Synopsis

In Pro JavaFX 2: A Definitive Guide to Rich Clients with Java Technology, Jim Weaver, Weiqi Gao, Stephen Chin, Dean Iverson, and Johan Vos show you how you can use the JavaFX platform to create rich-client Java applications. You'll see how JavaFX provides a powerful Java-based UI platform capable of handling large-scale data-driven business applications.

Covering the JavaFX API, development tools, and best practices, this book provides code examples that explore the exciting new features provided with JavaFX 2. It contains engaging tutorials that cover virtually every facet of JavaFX development and reference materials on JavaFX that augment the JavaFX API documentation. Written in an engaging and friendly style, Pro JavaFX 2 is an essential guide to JavaFX 2.

What you’ll learn

• How to get started with JavaFX 2, including downloading the SDK and available tools.
• How to express user interfaces with a declarative-style enabled by the JavaFX builder classes.
• How to use property binding to keep the UI easily in sync with the model.
• How to use the rich set of JavaFX UI controls, charts, shapes, effects, transformations, and animations to create stunning, responsive, user interfaces.
• How to use the powerful JavaFX layout classes to define the user interface in a cross-platform fashion.
• How to leverage the observable collection classes to observe changes in, and bind to, Java collections.
• How to use the JavaFX media classes to play audio and video.
• How to interact with external application services to create an enterprise application with JavaFX.
• How to use the JavaFX API with alternative languages such as Scala, Groovy, and Visage.
• How to uncover the JavaFX APIs to whatever degree you choose. The tutorials, reference materials, and pointers to resources are exhaustive.

Application developers, graphic designers, and IT decision makers. Not only does this book contain comprehensive technical information for developers and designers, it builds a compelling case for choosing JavaFX for web applications and RIAs.

Table of Contents

1. Getting a Jump Start in JavaFX
2. Creating a User Interface in JavaFX
3. Properties and Bindings
4. Dynamically Laying Out Nodes in the User Interface
5. Using the JavaFX UI Controls
6. Collections and Concurrency
7. Creating Charts in JavaFX
8. Using the Media Classes
9. Accessing Web Services
10. JavaFX Languages and Markup
11. Appendix A: TheVisage Language In-Depth

Biography

Jim Weaver is an author, speaker, teacher, and developer in rich Internet application technologies such as JavaFX, and may be contacted at jim.weaver@javafxpert.com.

Weiqi Gao is a principal software engineer with Object Computing, Inc. in St. Louis, Missouri. He hasmore than15 years of software development experience and has been using Java technology since 1998. He is interested in programming languages, object-oriented systems, distributed computing, and graphical user interfaces. He is a member of the steering committee of the St. Louis Java Users Group. Weiqi holds a Ph.D. in mathematics.

Open-source developer and agile manager Stephen Chin is founder of numerous open-source projects including WidgetFX and JFXtras, and senior manager at Inovis in Emeryville, California. He has been working with Java desktop and enterprise technologies formore thana decade, and has a passion for improving development technologies and process. Stephen's interest in Java technologies has lead him to start a Java- and JavaFX- focused blog that is targeted at early technology adopters (SteveOnJava.com).

Dean Iverson has been writing software professionally formore than15 years. He is employed by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, where he is a senior researcher and rich client application developer. He also has a small software consultancy called Pleasing Software Solutions, which he co-founded with his wife.