History of the JFC

Now that you understand what it is all about, it's time to see how the JFC came into existence, and find out if there are any competing frameworks.

AWT 1.0

The first release of Java ”in the fall of 1995 ”included AWT 1.0. In hindsight, this AWT was noted for its poor performance and a very restrictive event model. These failings led Sun Microsystems developers to create a new version of the AWT that incorporated a greatly improved event model and offered superior performance.

Internet Foundation Classes

Netscape had its own ideas regarding the direction AWT should take. On December 11, 1996, Netscape unveiled a user interface framework completely written in Java ”the Internet Foundation Classes (IFC).

The IFC allowed for the creation of Java programs that are independent of OS-specific windows and user interface controls ”Netscape's term for GUI components . The IFC framework included window hierarchies, integrated drag and drop, and basic controls.

Many developers have used the IFC and this framework is still available for use, although it is being downplayed in favor of the JFC.

Application Foundation Classes

Not to be outdone, Microsoft announced in January 1997 that it would release its own foundation class framework, dubbed the Application Foundation Classes (AFC). Companies were given a look at the AFC in March of that same year. And in April, an early version of the AFC was released to developers.

Although Microsoft's AFC was completely written in Java, its architecture was based on the C++ Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC). Many developers with MFC experience adopted this framework.

However, Microsoft was never happy with Java, and saw this technology as a threat to its Windows-everywhere vision. Therefore, Microsoft evolved the AFC into the Windows Foundation Classes (WFC), a Windows platform-specific framework. The WFC made it possible for Java developers to write Win32 applications in Java as opposed to C++, and was incorporated into Microsoft's Visual J++ 6.0 compiler.

The Java community was not impressed with Microsoft's move, because they saw Visual J++ 6.0 and the WFC to be a threat to the cross-platform nature of Java. Sun took Microsoft to court , claiming that Microsoft had violated Sun's license agreement, and won an injunction against Microsoft's continued involvement with its own brand of Java. As to the future of the AFC and the WFC, this issue is clouded and only time will tell.

Java Foundation Classes

Around the time that Microsoft first announced the AFC, Sun and Netscape jointly announced the development of a new framework called the Java Foundation Classes (JFC). This framework would be based on Netscape's IFC. IBM, Apple, and several other companies were invited to contribute to the JFC.

The JFC was first introduced on July 8, 1997. It incorporated a comprehensive set of GUI components and foundation services that were designed to simplify development of Internet, intranet and desktop applications.

Many developers associate Swing with the JFC, because the Swing API has undergone the most changes. This has prompted several releases of the JFC. The current version of the JFC, bundled as part of SDK 1.3, has matured to the point where this framework is your best bet for developing quality user interfaces.

Vision of the Future

So, what comes next for the JFC? It is possible that Sun will incorporate Java media ”Java 3D, television, movies, and so on ”into the JFC. After all, the JFC is all about creating user interfaces, and media has an important role to play in the development of these interfaces.