Is it really this retro?

**Blackbird** · July 3rd, 2011, 01:23 PM

I've just gotten started with Java, coming from the Delphi and C# (WPF) world.

So far I've only seen examples of programmatically creating components. Is it really so that there is no "Toolbox" from which one can drag and drop buttons, textBoxes, and the like?

I know, coming from WPF/XAML I can't say too much - you CAN drag and drop, but it's often more trouble than its worth and you're better off using XAML directly to create your components/controls.

**Norm** · July 3rd, 2011, 01:32 PM

I think there are IDEs that do some of that.

**newbie** · July 3rd, 2011, 02:43 PM

Netbeans IDE has a good Swing toolbox to do what you require.
Welcome to NetBeans

Though it is probably best to start off writing GUIs programmatically as it eases your development of learning GUIs.

**helloworld922** · July 3rd, 2011, 11:53 PM

The new Eclipse Indigo release packages the Window Designer package which allows you to easily design Swing and SWT apps.

**Blackbird** · July 4th, 2011, 02:46 PM

<<The new Eclipse Indigo release packages the Window Designer package which allows you to easily design Swing and SWT apps.>>

That's what I downloaded, and looking through the menu items, it doesn't seem obvious where this Window Designer is (maybe I'm suffering temporary selective blindness...?)

**helloworld922** · July 4th, 2011, 05:46 PM

The swing designer stuff isn't under the Java folder when you're trying to create a new file. If you scroll down (after you select "new->other"), there's a folder called "WindowBuilder". Inside there is are a few different options, including the Swing Designer and SWT Designer.

Alternatively, if you have your own JComponent (say, a custom JFrame) you should be able to just right click the source file and say "Open With->Window Builder Editor"

**dlorde** · July 4th, 2011, 05:59 PM

GUI designers are fine for one-off fire-and-forget GUI developments, but if you're likely to have to maintain or enhance a GUI, they can be a horrible trap because the code they generate and/or the components they use are generally not easily maintainable by hand, so you are reliant on having that particular GUI designer, tools and even jars, available. I know from bitter experience that you can't rely on this.

For serious work, it's far better to write the GUI yourself using simple and easy-to-understand layouts like BorderLayout, BoxLayout, CardLayout, etc. This is more likely to give you maintainable code.

**helloworld922** · July 5th, 2011, 12:01 AM

Originally Posted by dlorde

GUI designers are fine for one-off fire-and-forget GUI developments, but if you're likely to have to maintain or enhance a GUI, they can be a horrible trap because the code they generate and/or the components they use are generally not easily maintainable by hand, so you are reliant on having that particular GUI designer, tools and even jars, available. I know from bitter experience that you can't rely on this.

For serious work, it's far better to write the GUI yourself using simple and easy-to-understand layouts like BorderLayout, BoxLayout, CardLayout, etc. This is more likely to give you maintainable code.

I use both. The GUI designer is great for creating a base to work off of, but the part I like the most about Eclipse's GUI builder is the ability to basically modify the source file any way you want, letting you clean up and refine the way the GUI works, or even dramatically change its behavior or look via the code.

**dlorde** · July 5th, 2011, 04:33 AM

Originally Posted by helloworld922

I use both. The GUI designer is great for creating a base to work off of, but the part I like the most about Eclipse's GUI builder is the ability to basically modify the source file any way you want, letting you clean up and refine the way the GUI works, or even dramatically change its behavior or look via the code.

Naturally, once you have some experience and knowledge, it's a judgement call - how easy is the generated code to work with, can you (or will you want to) use the GUI designer on it once you've hacked it manually, how much is there to do, etc., etc. My point is that you shouldn't become dependent on a particular GUI designer, and you do need to know how to do the job manually

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