AWT And Swing In Java: Difference Between Them - October 3rd, 2024

Awt and Swing in Java: AWT and Swing are used to develop window-based GUI application interfaces in Java. AWT full form is the Abstract Window Toolkit, which consists of major components like checkbox, container, window, panel, button, etc.

AWT and Swing in Java are from the Java Foundation Classes (JFC). Swing is, however, made keeping in mind the shortcomings of AWT and is completely coded in Java. Here, in this article, we will know the major differences between AWT and Swing in Java to make a better decision when choosing them for development.

Table of Contents

What is AWT in Java?

AWT stands for Abstract Window Toolkit which is an API used to create different components for Java applications. The toolkit consists of various components such as Buttons, containers, components, checkboxes, lists, event listeners, etc. This tool can be integrated with the development environment using the java.awt package.

AWT in Java uses resources of the system on which it is currently working and is dependent on the operating system, which makes it heavyweight. It consists of a large number of classes and methods for managing interfaces of window-based applications. Due to these reasons, the swing library is one step ahead of these libraries, covering its shortcomings to enhance output and efficiency.

Also Read: Array In Java Script: Everything You Need to Know

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AWT and Swing in Java: Components of AWT in Java

Some major components of AWT frequently used by developers in Java are mentioned below.

Frame: It represents a top-level window with a title and borders in the application. It can be imported using the java.awt.frame.
Panel: It is basically a container that consists of a title bar or borders.
TextField: It provides a text input field where users can provide input. It can be imported using java.awt.TextField.
Label: Labels are used to display simple single-line texts that can only be read. It is generally used on buttons or under icons. It can be imported using java.awt.Label
Checkbox: They are used for providing a selection of options, whether to tick or not. It can be imported using java.awt.Checkbox.
List: They provide a list of items in an unordered or ordered manner using java.awt.List.
Choice: It provides a drop-down menu with options to choose from. Any one item can be selected by clicking. It can be imported using java.awt.choice.
Canvas: It is a blank space where graphics can be designed. It can be imported using java.awt.Canvas.
Scrollbar: It provides a scrollbar usually on the right side to scroll through the contents if the content is long. It can be imported using java.awt.Scrollbar.

Also Read: Array Java: Declare, Define, and Access Array

What is Swing in Java?

Swing in Java is the collection of GUI (Graphical User Interface) components used to make Java applications. It can be imported from Javax.swing classes and is a part of the Java Foundation Classes (JFC). It provides interactive and user-friendly interface applications. Some of the components present in the Swing toolkit are text fields, menus, buttons, windows, panels, lists, etc.

There are three major components in Swing interfaces, namely model, view and controller. The components in Swings are considered to be lightweight because they are not dependent on the resources of the native platform. They provide a consistent interface on different cross-platforms such as Windows, Linux, macOS, etc.

AWT and Swing in Java: Components of Swing in Java

Swings components are considered to be lightweight as they do not use the operating system resources. Let us get an overview of the major components of Swing in Java.

JTextField: It displays a text area where users can input text in the box. It can be imported using javax.swing.JTextArea.
JLabel: Labels are used to represent non-editable text as a placeholder in buttons, icons, etc. It cannot generate any event trigger.
JButton: It creates a button that can be triggered to execute a user-defined function. It consists of labels that are displayed inside the buttons to represent their functions when clicked. Buttons can be modified using eventListeners.
JRadioButton: It is used to render a list of radio buttons from where users can select single or multiple choice based on the constraint imposed.
JList: It renders a list of components that consists of multiple values in an unordered or ordered way. It is generally used when we need to provide a list of options for users to choose from. It can be imported using javax.swing.JList.
JSlider: This component in Swing is used to render a slider, which can be used to change value when dragged using a mouse. It generally consists of three parameters such as minimum value, initial value, and maximum value.
ImageIcon: It is used to create an image of icon size.
JmenuBar, JMenu, JMenuItem: These classes are used to create different styled menu items in Java Swing applications.

Also Read: Array Of Objects In Java: How to Create Array of Objects in Java?

Difference between AWT and Swing in Java

AWT and Swing in Java are used to create interfaces using components in Java applications. However, some major differences exist between these API tools in Java below.

Difference between AWT and Swing in Java
AWT	Swing
The full form of AWT is the Abstract Window Toolkit.	Swing is a member of Java Foundation Classes (JFC).
The AWT components are provided by the java.awt package.	The Swing components are included in the javax.swing package.
The AWT components are dependent on the operating system resources.	The components in Swing are not dependent on the operating systems
They are not very consistent but integrate with the system on which it is working. It can easily be integrated into various cross-platforms.	They are more consistent and provide smooth interfaces on various platforms such as Linux, MacOS, Windows, etc.
The components of AWT are heavily weighted as they use operating system resources.	The components of the swing are lightweight. They do not require the resources of the operating system they are working on.
It consists of fewer functionalities than swing toolkits.	It consists of a greater number of functionalities when compared to AWT packages.
The AWT component’s execution time is higher than the swing. Hence, it is less efficient and produces delays.	Swing execution times are quite fast and are more efficient than AWT packages.
It consists of a smaller number of components when compared to Swings in Java.	It consists of a large number of component options to choose from.
It requires a large amount of memory to complete execution.	It requires a very small amount of memory space to complete execution as compared to AWT.
AWT in Java are slower than swings when compared on the basis of performance.	Swings in Java are faster than the AWT toolkits in Java.
AWT does not support the MVC pattern.	Swings support the MVC pattern.

AWT and Swing in Java: AWT Example Code

Let us write Hello World using AWT in Java. Check the code in the table below.

AWT and Swing in Java

import java.awt.*;

public class HelloWorldAWT {

public static void main(String[] args) {

// Create a frame

Frame frame = new Frame(“Hello, AWT!”);

// Create a label

Label label = new Label(“Hello, World!”);

// Add label to the frame

frame.add(label);

// Set frame size

frame.setSize(300, 100);

// Make the frame visible

frame.setVisible(true);

}

AWT and Swing in Java: Swing Example Code

Let us write Hello World using Swing in Java. Check the code in the table below.

AWT and Swing in Java

import javax.swing.*;

public class HelloWorldSwing {

public static void main(String[] args) {

// Create a JFrame

JFrame frame = new JFrame(“Hello, Swing!”);

// Create a JLabel

JLabel label = new JLabel(“Hello, World!”);

// Add label to the frame’s content pane

frame.getContentPane().add(label);

// Set default close operation

frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

// Set frame size

frame.setSize(300, 100);

// Make the frame visible

frame.setVisible(true);

}

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AWT and Swing in Java FAQs

What is AWT in Java?

AWT stands for Abstract Window Toolkit, which is an API used to create different components for Java applications. The toolkit consists of various components such as Buttons, containers, components, checkboxes, lists, event listeners, etc.

What is Swing in Java?

Swing provides interactive and user-friendly interface applications. Some of the components present in the Swing toolkit are text fields, menus, buttons, windows, panels, lists, etc.

Is Swing better than AWT?

Swing is more efficient and powerful than AWT in Java. It provides greater efficiency, flexibility, and a larger set of components as compared to AWT.

Are swing and AWT the same?

AWT and Swing in Java are part of the Java Foundation Classes (JFC) library. They consist of crucial differences. Read the complete article to understand the major differences.