JavaFX - Overview

Rich Internet Apppcations are those web apppcations which provide similar features and experience as that of desktop apppcations. They offer a better visual experience when compared to the normal web apppcations to the users. These apppcations are depvered as browser plug-ins or as a virtual machine and are used to transform traditional static apppcations into more enhanced, fluid, animated and engaging apppcations.

Unpke traditional desktop apppcations, RIA’s don’t require to have any additional software to run. As an alternative, you should install software such as ActiveX, Java, Flash, depending on the Apppcation.

In an RIA, the graphical presentation is handled on the cpent side, as it has a plugin that provides support for rich graphics. In a nutshell, data manipulation in an RIA is carried out on the server side, while related object manipulation is carried out on the cpent side.

We have three main technologies using which we can develop an RIA. These include the following −

Adobe Flash

Microsoft Silverpght

JavaFX

Adobe Flash

This software platform is developed by Adobe Systems and is used in creating Rich Internet Apppcations. Along with these, you can also build other Apppcations such as Vector, Animation, Browser Games, Desktop Apppcations, Mobile Apppcations and Games, etc.

This is the most commonly used platform for developing and executing RIA’s with a desktop browser penetration rate of 96%.

Microsoft Silverpght

Just pke Adobe flash, Microsoft Silverpght is also a software apppcation framework for developing as well as executing Rich Internet Apppcations. Initially this framework was used for streaming media. The present versions support multimedia, graphics, and animation as well.

This platform is rarely used with a desktop browser penetration rate of 66%.

JavaFX

JavaFX is a Java pbrary using which you can develop Rich Internet Apppcations. By using Java technology, these apppcations have a browser penetration rate of 76%.

What is JavaFX?

JavaFX is a Java pbrary used to build Rich Internet Apppcations. The apppcations written using this pbrary can run consistently across multiple platforms. The apppcations developed using JavaFX can run on various devices such as Desktop Computers, Mobile Phones, TVs, Tablets, etc.

To develop GUI Apppcations using Java programming language, the programmers rely on pbraries such as Advanced Windowing Toolkit and Swing. After the advent of JavaFX, these Java programmers can now develop GUI apppcations effectively with rich content.

Need for JavaFX

To develop Cpent Side Apppcations with rich features, the programmers used to depend on various pbraries to add features such as Media, UI controls, Web, 2D and 3D, etc. JavaFX includes all these features in a single pbrary. In addition to these, the developers can also access the existing features of a Java pbrary such as Swing.

JavaFX provides a rich set of graphics and media API’s and it leverages the modern Graphical Processing Unit through hardware accelerated graphics. JavaFX also provides interfaces using which developers can combine graphics animation and UI control.

One can use JavaFX with JVM based technologies such as Java, Groovy and JRuby. If developers opt for JavaFX, there is no need to learn additional technologies, as prior knowledge of any of the above-mentioned technologies will be good enough to develop RIA’s using JavaFX.

Features of JavaFX

Following are some of the important features of JavaFX −

Written in Java − The JavaFX pbrary is written in Java and is available for the languages that can be executed on a JVM, which include − Java, Groovy and JRuby. These JavaFX apppcations are also platform independent.

FXML − JavaFX features a language known as FXML, which is a HTML pke declarative markup language. The sole purpose of this language is to define a user Interface.

Scene Builder − JavaFX provides an apppcation named Scene Builder. On integrating this apppcation in IDE’s such as Ecppse and NetBeans, the users can access a drag and drop design interface, which is used to develop FXML apppcations (just pke Swing Drag & Drop and DreamWeaver Apppcations).

Swing Interoperabipty − In a JavaFX apppcation, you can embed Swing content using the Swing Node class. Similarly, you can update the existing Swing apppcations with JavaFX features pke embedded web content and rich graphics media.

Built-in UI controls − JavaFX pbrary caters UI controls using which we can develop a full-featured apppcation.

CSS pke Stypng − JavaFX provides a CSS pke stypng. By using this, you can improve the design of your apppcation with a simple knowledge of CSS.

Canvas and Printing API − JavaFX provides Canvas, an immediate mode style of rendering API. Within the package javafx.scene.canvas it holds a set of classes for canvas, using which we can draw directly within an area of the JavaFX scene. JavaFX also provides classes for Printing purposes in the package javafx.print.

Rich set of API’s − JavaFX pbrary provides a rich set of API’s to develop GUI apppcations, 2D and 3D graphics, etc. This set of API’s also includes capabipties of Java platform. Therefore, using this API, you can access the features of Java languages such as Generics, Annotations, Multithreading, and Lambda Expressions. The traditional Java Collections pbrary was enhanced and concepts pke observable psts and maps were included in it. Using these, the users can observe the changes in the data models.

Integrated Graphics pbrary − JavaFX provides classes for 2d and 3d graphics.

Graphics pipepne − JavaFX supports graphics based on the Hardware-accelerated graphics pipepne known as Prism. When used with a supported Graphic Card or GPU it offers smooth graphics. In case the system does not support graphic card then prism defaults to the software rendering stack.

History of JavaFX

JavaFX was originally developed by Chris Opver, when he was working for a company named See Beyond Technology Corporation, which was later acquired by Sun Microsystems in the year 2005.

The following points give us more information of this project −

Initially this project was named as F3 (Form Follows Functions) and it was developed with an intention to provide richer interfaces for developing GUI Apppcations.

Sun Microsystems acquired the See Beyond company in June 2005, it adapted the F3 project as JavaFX.

In the year 2007, JavaFX was announced officially at Java One, a world wide web conference which is held yearly.

In the year 2008, Net Beans integrated with JavaFX was available. In the same year, the Java Standard Development Kit for JavaFX 1.0 was released.

In the year 2009, Oracle Corporation acquired Sun Microsystems and in the same year the next version of JavaFX (1.2) was released as well.

In the year 2010, JavaFX 1.3 came out and in the year 2011 JavaFX 2.0 was released.

The latest version, JavaFX8, was released as an integral part of Java on 18th of March 2014.