Introduction to JavaFX Programming

The purpose of JavaFX Script is to make GUI programming easier in general that leverages Rapid Prototyping of a dynamic language and the type and code safety of static compilation. JavaFX Script fully supports Swing as well as Java2D.

JavaFX Script is actually a declarative Java scripting language with static typing for good IDE support and compile-time error reporting (unlike JavaScript...), type-inference, declarative syntax, and automatic data-binding with full support for 2D graphics and standard Swing components as well as declarative animation. You can also import java classes, create new Java objects, call their methods, and implement Java interfaces.

The goal for this Hands-on Lab is to give you an introduction to JavaFX Script Language. Here we start to explore the JavaFX environment first with JavaFXPad - a lightweight tool that allows you to interactively create graphical elements. Then we let you get familiar with the basics of using Java 2D in JavaFX Script using the Java2D Tutorial. The tutorial walks through creating different shapes such as Rectangles, Circles and so on and adding 2D and animation effects. Then there are some optional exercises that you can pick based on your interest and work on Swing applications or JavaFX Applications using NetBeans or SVG.

Files needed for the LAB 

Raghavan N. Srinivas  Sun Microsystems Raghavan "Rags" Srinivas is the CTO of Technology Evangelism at Sun Microsystems looking at new technology directions and trends. With 20 years of software development and about 7 years of technology evangelism experience, his general focus area is in distributed systems, with a specialization in interoperability, mobility and security. He has evangelized a number of technology areas including the early releases of Java, J2EE, Java and XML, J2ME and so on. He has spoken on a variety of technical topics at conferences around the world and teaches graduate classes in the evening. He publishes a standards column and has represented Sun at a number of standards bodies. He also serves in the organizing committee for several industry-wide technical conferences. Rags holds a Masters degree in Computer Science from the Center of Advanced Computer Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He enjoys running, hiking and eating, especially spicy food.