Java Applet Programming Question: Download Java Applet PDF

Swing provides a richer set of components than AWT. They are 100% Java-based. AWT on the other hand was developed with the mind set that if a component or capability of a component werent available on one platform, it wouldnt be available on any platform. Due to the peer-based nature of AWT, what might work on one implementation might not work on another, as the peer-integration might not be as robust. There are a few other advantages to Swing over AWT:

► Swing provides both additional components and added functionality to AWT-replacement components
► Swing components can change their appearance based on the current "look and feel" library that's being used.
► Swing components follow the Model-View-Controller (MVC) paradigm, and thus can provide a much more flexible UI.
► Swing provides "extras" for components, such as:
► Icons on many components
► Decorative borders for components
► Tool tips for components
► Swing components are lightweight (less resource intensive than AWT)
► Swing provides built-in double buffering
► Swing provides paint debugging support for when you build your own components

Swing also has a few disadvantages:
► It requires Java 2 or a separate JAR file
► If you're not very careful when programming, it can be slower than AWT (all components are drawn)
► Swing components that look like native components might not act exactly like native components