The goal of this course is to provide a simple, overview path through the main
components of the Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT), allowing programmers who are
unfamiliar with the AWT to get started quickly. The course is interwoven with
flexible exercises that, together with the course text, allow programmers to
tailor the learning process to their particular learning style. This course
covers the following main elements of the AWT:
- Images and drawing.
- Components (widgets).
- Layout managers.
- Events.
The focus of this course is on the AWT elements used most often by applets,
while ignoring the frames, menus, and dialog boxes.
Short Course Prerequisites
A general familiarity with object-oriented programming, the JavaTM
language, web browsers, and HTML is assumed. For example, prospective
students should be able to define Java classes and subclasses, create
objects, and write applets that use object polymorphism (dynamic binding).
These course notes, applets, and exercises were developed and tested with
Netscape Navigator 3.0 under Windows NT 3.51 and Windows 95. Other browsers
and earlier versions of Navigator may have trouble running all the applets.
Short Course Format and Duration
This course consists of cross-linked course notes and flexible exercises that
will take at least eight hours to complete. Due to the size and complexity of
the AWT, this course may take longer to complete than other short courses.
How to Take this Short Course
Because people tend to learn in different ways and have different backgrounds,
this course is designed with many paths through the material. You can begin
with the exercises and refer back to the notes,
or you can begin with the course notes and
follow the embedded links to appropriate exercises. It is possible to cover
the course content in a depth-first, or breadth-first manner. For example,
you may want to learn everything about a particular subject before moving on,
or you may want to get a broad overview before exploring each subject in depth.
Entry Points:
