Java Application Programmers Interface

See [ java.html ] for an introduction to Java and [ java.class.tree.html ] for the simpler and earlier Application Programmers Interface -- -- --(API)
Also check out [ java.classes.html ] which displays the core class hierarchicy with properties and selected fields and methods.

The Java Application Programmers Interface 1.2

The Java 1.2 API was once indexed and documented by Sun.

Notes

• All terms defined below are names of classes unless marked interface etc.
• The "@C" are the possible subsets/subtypes/extensions of class C. So

   		Child::@Parent...

  indicates that Child implments or extends the Parent class.
• All class extend Object by default.
• The name is linked to a page specifying all non-private fields and methods.
• This does not show "Peer", "Remote", and "Swing" classes.

Applets

1. Applet::@Panel,
2. AppletContext::TBA
3. AppletStub::TBA

   User Interface Classes

   Components

   1. Component::@Object, Components in a Graphic User Interface including: Button, List, TextField, TextArea, CheckBox, CheckBoxGroup, Dialog, Frame, Scrollbar, Choice, Canvas, Frame, Panel, Window.

   2. Button::@Component,

   3. Checkbox::@Component,
   4. CheckboxGroup::@Component,

   5. Choice::@Component,

   6. Container::@Component, A class of graphical User interface objects that can contain a varying number of other graphic objects (Component). All Containers have a LayoutManager and a way to add and remove components.

   7. Label::@Component,

   8. List::@Component, List of items in a scrollable window allowing the user to select one of them.

   9. Panel::@Container, rectangular area containing other Components?

   10. TextArea::@TextComponent,

   11. TextComponent::@Component,

   12. TextField::@TextComponent,

       Windows and Widgets

   13. Window::=Dialog | Frame,

   14. Frame::@Window,

   15. Scrollbar::TBA.

   16. CheckboxMenuItem::TBA.

   17. Menu::TBA.
   18. MenuBar::TBA.
   19. MenuComponent::@Object,
   20. MenuContainer::TBA.
   21. MenuItem::TBA.
   22. MenuShortCut::@Object.

       Sound

   23. AudioClip::TBA.

       Colors

   24. Color::TBA.
   25. ColorModel::TBA.

   26. DirectColorModel::TBA.

   27. IndexColorModel::TBA.

       Graphics

   28. Canvas::TBA. a Component that permits graphics.

   29. CropImageFilter::TBA.

   30. FilteredImageSource::TBA.

   31. Graphics::@Object, A Graphics object knows how to draw and fill: Rectangles (plain, 3D, or with rounded corners), ovals, arcs, lines, strings, in different Color's, and how to clear rectangles. It uses more abstract classes such as Point, Dimension, and Rectangle.

   32. Image::TBA.
   33. ImageConsumer::TBA.
   34. ImageFilter::TBA.
   35. ImageObserver::TBA.
   36. ImageProducer::TBA.

   37. PixelGrabber::TBA.

   38. Polygon::TBA.

   39. RGBImageFilter::TBA.

       Layouts

   40. BorderLayout::@LayoutManager, A LayoutManager that has a component in the center, top(north), bottom(south), left(west), and right(east) of it, or any subset of these.

   41. CardLayout::@#LayoutManager, A LayoutManager which allows only one of its components to visible at any one time as selected by the show(...) method.

   42. FlowLayout::@#LayoutManager, A LayoutManager a manager that places objects, in the order added across the component and then row by row. Or in columns. In each row items can be centered, left, or right aligned.

   43. GridBagConstraints::TBA.
   44. GridBagLayout::@LayoutMananger, A LayoutManager that is based on a grid but where each component can take up any non-overlapping (tiled) rectangular set of grid rectangles. Complex and clever.

   45. GridLayout::@LayoutManager, A LayoutManager that places components in a simple two dimensional grid with fixed dimensions.

   46. LayoutManager::=BorderLayout | CardLayout | FlowLayout | GridBagLayout | GridLayout. A class of objects that can control the positioning of components inside a Container.

       Event Handling

       Many components(objects in class Component) implement a function like this: component.addTypeListener(l) where l is in a class that implements the TypeListener interface and Type is a name of a type of AWTEvent. The TypeListener interface defines a a void function actionsomething(TypeListener event). The something varies with the Type of the event. Another class can define a class that implements TypeListener by handling the events. It constructs an object of this tpe and passes it to the component using the addTypeListener function. When events occur the implemented function is called with arguments defining the event.

        	anXListener---implements--->interface----used by---->aComponent

        	anXListener-passed by-addXListener(anXListener)-to-->aComponent

        	anXListener<------gets called when an XEvent hits----aComponent

       A more detailed model using the Unified Modeling Language can be downloaded: [ listener.mdl ] and viewed with Rational Rose.

