Graphics and GUIs

Previous editions of our books used an open source toolkit, BreezySwing, to simplify the writing of programs with graphics and graphical user interfaces. This approach allowed us to present GUI-based programs early and as a real alternative to terminal-based programs. The feedback from teachers and students who have used this approach has been overwhelmingly positive.

However, many teachers prefer not to use this approach. They cite one or more of the following reasons:

• Graphics and GUIs are not part of the required AP curriculum, and many teachers feel that they do not have the time to cover this material in addition to the required material.
• Some teachers have expressed difficulty in installing and maintaining a non-standard Java toolkit on their computer systems.
• Many teachers who do cover graphics and GUIs prefer to use just the standard Java resources rather than a toolkit developed by others.

Although we have had no problems using this approach in our college-level courses, we do appreciate the constraints that high school teachers face in covering a demanding curriculum with little technical support. Consequently, we have taken a different approach in the new edition of our books:

• We have moved the material on graphics and GUIs to a special section at the end of each chapter. Students and teachers will have an opportunity to cover the basic required concepts in each chapter before electing to cover the extra material on graphics and GUIs in the final sections.
• We use only the standard Java resources for graphics and GUI-based programs. Teachers and students will not have to worry about installing and learning to use a third-party toolkit for these sections.
• As in the rest of the book, the material on graphics and GUIs is introduced in a very gradual, easygoing manner, which moves from the simple to the complex.

In effect, all of the concepts that were presented using BreezySwing in earlier editions have been repackaged in end-of-chapter sections using the standard Java resources. We believe that this new approach still offers students and teachers an opportunity found in no other textbook: the chance to learn to write easy, realistic graphics and GUI-based programs in an introductory programming course.