Building a JavaFX Application from Scratch

Are you ready to dive into the world of JavaFX and build your own desktop application? Look no further! In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of building a JavaFX application from scratch.

What is JavaFX?

JavaFX is a set of graphics and media packages that enables developers to design, create, test, debug, and deploy rich client applications that operate consistently across diverse platforms. It is a powerful tool for building desktop applications with a modern and intuitive user interface.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following installed on your machine:

• Java Development Kit (JDK) 8 or later
• JavaFX SDK 8 or later
• An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) such as Eclipse or IntelliJ IDEA

Setting up the Project

Let's start by creating a new JavaFX project in your IDE. In this tutorial, we will be using IntelliJ IDEA.

1. Open IntelliJ IDEA and click on "Create New Project".
2. Select "JavaFX" from the list of project types and click "Next".
3. Give your project a name and select a location to save it. Click "Finish".
4. In the "Project Structure" window, go to "Project Settings" and select "Project".
5. Under "Project SDK", select the JDK you have installed on your machine.
6. Under "Project language level", select the appropriate level for your project.
7. Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save the changes.

Congratulations! You have set up your JavaFX project.

Creating the User Interface

Now that we have set up our project, let's create the user interface for our application.

1. In the "Project" window, right-click on the "src" folder and select "New" -> "JavaFX" -> "FXML Document".
2. Give your FXML file a name and click "OK".
3. In the "Scene Builder" window, drag and drop the components you want to include in your user interface. For example, you can add a label, a text field, and a button.
4. Once you have designed your user interface, save the FXML file and close the "Scene Builder" window.

Connecting the User Interface to the Code

Now that we have created our user interface, let's connect it to the code.

1. In the "Project" window, right-click on the package where you want to create your controller class and select "New" -> "Java Class".
2. Give your controller class a name and click "OK".
3. In the "Controller" tab of your FXML file, enter the name of your controller class in the "Controller Class" field.
4. In your controller class, create instance variables for the components in your user interface. For example, if you have a label with an ID of "lblName", you can create an instance variable like this:

@FXML
private Label lblName;

5. In your controller class, create a method that will be called when the button in your user interface is clicked. For example:

@FXML
private void handleButtonAction(ActionEvent event) {
    String name = txtName.getText();
    lblName.setText("Hello, " + name + "!");
}

6. In your FXML file, add an "onAction" attribute to your button component and set it to the name of your method. For example:

<Button text="Say Hello" onAction="#handleButtonAction"/>

Congratulations! You have connected your user interface to the code.

Running the Application

Now that we have created our user interface and connected it to the code, let's run our application.

1. In the "Project" window, right-click on your main class and select "Run".
2. Your application should launch and display your user interface.
3. Enter a name in the text field and click the button. Your label should display a greeting with the name you entered.

Congratulations! You have successfully built a JavaFX application from scratch.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have guided you through the process of building a JavaFX application from scratch. We have covered the basics of setting up a project, creating a user interface, connecting it to the code, and running the application.

JavaFX is a powerful tool for building desktop applications with a modern and intuitive user interface. With the knowledge you have gained from this tutorial, you can now start building your own JavaFX applications.

Happy coding!

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