       To support this model Java1.2 makes it easier to construct and object and and describe its class in a single statement [ html#anonymous_class_object ] -- without having to name the class.

   47. AWTEvent::abstract_class=ActionEvent | ItemEvent | WindowEvent | ComponentEvent | AdjustmentEvent | MouseEvent | KeyEvent | FocusEvent. All these events have a getSource() method that tells a listener which object generated the event.

       The event handling uses grouped classes of AWTEvents, addListener functions, Listener interfaces, and Adapter classes. To implement one of the interfaces below the class must (1) state that it "implements Interface_name" in its header and (2) define all the functions listed in the interface. The Adapter classes supply default empty functions for the functions in the interface, so by extending an Adapter class you only have to defined the listening functions that do something.

       Event	Sent by	To	Added by	Adapter
       ActionEvent	Button,List,MenuItem,TextField	ActionListener:actionPerformed	addActionListener	ActionAdapter
       AdjustmentEvent	Scrollbar	AdjustmentListener:adjustmentValueChanged	addAdjustmentListener	AdjustmentAdapter
       ComponentEvent	Dialog, Frame	ComponentListener:componentMoved,componentHidden,componentResized,ComponentShown	addComponentListener	ComponentAdapter
       FocusEvent	any Component	FocusListener:focusGained,focusLost	addFocusListener	FocusAdapter
       ItemEvent	Checkbox,CheckboxMenuItem,Choice,List	ItemListener:itemStateChanged	addItemListener	ItemAdjuster
       KeyEvent	any Component	KeyListener:keyPressed,keyReleased,keyTyped	addKeyListener	KeyAdapter
       MouseEvent	Canvas,Dialog,Frame,Panel,Window.	MouseListener:mouseDragged,mousePressed,mouseClicked,mouseEntered,mouseExited	addMouseListener	MouseAdapter
       WindowEvent	Dialog,Frame.	WindowListener:windowClosing, windowOpened, windowIconified,windowDeiconified,windowClosed	addWindowListener	WindowAdapter
       MouseMovedEvent	etc

   48. ActionEvent::@AWTEvent, sent by Button, List, MenuItem, and TextField.
   49. addActionListener::=add ActionListener (_) to the components list of listeners
   50. ActionListener::interface= { actionPerformed(ActionEvent) }.
   51. ActionAdapter::abstract_class, provides empty functions for the interface.

   52. AdjustmentEvent::@AWTEvent, sent by Scrollbar
   53. addAdjustmentEvent::=add AdjustmentListener (_) to the components list of listeners
   54. AdjustmentListener::interface={ adjustmentValueChanged(AdjustmentEvent)}.
   55. AdjustmentAdapter::abstract_class, provides empty functions for the interface.

   56. ComponentEvent::@AWTEvent, sent by Dialog and Frame.
   57. addComponentListener::=add ComponentListener (_) to the components list of listeners
   58. ComponentListener::interface={componentMoved(ComponentEvent),componentHidden(ComponentEvent),componentResized(ComponentEvent),componentShown(ComponentEvent)}.
   59. ComponentAdapter::abstract_class, provides empty functions for the interface.

   60. FocusEvent::@AWTEvent, could be sent by any Component.
   61. addFocusListener::=add FocusListener (_) to the components list of listeners
   62. FocusListener::interface={ focusGained(FocusEvent), focusLost(FocusEvent)}.
   63. FocusAdapter::abstract_class, provides empty functions for the interface.

   64. ItemEvent::@AWTEvent, sent by objects in classes Checkbox, CheckboxMenuItem, Choice, List.
   65. addItemListener::=add ItemListener (_) to the components list of listeners
   66. ItemListener::interface={ itemStateChanged(ItemEvent) }.
   67. ItemAdapter::abstract_class, provides empty functions for the interface.

   68. IOEvent::=KeyEvent | MouseEvent.

   69. KeyEvent::@AWTEvent, can be sent by any object in class Component.
   70. addKeyListener::=add KeyListener (_) to the components list of listeners
   71. KeyListener::interface={ keyPressed(KeyEvent), keyReleased(KeyEvent). keyTyped(KeyEvent)}
   72. KeyAdapter::abstract_class, provides empty functions for the interface.

