Java Foundation Classes

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Java Foundation Classes


The Java Foundation Classes (JFC) are a suite of libraries designed to assist programmers in
creating enterprise applications with Java. The Swing API is only one of five libraries that make
up the JFC. The Java Foundation Classes also consist of the Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT),
the Accessibility API, the 2D API, and enhanced support for drag-and-drop capabilities.

We have discussed basics of Swings and will study it in detail. Here is a brief introduction to the other elements in the JFC:

AWT :

The Abstract Window Toolkit is the basic GUI toolkit shipped with all versions of the Java
Development Kit. While Swing does not reuse any of the older AWT components, it does
build off of the lightweight component facilities introduced in AWT 1.1.

Accessibility :

The accessibility package provides assistance to users who have trouble with traditional user
interfaces.
Accessibility is split into two parts: the Accessibility API, which is shipped with the Swing distribution, and the Accessibility Utilities API, distributed separately.

2D API :

The 2D API contains classes for implementing various painting styles, complex shapes,
fonts, and colors.

Drag and Drop :

The user is allowed to click and "hold" a GUI object, moving it to another window or frame in
the desktop with predictable results. The Drag and Drop API allows users to implement
droppable elements that transfer information between Java applications and native
applications.

Features supported by JFC :

The features which are supported by Java Foundation Classes (JFC) are :

• The ability to create a program that can work in different languages
  

• The ability to add rich graphics functionality etc.

The features which are provided by Swing and the Java Foundation Classes are as follows:

Swing GUI Components

There are several components contained in Swing toolkit such as check boxes, buttons, tables, text etc. Some very simple components also provide sophisticated functionality. For instance, text fields provide formatted text input or password field behavior.

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