose.

See the reference “awt tutorial” book from tutorial point site page number 7-19

18
 AWT vs. Swing
• The AWT (Abstract Window Toolkit) package is java package designed for
doing windowing interfaces. Swing can be viewed as an improved version of
the AWT.

• However, Swing did not completely replace the AWT package. Some AWT
classes are replaced by Swing classes, but other AWT classes are needed
when using Swing. We will use classes from both Swing and the AWT.

• Swing GUIs are designed using a particular form of object-oriented

programming that is known as event-driven programming.

• Event-driven programming is a programming style that uses a signal-and-

response approach to programming. Signals to objects are things called
events.

19
 AWT vs. Swing
• AWT is fine for developing simple graphical user interfaces, but not for
developing comprehensive GUI projects.

• Besides, AWT is prone to platform-specific bugs.

• The AWT user-interface components were replaced by a more robust,

versatile, and flexible library known as Swing components.

• Swing components depend less on the target platform and use less of the
native GUI resource.

• Swing components are painted directly on canvases using Java code.

• For this reason, Swing components that don’t rely on native GUI are referred
to as lightweight components, and AWT components are referred to as
heavyweight components.
20
 AWT vs. Swing
• Swing programs use events and event handlers. An event is an object that
acts as a signal to another object known as a listener.

• The sending of the event is called firing the event.

21
 AWT vs. Swing (cont’d)

AWT features include:

• A rich set of user interface components.

• A robust event-handling model.

• Graphics and imaging tools, including shape, color, and font classes.

Swing features include:

• All the features of AWT.

• 100% Pure Java certified versions of the existing AWT component set (Button,
Scrollbar, Label, etc.).

• A rich set of higher-level components (such as tree view, list box, and tabbed panes).

• Pure Java design, no reliance on peers.

• Pluggable Look and Feel.

22
 Java GUI API
• The GUI API contains classes that can be classified into three
groups:
• component classes
• container classes
• helper classes

• The component classes, such as JButton, JLabel, and JTextField,

are for creating the user interface.

• The container classes, such as JFrame, JPanel, and JApplet, are

used to contain other components.

• The helper classes, such as Graphics, Color, Font, FontMetrics,

and Dimension, are used to support GUI components.
23
 Java GUI API (cont’d)

Common super classes of many of the Swing components

24
 Java GUI API (cont’d)

• Class Object is the super class of the Java class hierarchy.

• Component is the root class of all the user-interface classes

including container classes.

• An instance of Container can hold instances of Component.

• Window, Panel, Applet, Frame, and Dialog are the container

classes for AWT components.

• To work with Swing components, use Container, JFrame, JDialog,

JApplet, and Jpanel.

25
AWT Hierarchy

26
Useful Methods of Component class

27
 Frames
• To create a user interface, you need to create either a frame or an
applet to hold the user-interface components.

• A top-level window (that is, a window that is not contained inside

another window) is called a frame in Java.

• A Frame has:
• a title bar (containing an icon, a title, and the minimize/maximize(restore-
down)/close buttons),

• an optional menu bar and

• the content display area.

• To create a frame, use the JFrame class

28
 Frames
There are two ways to create a frame in AWT.
• By extending Frame class (inheritance)

• By creating the object of Frame class (association)

29
Frames Example by Inheritance

30
AWT Example by Association

31
 Frame Swing

Example 1
import javax.swing.JFrame;
public class MyFrame {
public static void main(String[] args) {
// Create a frame
JFrame frame = new JFrame("MyFrame");
frame.setSize(400, 300); // Set the frame size
// Center a frame
frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null); //or .setLocation(300,200)
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.setVisible(true); // Display the frame
}
}

32
 Frame (cont’d)

JFrame is a top-level container to hold GUI components

33
 Frame (cont’d)
Adding Components to a Frame

import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JButton;
public class FrameWithButton {
public static void main(String[] args) {
JFrame frame = new JFrame("MyFrame");
// Add a button into the frame
JButton jbtOK = new JButton("OK");
frame.add(jbtOK);
frame.setSize(400, 300);
frame.setLocation(360,360);
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
}

34
 Java Label
Adding Lablel

import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
public class FrameWithLabel {
public static void main(String[] args) {
JFrame frame = new JFrame("MyFrame");
// Add a lable into the frame
JLabel jLblName = new JLabel(“First Name");
frame.add(jLblName);
frame.setSize(400, 300);
frame.setLocation(360,360);
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
}

35
 Java Checkbox

• The Checkbox class is used to create a checkbox. It is used to turn an

option on (true) or off (false).

• Clicking on a Checkbox changes its state from "on" to "off" or from "off"
to "on".

36
 Java CheckboxGroup

• The object of CheckboxGroup class is used to group together a set of

Checkbox. At a time only one check box button is allowed to be in "on"
state and remaining check box button in "off" state. It inherits the object
class.

37
 Java Label
• The object of Label class is a component for placing text in a container. It
is used to display a single line of read only text. The text can be changed
by an application but a user cannot edit it directly.

38
 Java Choice
• The object of Choice class is used to show popup menu of choices.
Choice selected by user is shown on the top of a menu. It inherits
Component class.

39
 Java TextArea
• The object of a TextArea class is a multi line region that displays text. It
allows the editing of multiple line text. It inherits TextComponent class.

40
 Java Button

• A button object is created in the same way that any other object is created,
but you use the class JButton.

JButton endButton = new JButton("Click to end program.");

frameObjectVariable.add(endButton);

41
 Swing Elements

Element Description

JLabel A JLabel object is a component for placing text in a container.

Jlable lable = new Jlable(“name”)

JButton This class creates a labeled button.

A JColorChooser A JColorChooser provides a pane of controls designed to allow a user to manipulate and
select a color.

JCheckBox A JCheckBox is a graphical component that can be in either an on(true) or off (false)
state.

JRadioButton The JRadioButton class is a graphical component that can be in either an on (true) or off
(false) state. in a group.

JList A JList component presents the user with a scrolling list of text items.

JComboBox A JComboBox component presents the user with a to show up menu of choices.

42
 Swing Elements

Element Description

JTextField A JTextField object is a text component that allows editing of a single line of text.

JPasswordField A JPasswordField object is a text component specialized for password entry

JTextArea A JTextArea object is a text component that allows editing of a multiple lines of text.

ImageIcon A ImageIcon control is an implementation of the Icon interface that paints Icons from
Images.

JScrollbar A Scrollbar control represents a scroll bar component in order to enable the user to select
from a range of values.

JOptionPane JOptionPane provides a set of standard dialog boxes that prompt the users for a value or
informs them of something.
JFileChooser A JFileChooser control represents a dialog window from which the user can select a file.

43
 Swing Elements

Element Description

JProgressBar As the task progresses towards completion, the progress bar displays the task's percentage
of completion.
JSlider A JSlider lets the user graphically select a value by sliding a knob within a bounded
interval.
JSpinner A JSpinner is a single line input field that lets the user select a number or an object value
from an ordered sequence.

44
Redding Assignments

• Assignments 2 write a code for the following

• Java AWT Canvas

• Java AWT list

• Java AWT dialog

• Other GUI Componet

45
AWT and Swing

Part Two