The best thing about this text has to be its sample programs, many of which incorporate other Java APIs to do "real" work. For example, a demo of the scroll pane Swing component uses other JFC classes to display JPG images. For working with lists, the authors show how to process .ZIP files in Java. For demonstrating table programming, there's coverage of JDBC to connect to databases. Other standout code samples include a working FTP client and a fully functional .RTF word processor. (Many of these examples are enhanced in separate steps, showing off new Swing classes and features along the way.) The authors do a particularly good job of annotating code with clear explanations referenced with numbered bullets that point out important lines of code.

The other noteworthy feature here is the material on extending basic Swing functionality through custom code. (To use Swing effectively, you definitely need to be able to customize its classes. The authors show you how.) There are examples for enhancing Swing with custom layout managers and numerous samples that extend trees and tables, and even a section on the basics of creating new pluggable look and feel (PLAF) modules for Swing.

With material here on virtually every component and API, plus advanced coverage on using and extending Swing, this in-depth tutorial will prove to be an indispensable resource. It's ideal for any Java developer who wants to create powerful Swing interfaces for real-world projects.
--Richard Dragan