Starting With JavaFX

JavaFX is a framework for building graphical user interfaces (GUI), it provides us with ready-to-go components like buttons or text fields.

IntelliJ IDEA is used with the support of JavaFX. To have the correct setup , please follow the directions here:

Create a new JavaFX project | IntelliJ IDEA

Each JavaFx program has similar structure. The main class extends the Application class, which requires overriding start() method. The start() method sets up and shows the stage (window). Within stage we need three components:

1. Scene:

https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/javafx/api/javafx/scene/Scene.html

2. Object (for example FlowPane) that is responsible for the arrangement of GUI components within scene (for example: buttons, labels, textfields):

https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/javafx/api/javafx/scene/layout/FlowPane.html

3. GUI components:

https://docs.oracle.com/javafx/2/ui_controls/jfxpub-ui_controls.htm

Let’s look at JavaFX application:

import javafx.application.Application;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.Button;
import javafx.scene.control.CheckBox;
import javafx.scene.control.Label;
import javafx.scene.control.TextField;
import javafx.scene.layout.FlowPane;
import javafx.stage.Stage;

public class Main extends Application {

    @Override
    public void start(Stage window){
        // setting a label for our window
        window.setTitle("MY GUI");

        //creating GUI elements to put within objects that would be put in scene
        Button button = new Button("This is a button");
        TextField textField = new TextField("This is text field");
        CheckBox checkBox = new CheckBox("This is check box");
        Label label = new Label("This is label");

        //object within scene to hold GUI elements
        FlowPane flowPane = new FlowPane();

        //adding GUI elements
        flowPane.getChildren().add(button);
        flowPane.getChildren().add(textField);
        flowPane.getChildren().add(checkBox);
        flowPane.getChildren().add(label);

        //creating scene
        Scene scene = new Scene(flowPane);

        //placing scene in window
        window.setScene(scene);
        window.show();
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        launch(Main.class);
    }
}

The result of running the above program:

Happy coding my friends!