Swing is a part of Java's standard library that provides a robust set of GUI components. It is based on the Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT) but offers more sophisticated and flexible GUI components. The JApplet class in the Swing library is used to create applets using these components.
The key features of Swing include:
- Lightweight Components: These are more efficient because they are not dependent on native GUI libraries.
- Pluggable Look and Feel: You can change the appearance of Swing applications without modifying their underlying code.
- Event-Driven Programming: This makes it easy to handle user actions like clicking a button or entering data.
- MVC Architecture: Swing follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern, ensuring a clear separation of concerns.
Swing provides a powerful toolset for creating complex desktop applications and also boosts the functionality of applets through the JApplet class.