   73. MouseEvent::@AWTEvent, Can be sent by objects that are: Canvas, Dialog, Frame, Panel, Window.
   74. addMouseListener::=add MouseListener (_) to the components list of listeners
   75. MouseListener::interface={ mouseDragged(MouseEvent),mousePressed(MouseEvent),mouseClicked(MouseEvent),mouseEntered(MouseEvent),mouseExited(MouseEvent)}.
   76. MouseAdapter::abstract_class, provides empty functions for the interface.

       There is also a set of MouseMovedEvents...

   77. WindowEvent::@AWTEvent, can be sent by objects in Dialog and Frame.
   78. addWindowListener::=add WindowListener (_) to the components list of listeners
   79. WindowListener::interface={ windowClosing(WindowEvent), windowOpened(WindowEvent), windowIconified(WindowEvent),windowDeiconified(WindowEvent),windowClosed(WindowEvent)}.
   80. WindowAdapter::abstract_class, provides empty functions for the interface.

       Swing

       Swing is a new and powerful set of "light weight" classes for producing user interfaces. It is unwise to mix the older AWT and newer Swing classes -- especially avoid placing or adding a heavyweight AWT component into a lightweight one. Swing is part of the Java Foundation Classes --(JVC).

       The Swing classes use the MVC pattern:

   81. MVC::="Model, View and Controller", originally develope for Smalltalk. The "View" encapsulates how data is displayed. It accesses data held in a separate "Model" class. If the "Model" data changes then the "View" is informed and redisplays the new data. The "Controller" determines how the user interacts with the data in the Model and so changes. The "View" is responsible for sending gestures and events to the controller which, in turn, requests changes in the model,...

   82. JComponent::@Container.
   83. JList::@JComponent=TBA.
   84. JMenuBar::@JComponent=TBA.
   85. JOptionPane::@JComponent=TBA.
   86. JPanel::@JComponent=TBA.
   87. JPopupMenu::@JComponent=TBA.
   88. JProgessBar::@JComponent=TBA.
   89. JRootPanel::@JComponent=TBA.
   90. JScrollBar::@JComponent=TBA.
   91. JSlider::@JComponent=TBA.
   92. JScrollPane::@JComponent=TBA.
   93. JTabbedPane::@JComponent=TBA.
   94. JTableHeader::@JComponent=TBA.
   95. JToolBar::@JComponent=TBA.
   96. JTree::@JComponent=TBA.
   97. AbstractButton::@JComponent=TBA.
   98. JToggleButton::@AbstractButton=TBA.
   99. JCheckBox::@JToggleButton=TBA.
   100. JRadioButton::@JToggleButton=TBA.
   101. JButton::@AbstractButton=TBA.
   102. JMenuItem::@AbstractButton=TBA.
   103. JCheckBoxMenuItem::@JMenuItem=TBA.
   104. JMenu::@JMenuItem=TBA.
   105. JRadioButtonMenuItem::@JMenuItem=TBA.
   106. JColorChooser::@JComponent=TBA.
   107. JComboBox::@JComponent=TBA.
   108. JDesktopIcon::@JComponent=TBA.
   109. JFileChooser::@JComponent=TBA.
   110. JLabel::@JComponent=TBA.
   111. JInternalFrame::@JComponent=TBA.
   112. JLayeredFrame::@JComponent=TBA. See JDesktoPlane.
   113. JDesktopPane::@JLayeredPane=TBA.
   114. JSeparator::@JComponent=TBA.
   115. JSplitPane::@JComponent=TBA.
   116. JTable::@JComponent=TBA.
   117. JToolTip::@JComponent=TBA.
   118. JViewPort::@JComponent=TBA.
   119. JTextComponent::@JComponent=TBA. Extended as JTextComponent, JTextField, JEditorPane.
   120. JTextArea::@JTextComponent=TBA.
   121. JTextField::@JTextComponent=TBA.
   122. JEditorPane::@JTextComponent=TBA.
   123. JPasswordField::@JTextArea=TBA.

   . . . . . . . . . ( end of section User Interface Classes) <<Contents | End>>

   Input/Output

   1. BufferedInputStream::TBA.
   2. BufferedOutputStream::TBA.

   3. ByteArrayInputStream::TBA.
   4. ByteArrayOutputStream::TBA.

   5. DataInput::TBA.
   6. DataInputStream::TBA.
   7. DataOutput::TBA.
   8. DataOutputStream::TBA.

   9. File::TBA.
   10. FileDescriptor::TBA.
   11. FileDialog::TBA.
   12. FileInputStream::TBA.
   13. FilenameFilter::TBA.
   14. FileOutputStream::TBA.

