What are Java Foundation classes?

Java Foundation (JFCS) is repeatedly usable software components that can be used to create a graphical user interface in Java®. They are an improvement in a set of tools that were supplied with early Java® versions. The purpose is to simplify software development, shorten programming time, and meet the goal of creating applications that look and act as much as the type of computer on which they are running. These are Javabeans ™ components that are part of Java 2® and are designed to be across platforms and adapt. The purpose is to shorten the programming time by providing components that can be reused from the application on the application and from the platform platform. In fact, Java Foundation Class does not replace a set of abstract windows, but instead are part of it. They do, Howver, allow Java® to "write anywhere, run anywhere" than the original AWT.

AWT allows a proposalThe user interface, but this uses the use of the operating system window on which it runs. This makes it difficult to create applications that look and behave equally on any platform because of natural differences in the features between operating systems. The AWT was also very limited in that the set of controls it provided was not wide enough to create a complex user interface and advanced software applications. AWT components are what Sun Microsystems calls "heavy weight" because they use the host window system.

Recognition of AWT, Netscape Developers created a set of components called Internet Foundation Class. It was a set of "light" components, components written natively in Java®. This has expanded the AWT Funactionality and allowed developers to create a user interface that maintained their appearance while running on various platforms. Javasoft then launched a joint project with Netscape, called Swing Project. This project resulted in a set of control elementsThe user interface with diversity comparable to the amount available on any of the operating system platforms.

Swing is a set of light components that have released the sun in combination with several other enhancements that were designed for the Java Development Kit (JDK) version 1.2. This swing plus package The next feature enhancement was what Javasoft named Java Foundation classes. User interface swing controls are the main part of the Java Foundation Foundation, which also include printing functions, boxes and accessibility. JDK 1.2 includes a full version of JFC, although there was a limited version that could be used with the then JDK 1.1.