Graphic Java 1.2, Volume 1: AWT, Third Edition

Java developers know that the Abstract Windowing Toolkit (AWT) is still an effective way to build functional user interfaces, whether inside Web browsers or in stand-alone applications. David Geary's guide to AWT programming in Graphic Java 1.2 shows you all the basics of AWT newly refitted for the new Java Developer's Kit (JDK) 1.2 standard from Sun, including some excellent 2-D animation examples.

After introducing the basics of the AWT library, the author looks at simple painting and 2-D graphics. Standout sections here look at displaying images--a staple of Internet programming--as well as transforming images with "filters" (such as dimming and rescaling an image). Graphic Java 1.2 shows you a variety of advanced techniques for getting control of your bit-mapped content. The tour of Java graphics capabilities moves on with coverage of layout managers and basic AWT components such as buttons, text fields, lists, and choices. For those who want to create stand-alone Java applications, there's much material on using Java menus.

The book's advanced material highlights new features of JDK 1.2, such as its support for lightweight controls, built-in double-buffering support, and advanced "native-style" operations (such as clipboard support and "rubber-banding" classes). The author also shows off his custom classes for 2-D sprite animation. --Richard Dragan