JavaFX: A Cross-Platform UI Toolkit Compared with Modern JavaScript Libraries

Is JavaFX Worth Learning in 2023?

As of 2019, the landscape of UI development had significantly evolved. While JavaFX did hold some promise, the current trend among developers has shifted towards modern JavaScript frameworks such as React.js. In this article, we will explore the current state of JavaFX, compare it to React.js, and discuss the continued relevance of another popular UI toolkit, Swing.

JavaFX: A Cross-Platform Solution

JavaFX is an excellent UI toolkit that leverages modern UI techniques and is cross-platform out of the box. One of the key advantages of JavaFX is that it ships with the JRE 8, making it relatively easy for users to run without additional installation. Moreover, the default look and feel of JavaFX can be modified using CSS, allowing for a high degree of customizability.

Personal Experience with JavaFX

Although I haven't actively used JavaFX since June 2015, I had a positive experience with it. In one of my projects, I created a simple application that found the impact factor of a list of scientific journals. I utilized Scene Builder to design the user interface and mapped each UI element to an instance variable within the controller class. The separation of concerns between the controller and the model made the development process more organized and maintainable.

React.js: The Rise of Modern Web Development

React.js has seen exponential growth in recent years and has become the go-to choice for building user interfaces in both web and desktop applications. React's popularity stems from its flexibility, performance, and large community support. It allows developers to create highly interactive and smooth user experiences, making it a preferred choice over traditional frameworks like JavaFX.

Why React.js Over JavaFX?

When considering the choice between React.js and JavaFX, several factors come into play:

Performance: React.js, built on top of the Virtual DOM, is highly performant, especially when compared to JavaFX’s graphics rendering. JavaFX, while providing a rich set of UI components, has faced criticism for its performance issues and frequent bugs under certain environments. Cross-Platform Support: React.js, when used with libraries such as Electron, can produce cross-platform desktop applications with ease. JavaFX, while being cross-platform, still lags behind in performance and regular updates. Ecosystem and Community: The React.js ecosystem is vast and vibrant. It comes with a diverse set of tools, libraries, and community support, making it easier for developers to solve issues and stay up-to-date with the latest trends.

The Role of Swing in Modern Development

Swing remains a robust UI toolkit for building desktop applications. Its strength lies in its stability, portability, and performance, especially on Windows and MacOS. Swing is particularly popular in enterprise environments and applications that require complex, native-like interfaces.

Swing vs. JavaFX

While Swing offers a more reliable and mature solution, it does not have the modern UI features and performance improvements that JavaFX provides. The default look of JavaFX can be improved with CSS, but it requires additional skill. In contrast, Swing provides native emulation on Windows and MacOS by default, which means better performance and a more polished application experience.

Conclusion

The choice between JavaFX, React.js, and Swing depends on the specific needs and requirements of the project. React.js and Swing offer different strengths and are more suitable for different domains. While JavaFX held promise in the past, the tide has shifted towards React.js due to its flexibility, performance, and the vast ecosystem it offers.

Ultimately, while JavaFX may not be the best choice for new projects in 2023, possessing the skills to work with different UI toolkits can be valuable in the ever-evolving landscape of software development.