JavaFX overview

JavaFX contains a wonderful visual scripting tool called Scene Builder, which allows you to create graphical user interfaces by using drag-and-drop and property settings. Scene Builder generates the necessary FXML files that are used by your IDE, such as NetBeans.

Here is a sample UI created with Scene Builder:

And here is the FXML file created by Scene Builder:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?import java.lang.*?>
<?import java.util.*?>
<?import javafx.scene.control.*?>
<?import javafx.scene.layout.*?>
<?import javafx.scene.paint.*?>
<?import javafx.scene.text.*?>

<AnchorPane id="AnchorPane" maxHeight="-Infinity"
  maxWidth="-Infinity" minHeight="-Infinity"
  minWidth="-Infinity" prefHeight="400.0" prefWidth="600.0"
  xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml/1"
  xmlns="http://javafx.com/javafx/2.2">
  <children>
    <TitledPane animated="false" collapsible="false"
      layoutX="108.0" layoutY="49.0" text="Sample">
    <content>
      <AnchorPane id="Content" minHeight="0.0" minWidth="0.0"
        prefHeight="180.0" prefWidth="200.0">
      <children>
        <CheckBox layoutX="26.0" layoutY="33.0"
          mnemonicParsing="false" prefWidth="94.0"
          text="CheckBox" />
        <ColorPicker layoutX="26.0" layoutY="65.0" />
        <Hyperlink layoutX="26.0" layoutY="103.0"
          text="Hyperlink" />
        <Label alignment="CENTER" layoutX="14.0" layoutY="5.0"
          prefWidth="172.0" text="This is a Label"
          textAlignment="CENTER">
          <font>
            <Font size="14.0" />
          </font>
        </Label>
        <Button layoutX="81.0" layoutY="146.0"
          mnemonicParsing="false" text="Button" />
      </children>
      </AnchorPane>
    </content>
    </TitledPane>
  </children>
</AnchorPane>