This document compares the three main Java GUI libraries: AWT, Swing, and SWT. AWT is the oldest toolkit but relies on native GUI elements, resulting in platform dependence. Swing was developed to address AWT's limitations like platform dependence and uses Java2D for rendering instead of native code, but components are slower. SWT tries to combine the advantages of AWT and Swing by using native components through JNI but is not part of the Java standard API. There is an ongoing debate between Java developers about whether Swing or SWT is a better choice for GUI development.

1. SWING & SWT
A Tale of Two Java GUI Libraries

2. AWT
(ABSTRACT WINDOW TOOLKIT)
 Oldest toolkit , part of java standard API
 It includes classes like Button, TextField, and Menu
 It also provides the necessary event handling
mechanism
 AWT controls may behave differently under different
operating systems
For example, it might be possible to right-click on a
button under operating system A showing a context
menu, but impossible to do so under operating system
B

3.  It relies on the native GUI elements of each
operating systems so known as“Platform
dependent “
Example
create a Button, a native Windows button will show
up if the application is running under windows, a
native Mac OS button will show up if the application
is running under Mac OS, a native Linux button will
show up if the application is running under Linux,
and so on.

5.  GUI components are drawn very quickly. This is
knows as "native performance“
 In AWT, native code, written in a language like C or
C++
 GUI components look natural for the users of each
operating systems. This is knows as "native look
and feel“
 AWT only include components that exist in ALL
supported operating systems(least common
denominator) so the problem came from here

6. SWING
o Part of the Java standard API
o It includes classes like JButton, JTextFiled, JMenu,
and JTree
 Advantage
 It still relies on AWT classes for event handling
but for rendering components it relies on the
Java2D API to draw components from scratch
 Does not suffer from the "least common
denominator“ because it have Swing classes
defining how to draw Swing controls from scratch
 "platform independence“

7.  "Pluggable look and feel" that allows controls to
appear with a different look and feel if desired
 Swing components follow the Model-View-
Controller (MVC) paradigm, and thus can
provide a much more flexible UI.
 Disadvantage
 Rendering Swing components is slower than
rendering AWT components because they are
drawn from scratch
 Large memory
 When a change happen to the operating system
so it doesn’t update automatically

8. SWT
(STANDARD WIDGET TOOLKIT)
 It is NOT part of the Java standard API
 Advantage
 SWT tries to combine the best of AWT and
Swing
 There is a native component written for each
operating system called Java Native interface
 Use less memory
 Rich set of widgets which used to make good
looking
 Run faster
 When a change happen to the operating system
so it update automatically

9.  Disadvantage
• Also you have to build separate installers for
every operating systems which you are to
support.
• Native look and Feel support

10. SUMMARY
 There is a big debate between Java developers
about whether Swing or SWT is better
 So it up to you to choose the most appropriate GUI
library (SWT or Swing ) to your application

11. REFERENCE :
 http://www.developer.com/java/other/article.php/217
9061/Swing-and-SWT-A-Tale-of-Two-Java-GUI-
Libraries.htm
 http://forum.codecall.net/lounge/37501-swt-vs-
swing-debate.html
 http://www.ahmadsoft.org/articles/swingswt/swings
wt.html
 http://www.javalobby.org/java/forums/t63186.html
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ND16H-ew_4

12. Thank you 