JavaFX overview

There is a wonderful visual scripting tool called Scene Builder that allows you to create graphical user interfaces by using drag and drop and property settings. Scene Builder generates the necessary FXML files that are used by your Integrated Development Environment (IDE) such as NetBeans.

Here is a sample UI created with Scene Builder:

And, here is the FXML file created by Scene Builder:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

    <?import java.lang.*?>
    <?import java.util.*?>
    <?import javafx.scene.control.*?>
    <?import javafx.scene.layout.*?>
    <?import javafx.scene.paint.*?>
    <?import javafx.scene.text.*?>

    <AnchorPane id="AnchorPane" maxHeight="-Infinity"
     maxWidth="-Infinity" minHeight="-Infinity"
     minWidth="-Infinity" prefHeight="400.0" prefWidth="600.0"
     xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml/1" 
     xmlns="http://javafx.com/javafx/2.2">
     <children>
       <TitledPane animated="false" collapsible="false"
        layoutX="108.0" layoutY="49.0" text="Sample">
       <content>
         <AnchorPane id="Content" minHeight="0.0" minWidth="0.0"
          prefHeight="180.0" prefWidth="200.0">
         <children>
           <CheckBox layoutX="26.0" layoutY="33.0" 
            mnemonicParsing="false" prefWidth="94.0" 
            text="CheckBox" />
           <ColorPicker layoutX="26.0" layoutY="65.0" />
           <Hyperlink layoutX="26.0" layoutY="103.0"
            text="Hyperlink" />
           <Label alignment="CENTER" layoutX="14.0" layoutY="5.0" 
            prefWidth="172.0" text="This is a Label"
            textAlignment="CENTER">
            <font>
              <Font size="14.0" />
            </font>
           </Label>
           <Button layoutX="81.0" layoutY="146.0" 
            mnemonicParsing="false" text="Button" />
         </children>
         </AnchorPane>
       </content>
       </TitledPane>
     </children>
    </AnchorPane>