Re: Good tool for developing Swing based GUI

Bent C Dalager wrote:
If you aren't familiar with Swing and its component layout system,

That should be if you /are/ familiar with Swing then use a GUI.

then you should use some drag-and-drop type GUI design tool in order
to learn. I don't know what Eclipse offers for this. JBuilder was very
good back when I was learning this.

If you _are_ familiar with Swing, then you're probably better off
doing it by hand as this allows you to write properly factored GUI

If you are /not/ familiar with Swing then you should do it by hand until you are or you won't understand anything.

setup code. Automated tools tend to make a mess out of things. If you

Automated tools make a mess out of things for people who don't know how to do it by hand. They are very useful once you understand what they are automating.

are aiming for a very artsy GUI for the poker game, you are probably
also better off doing it by hand and possibly writing your own layout
manager. Which I am told isn't difficult.

Some people relate to code better, some to visual metaphors when writing GUI code. Either way, doing it by hand first will teach you what's happening, otherwise you have no control with either the hand-coding or the GUI-tool approach.

Hand-coding GUIs isn't a lot of work, but depending on what layout

Nor is GUI-coding, if you have some hand-coding experience to inform your work.

manager you are using, it may be very confusing and unsatisfying
unless you're very familiar with that particular layout manager. In
particular, trying to manually set gridbaglayout constraints is an
exercise in frustration for the beginner (that is not a layout manager
I would recommend at any rate but it seems popular enough).

Check out the Swing tutorial on java.sun.com.

The main benefit in hand coding is that you can write GUI layout code
that is actually readable and maintainable into the future as well as
being properly modular. Also, it can be considerably faster than
fiddling around with dragging, dropping, pulling and whatnot with the
components in a GUI builder. But you do need to know what you're
doing for this to be a workable approach.

You need to know what you're doing to use any approach.

For many people who understand Swing programming, using a GUI tool enhances productivity. It's impossible to know in one's own case until one has tried it both ways. Coding the text first as one is learning often helps master the details; certainly reviewing any GUI-generated code to achieve full understanding is a necessity.

--
Lew
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Great SWT Program
    ... GUI, but not learning similar tools later, ... to make emacs easier to use, or vice versa, and isn't a negative (e.g. ... Both assume that you're willing to do a certain amount of learning ... have many keybindings in common. ...
    (comp.lang.java.programmer)
  • Re: Open Source Software Program Contest
    ... If they invest a few hours learning how to do ... you -could- use emacs or vi to change the font size for all the ... learning to use a GUI "well" is learning the keyboard shortcuts. ... I agree though, keyboard shortcuts are extremely useful, and the main ...
    (rec.arts.sf.fandom)
  • Re: [opensuse] kde 4.5.2 - still cant place focus in konqueror in detail view with selection mar
    ... straight- fowrward because you cannot know about it without learning it ... Why SHIFT for selecting one way and CTRL the other, ... rather something set-up artificially and learnt rather than a good ... YOU think is easier/better because it is hinted in the GUI. ...
    (SuSE)
  • Re: Convince me, please! - too much about "GUI"
    ... I first tried FreeBSD in 1998, but I couldn't get anything running. ... I just had no idea how, and I was expecting a nice "user-friendly" GUI, like Windoze, but without the constant crashes. ... it isn't a chore to learn about various commands or even learning how to learn about commands. ... The command line is MUCH faster for many tasks, given that you know what you're doing with it. ...
    (freebsd-questions)
  • Re: Damn you, FEDEX! or Nikon D40 lost in Springfield, MO blackhole.
    ... the 2 mp Mavica he had been using with a Nikon D40. ... After shopping around, he got me to order one for him. ... The shipper had it insured, but from what I have read it could take weeks to sort this crap out. ... You may get your insurance from FedEx and a couple weeks later they find it and deliver it. ...
    (alt.photography)