Comprehensive program that helps you create Swing GUIs without having to invest a lot of time with hand coding forms, while offering support for form localization, Java code generator or runtime library, and generation of nested classes.
- JFormDesigner
- Version :6.0 Build 84
- License :Trial
- OS :Windows All
- Publisher :Karl Tauber FormDev Software
JFormDesigner Description
JFormDesigner is a professional software application designed specifically for helping you develop Java Swing user interfaces without having to possess programming skills. It is available as a standalone utility or you can use it as a plugin for various IDEs.
Clean feature lineup
The layout may look a bit overwhelming at a first glance but this is only because the utility comes packed with a multitude of dedicated parameters. If you can’t understand how each parameter functions, you can rely on the help manual, several tips shown when you run the program, as well as tooltips for finding out more about the tool’s capabilities.
The multi-tabbed layout enables you to work with different projects at the same time and easily switch between them.
Defining projects
JFormDesigner makes use of projects for storing the configuration settings of your Java Swing user interface. You can create a new project by tweaking several general features, namely project name, location and description.
Furthermore, you can specify the locations of your Java source folders (they are used for finding the resource bundles and generating the Java package statements), provide the directory that contains your custom JavaBeans, as well as alter global settings (they are applied to all projects) or specific ones for the FormLayout (JGoodies), namely automatically insert/remove gap columns/rows, and choose between several column/row templates or create custom ones.
Other important features enable you to configure the GridBagLayout (alignment, minimum size and resize behavior for new columns and rows), rename resource keys when renaming components, delete localized messages when deleting components and internalizing strings, alter the format used for generating keys, and exclude properties from externalization.
The Java Code Generator can be altered by generating Java source code, altering the modifiers (class, nested, variable or event handler modifiers), selecting between several code templates, as well as tweaking several parameters related to layout managers, localization, binding and code style. Additionally, you may specify a JComponent client property.
Working with forms
Forms can be created by choosing a superclass (JPanel, JDialog, JFrame or other one), button bar (‘OK/Cancel,’ ‘OK,’), content pane layout, and FormLayout options (number of columns and rows). Plus, you can make the app store strings in resource bundle.
What’s more, you are allowed to insert or delete columns/rows and change column/row properties, move columns/rows using the drag-and-drop support, split rows, as well as insert a series of items in your projects related to components (e.g. labels, buttons, text areas, tables, trees), containers (e.g. panels, tabbed panes, toolbar, desktop panes), windows (e.g. dialogs, frames, dialogs, frames, windows), and menus (e.g. menu bars).
Other handy features
Command-line parameters are included in the feature package for helping you run functions related to Java code generation, string externalization or JFD conversion options. Plus, you can work with visual and non-visual beans, make use of classes/interfaces specified in the java.beans package, and insert annotations for specifying additional information for constructing a BeanInfo class and its BeanDescriptor.
An overall powerful and efficient Swing GUI designer
All in all, JFormDesigner integrates a comprehensive suite of features for helping you create Swing GUIs without having to invest a lot of time with hand coding forms.