Swing - Basic

This exam requires the ability to create a main window, with a menu and a toolbar; a dialog box with basic controls: label, input field, list, combo, check box, radio button and "Ok" button.
This covers similar knowledge to the free on-line Swing tutorial http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/, parts:

Learning Swing by Example (except images)
How to Use Menus (the first basic part)
How to Use Tool Bars (the first basic part)
Basic ActionListeners and Basic Layout management

This exam is about Swing, not about AWT. For example, the knowledge of the AWT Button class is not required, while the Swing JButton class is part of the objectives. However, some AWT facilities used by a Swing application are expected to be known; as for example, the Component class that JButton (indirectly) extends.
Please remember that heavy (AWT, SWT) and light (Swing) components should not be mixed in the same UI.
Key shortcuts, enable/disable and renderers are excluded from this exam. Only simple handlers are included.

This exam assumes the prerequisite knowledge of some Java SE notions, at their basic level:

anonymous inner classes
multi-threading, Runnable (Ref How to Use Threads in The Java Tutorial).
basic event-driven programming

1 ONLINE RESOURCES

1. Java 2 SE API @ http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/

2. Swing Tutorial @ http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/index.html

3. Java Look and Feel Design Guidelines @ http://java.sun.com/products/jlf/

4. The Swing Connection @ http://java.sun.com/products/jfc/tsc/

5. SwingLabs @ http://www.swinglabs.org/projects.jsp

6. JGoodies @ http://www.jgoodies.com

7. NetBeans Platform @ http://www.netbeans.org/products/platform/

8. JavaDesktop Community @ http://community.java.net/javadesktop/

9. ClientJava @ http://www.clientjava.com/blog

10. Romain Guy's Blog @ http://jroller.com/page/gfx

2 BOOKS

1. Swing Tutorial
2. Swing Hacks
3. Swing 2nd Edition
4. Desktop Java Live

	Released	Beta	Frozen
Event Thread and Queue 2 questions Explain the difference between the application thread (executing the main method), and the GUI thread EventDispatchThread. Implement a clean finish with threading (all threads are naturally done). It is different from forcing exit. Use `SwingUtilities.invokeLater(Runnable r)` to create the main `JFrame` and its swing components from the EventDispatchThread, instead of the application thread. Not covered: multi-threading with long operations and non trivial use of invokeLater, `SwingWorker`, other methods from `SwingUtilities`.	6	37	11	Add a question Beta questions
Window and Dialog 3 questions Create a main window with the `JFrame` class. Use the following methods (from `JFrame` and its hierarchy): `getContentPane()`, `JFrame(String)`, `setVisible(boolean)`, `pack()`. Given a behaviour, identify the appropriate constant for the `setDefaultCloseOperation(int)` method: `DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE`, `DO_NOTHING_ON_CLOSE`, `EXIT_ON_CLOSE`, `HIDE_ON_CLOSE`. Create dialogs with `JDialog` and `JOptionPane`. Explain how a dialog depends on a (main) frame. List dialogs modalities, layout and elements, and the different ways they can be invoked. Ref for Java 6 modalities: http://blogs.sun.com/roller/page/praveenm?entry=awt_modality_enhancements_in_java Not covered: other types of frames, applets, windows	12	64	16	Add a question Beta questions
Panel 1 question Explain the composite nature of a UI, including the `Container` class ability to contain other Components. Write code that groups components within a `JPanel`. Not covered: JXXXPane, borders, custom painting.	6	23	8	Add a question Beta questions
LayoutManager and Look and Feel 3 questions Describe the layout manager mechanism and the basic usage of those: `FlowLayout`, `BorderLayout`. Identify the default layout manager for each container included in this exam. Associate a layout manager to a container. Know the standard Looks and Feels, how to set them and identify them. Not cover: other types of Layout Managers, other Look and Feel related topics.	13	25	26	Add a question Beta questions
Label 1 question Create a simple `JLabel` to display text. Use basic html tags to format the label text. Use `Icon`s in `JLabel`s. Not covered: fonts	6	26	8	Add a question Beta questions
Button 2 questions Create a simple `JButton`. Get/set the horizontal/vertical text position. Use `Icon`s in `JButton`s. Write simple code that executes when the button is pressed (via an `ActionListener`). Not covered: advanced use of `ActionListener`s.	4	15	16	Add a question Beta questions
Menu 1 question Create menus, sub-menus and menu items. Use `JSeparator` to separate menu items. Put a menu bar in a `JFrame`. Use the keyboard alternatives: mnemonics and accelerators. Answer to an `ActionEvent` generated by a `MenuItem`. Not covered: actions, pop-up menus.	2	10	11	Add a question Beta questions
Tool Bar 1 question Create a toolbar and add it to a window. Populate the toolbar with `ImageIcon`, `JToolBar`, `JButton`. Add separators to a toolbar. Specific `JButton` questions should stand in the Button category.	1	5	12	Add a question Beta questions
Text Field 1 question Create a simple `JTextField`. Set the text displayed by the field. Get the data typed by the user. Not covered: other text components, event handling.	4	6	11	Add a question Beta questions
Combo 1 question Create a `JComboBox`, and populate it through its constructor. Identify which element is selected, if any. Use editable `JComboBox`s for more flexibility. Not covered: event handling, custom renderers.	3	14	4	Add a question Beta questions
Check Box 1 question Create a `JCheckBox` with both text and icons. Get and set its value (checked state) and label text. Event handling is not covered.	5	9	2	Add a question Beta questions
Radio Button 1 question Create a set of related `JRadioButton`s. Get and set the selected button. Get and set each button label text. Use a `ButtonGroup` to group radio buttons. Event handling is not covered.	8	3	5	Add a question Beta questions
List 1 question Create a `JList` that let the user selects a single element. Populate a `JList` via its constructor. Use the `DefaultListModel`. Identify which single element is selected. Listen to selection changes. Not covered: multiple element selection, custom `ListModel`, custom renderers.	2	23	8	Add a question Beta questions
Table 1 question Create a `JTable` to present data to the user. Populate a `JTable` via its constructor. Associate a simple `TableModel` to a `JTable`. Identify the selected row. Listen to selection changes. Not covered: custom editors, renderers, filters, sorters, selection modes.	3	25	12	Add a question Beta questions