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Re: AWT versus Swing

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  To: comp.lang.java.gui
Daniel Kraft wrote:
..
>I've all times used AWT for UIs in Java, despite the fact that all the 
>other world seems to be using Swing.  I do not really "need" these fancy 
>Java-look and instead prefer the plain, platform-common look instead; 

I often call the platform's default PLAF - so
the end user can feel mostly at home, while also 
enjoying the benefits of such GUI components
as JTables and JTrees.  From the development
side, I like the 'throw away simplicity' of JOptionPane, 
and the ease of developing using GUI components 
that will render HTML.

I code AWT as well, but primarily for applets that 
must be 1.1 compatible (I write too many of those,
it seems).  Any 1.2+ project, I would generally use
Swing.

>also, I think Swing is really sensible slower than AWT ..

Is it?  Even if Swing components need 'a few microseconds'
longer to construct* these sorts of things can mostly be done 
transparently on a thread in the background.  

Once constructed and displayed, I find Swing components
every bit as fast as AWT, to show, hide or update.

* I am not too sure, have not seen/done any benchmarks.

>..and if your 
>platform already has fast and stable widgets, why not use them?

Roedy put forward some good reasons, not that
Swing and PLAF's are a rock solid solution either
(I suspect every API has bugs).

>On the other hand, I already read some rumours that AWT will be 
>deprecated somewhere in the future, which I can't believe as Swing is 
>based on AWT, AFAIK.

I cannot imagine that AWT ..Buttons and TextFields
would *ever* be removed from the API.  And, as you 
noticed, a lot of a Swing GUI's functionality (most 
events, most layouts, colors, images, printing, basic 
D'n'D, graphics/environment..) uses AWT classes and
packages.

>So do you guys have any information/comments/corrections about my 
>assumptions or any real objections against using AWT or are there even 
>others who prefer AWT, too?

Most people are coding for the server side,
very little AWT/Swing/SWT or J2ME, but by
far Swing is the chosen widget kit.  One good
reason is that if you ask people about a problem
with Swing, you are much likely to find someone 
that knows the answer!  A lot of people have 
forgotten the 'subtleties' of AWT GUI coding.

-- 
Andrew Thompson
http://www.athompson.info/andrew/

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AWT versus Swing "Daniel Kraft" <daniel.kraft@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:35 +0000
  Re: AWT versus Swing "Roedy Green" <roedy.green@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:35 +0000
  Re: AWT versus Swing "Andrew Thompson" <andrew.thompson@THRWHITE.remove-dii-this> - 2011-04-27 15:35 +0000

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