Editorial Reviews:
This book brings together advanced guidelines and techniques for building exceptionally effective user interfaces with Java technology. Building on the insights presented in Java Look and Feel Design Guidelines, Second Edition, this book focuses on several key opportunities to enhance Java user interfaces, and draws upon brand-new user analyses by Sun Microsystems' Java Look and Feel Design Group. The authors begin with in-depth coverage of Java windows, including techniques for choosing the right window type, designing window elements, setting state, and handling multiple windows. In a detailed chapter on menus, they show how to design menu elements, common, and contextual menus; and assign mnemonics and keyboard shortcuts. The book demonstrates how to control key aspects of application behavior, including addressing modes, filtering, searching, and tool tips. A chapter on idioms shows how to use sets of JFC components to standardize appearance and behavior. Readers will find practical techniques for improving responsiveness and providing more useful operational feedback. For every Java developer, software engineer, usability specialist, and manager responsible for developing or commissioning Java software.
Java Look and Feel Design Guidelines, from Sun Microsystems, provides programmers with the requirements for creating user interfaces using the Java Foundation Classes (JFC). This handsomely printed book uses rich color on every page while demonstrating how you can create Java programs that will look great on any computer. The book focuses on the built-in Java look-and-feel (called Metal). Early sections discuss the philosophy of Java user interfaces, which include excellent support for different languages and accessibility, keeping disabled users in mind. Much of this text covers Java UI elements offering advice on creating more intuitive interfaces. Sections of the book look at the rudimentary, visual sensibilities needed for using colors and text appropriately, including how to design artwork (like icons and graphics) that fits in with the rest of the JFC interface. One example shows the step-by-step creation of a proper Java icon. Other sections propose standards for the number of pixels that should be used to separate onscreen elements. Sections on mouse, keyboard, and drag-and-drop user operations make clear how your Java programs should handle user actions. Later this text surveys JFC components beginning with basic windows, dialog boxes, menus, and toolbars. Next it's on to individual components from basic controls (like buttons, checkboxes, and text controls) to more advanced components (like tables and tree controls). (This section, which lists the extensive options for selecting data and resizing table columns, shows the real sophistication of today's JFC package.) Though it contains no actual Java code, Java Look and Feel Guidelines defines the visual design standard for the next generation of Java programs. It will useful for anyone who builds user interfaces during the software design process. --Richard Dragan
Customer Reviews:
Displaying 1 to 5 of 11 total reviews (Page 1 of 3):
 Expert advice for GUI creation in Java
Creating clean, intuitive interfaces is a complex task using any set of tools. It is further complicated by the significant differences between the tools, both in appearance and performance, where a significant difference can be a rather small thing. The Java Swing toolkit and supporting classes differs from others and if it is your platform, then you should take a look at this book. Written by the interface experts at Sun Microsystems, this is as good as it gets.
At the meta-level, the guidelines are no different from those in any other language. The best designs are patterns that should be followed independent of the platform and some of the book is devoted to following those "universal" designs. From that perspective, the book is just another description of interfaces. However, the real value is at the specific level, where the reader is taken down to the point where Java differs from other platforms. All of the examples are demonstrated using a combination of point-by-point descriptions with supporting color figures.
I teach corporate training courses in Java, including one about designing interfaces and I write my own material for the classes. As I was reading the book, I went back through those lessons and made some alterations based on the guidelines. After following this up with a series of before and after contrast examinations, it was clear that the after was better than the before. I am confident that your experience will be the same.  Specifically for Java GUI applications and applets:
This book will be helpful for the designers who create Java Graphical User Interface applications and applets. The book gives details for Java GUI components and their layout, including dimensional details of components such as buttons, toolbars, scroll panes, etc. Technical knowledge seekers had better see Swing books. This one is more like artistic/designer's helper type, although it is very good in that sense. Unless you are in Java GUI application/applet creation business this book becomes rather costly choice for general-purpose coverage. Suggested for evaluation for the people in that specific field.  Sorry I did not like this book
I was expecting code examples for programming GUI. That is my mistake. If you are searching for a book with lots of code examples coding in Java, this is not the book. This book was more about what seemed to be architecture of GUI which changes very rapidly. Not what I was expecting.  Practical - too practical
This is a decent book, but is very specific. I probably should have expected a pixel-by-pixel account, but I didn't. I was looking for more background as to why the Look and Feel was designed the way it is. This is the text you want if you are hoping to design applications that conform exactly to Sun's Java Look & Feel. It is not a book that will give you the slightest background on designing a more useful interface. Just what I needed!
This book fills an important information gap in Java 2 programming. It's the first book I've seen that addresses Java look & feel issues with any depth. I especially appreciated the tips on Java standards and implementation. On my current project, I'm responsible for the user interface design and development, and this book is already heavily dog-eared! More Customer Reviews:
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