The AWT delivered on the promise of a standards-based platform that adapted to the user desktop. It also provided a good starting point for graphical Java development with room for improvements - some evolutionary, and some revolutionary.

GUI developers count on baseline functionality to create professional-quality applications. The AWT, while best suited for applet development, provided little integration into the desktop environment and even less functionality for creating large-scale applications. JFC, which delivers a more robust framework for GUI development, also delivers the baseline components and frameworks that developers have come to expect from the Java platform.

Current State of JFC
JFC extends the original AWT by adding a comprehensive set of GUI class libraries that is completely portable and delivered as part of the Java platform. In addition, JFC will include many of the key features found in Netscape's Internet Foundation Classes. Since the JFC is core to the Java platform, it eliminates the need to download special classes at runtime and is compatible with all AWT-based applications.

JFC includes a rich suite of high-level components and services that are fully and uniquely cross-platform compatible, and offers significant performance improvements. With JFC, developers can create and deploy large scale, mission-critical intranet, Internet and Crossware applications. And because Java is an open, standard technology, a broad complement of third party tools and components are available to enhance application development.

In short, JFC includes many new, easy-to-use and sophisticated features that are designed to work together to offer the following key advantages over other frameworks:

Additionally, JFC offers:

Future of JFC
JFC will continue to expand, with plans in the works to include a rich complement of high-level components that will enhance the user's visual experience and improve user productivity. New application services are slated for JFC that will further integrate Java applications into the desktop environment.

New features will further enhance a developer's ability to deliver scalable, commercial-grade applications. These features will be made available to developers as they are completed and then rolled into the next release of JDK. They will include:

The JFC raises the bar for GUI functionality in Java while delivering a rich API and a growing set of components and services to make it easier for developers to create and deploy commercial-grade applications.