INTRODUCTION TO THE AWT

WHAT ARE AWT CLASSES IN JAVA

A description of Java's user interface toolkit

The Abstract Window Toolkit(AWT) contains numerous classes and methods that allow you to create and manage windows. Although the main purpose of the AWT is to support applet windows, it can also be used to create stand-alone windows that run in GUI environment, such as windows.The AWT classes are contained in the 'java.awt' package. Fortunately, because it is logically organized in a top-down,hierarchical fashion, it is easier to understand and use.


Following are the list of some AWT classes.

• AWTEvent :Encapsulates AWT events.
• AWTEventMulticaster:Dispatches events to multiple listeners.
• BorderLayout:The border layout manager. Border layouts use fivecomponents: North,  South, East, West, and Center.
• Button:Creates a push button control.
• Canvas: A blank, semantics-free window.
• CardLayout:The card layout manager. Card layouts emulate index cards.
• Checkbox:Creates a check box control.
• CheckboxGroup :Creates a group of check box controls.
• CheckboxMenuItem:Creates an on/off menu item.
• Choice:Creates a pop-up list.
• Color:Manages colors in a portable, platform-independent fashion.
• Component :An abstract superclass for various AWT components.
• Container:A subclass of Component that can hold other components.
• Cursor:Encapsulates a bitmapped cursor.
• Dialog:Creates a dialog window.
• Dimension:Specifies the dimensions of an object. The width is stored in width, and     the height is stored in height.
• Event :Encapsulates events.
• EventQueue:Queues events.
• FileDialog:Creates a window from which a file can be selected.
• FlowLayout:The flow layout manager. Flow layout positions components left to right,       top to bottom
• Font:Encapsulates a type font.
• FontMetrics:Encapsulates various information related to a font.
• Frame:Creates a standard window that has a title bar, resize corners, and a menu bar.
• Graphics:Encapsulates the graphics context. This context is used by the various               output methods to display output in a window.
• GraphicsDevice:Describes a graphics device such as a screen or printer
• GraphicsEnvironment:Describes the collection of available Font and GraphicsDevice objects.
• GridBagConstraints :Defines various constraints relating to the GridBagLayout class.
• GridBagLayout:The grid bag layout manager. Grid bag layout displays components       subject to the constraints specified by GridBagConstraints.
• GridLayout:The grid layout manager. Grid layout displays components in a two-dimensional grid.
• Image:Encapsulates graphical images.
• Insets:Encapsulates the borders of a container.
• Label:Creates a label that displays a string.
• List:Creates a list from which the user can choose. Similar to the standard Windows list   box. 
• MediaTracker:Manages media objects.
• Menu:Creates a pull-down menu.
• MenuBar:Creates a menu bar.
• MenuComponent:An abstract class implemented by various menu classes.
• MenuItem:Creates a menu item.
• MenuShortcut:Encapsulates a keyboard shortcut for a menu item.
• Panel:The simplest concrete subclass of Container.
• Point:Encapsulates a Cartesian coordinate pair, stored in x and y.
• Polygon:Encapsulates a polygon.
• PopupMenu:Encapsulates a pop-up menu.
• PrintJob:An abstract class that represents a print job.
• Rectangle:Encapsulates a rectangle.
• Robot:Supports automated testing of AWT- based applications.
• Scrollbar:Creates a scroll bar control.
• ScrollPane:A container that provides horizontal and/or vertical scroll bars for another component.
• SystemColor:Contains the colors of GUI widgets such as windows, scroll bars, text, and others.
• TextArea:Creates a multiline edit control.
• TextComponent:A superclass for TextArea andTextField.
• TextField:Creates a single-line edit control.
• Toolkit:Abstract class implemented by the AWT.
• Window:Creates a window with no frame, no menu bar,and no title