   15. FilterInputStream::TBA.
   16. FilterOutputStream::TBA.

   17. Reader::abstract_class=BufferedReader | CharArrayReader | FileReader | PipedReader | StringReader.
   18. BufferedReader::@Reader.
   19. CharArrayReader::@Reader.
   20. FileReader::@Reader.
   21. PipedReader::@Reader.
   22. StringReader::@Reader.

   23. Writer::abstract_class=BufferedWriter | CharArrayWriter | FileWriter | PipedWriter | StringWriter.
   24. BufferedWriter::@Writer.
   25. CharArrayWriter::@Writer.
   26. FileWriter::@Writer.
   27. PipedWriter::@Writer.
   28. StringWriter::@Writer.

   29. InputStream::TBA.

   30. LineNumberInputStream::TBA.

   31. OutputStream::TBA.

   32. PipedInputStream::TBA.
   33. PipedOutputStream::TBA.

   34. PrintStream::TBA.

   35. PushbackInputStream::TBA.

   36. RandomAccessFile::TBA.

   37. SequenceInputStream::TBA.

   38. StreamTokenizer::TBA.
   39. StringBufferInputStream::TBA.

   Networking

4. DatagramPacket::TBA.
5. DatagramSocket::TBA.

6. InetAddress::TBA.

7. ServerSocket::TBA.
8. Socket::TBA.
9. SocketImpl::TBA.
10. SocketImplFactory::TBA.

11. URL::TBA.
12. URLConnection::TBA.
13. URLEncoder::TBA.
14. URLStreamHandler::TBA.
15. URLStreamHandlerFactory::TBA.

    General Purpose Classes

    1. BitSet::TBA.
    2. Boolean::TBA.

    3. Character::TBA. reference to a 16bit Unicode symbol.

    4. Class::TBA.

    5. ClassLoader::TBA.

    6. Cloneable::interface. A Cloneable class implments a clone() function to create copies of the object they apply to.

    7. Compiler::TBA.

    8. ContentHandler::TBA.
    9. ContentHandlerFactory::TBA.

    10. Date::TBA.

    11. DebuggerCallback::TBA.

    12. Dictionary::@HashTable,

    13. Dimension::TBA. This is an object that can keep track of the int width and hieght of something.

    14. Double::TBA. reference to a double length number.

    15. Enumeration::TBA. Java's iterator.

    16. Event::TBA.

    17. Float::TBA. single length floating point object.

    18. Font::@Object, In JDK1.0 the commonest fonts are Helvetica, TimeRoman, and Courier which caused copyright problems. The names have been changed to SanSerif, Serif, and Monospaced in JDK1.1. This class also defines constants like Font.BOLD, Font.ITALIC, and Font.PLAIN.

    19. FontMetrics::TBA.

    20. Hashtable::@Object, Dictionary is an extension of HashTable,

    21. Insets::TBA.

    22. Integer::TBA.

    23. LocalVariable::TBA.

    24. Long::TBA. a reference to a long integer item of data.

    25. Math::TBA. a collection of useful functions and constants.

    26. MediaTracker::TBA.

    27. MemoryImageSource::TBA.

    28. Number::TBA. superclass of Double, Float, Integer, ...

    29. Object::TBA. the grand-parent of all classes.

    30. Observable::TBA.
    31. Observer::TBA.

    32. Point::@Object, This is not a graphic object but a mathematical object with two integer coordinates called x and y.

    33. Process::TBA.

    34. Properties::@Dictionary,

    35. Random::TBA.

    36. Rectangle::TBA. this not a graphic object but a record of two co-ordinates (x and y) and a pair of dimensions(width and hieght). It comes with a lot of operations including intersection and union.

    37. Runnable::TBA. interface for Classes of objects that have a public void run() function. A Runnable object can be execute by a Thread object in a separate concurrent thread of control.

    38. Runtime::TBA.
    39. RuntimeConstants::TBA.

    40. SecurityManager::TBA.

    41. Stack::TBA. a specialized Vector.

    42. String::TBA. a fixed sequence of characters.
    43. StringBuffer::TBA. a variable sequence of characters.
    44. StringTokenizer::TBA.

    45. System::TBA.

    46. Thread::TBA.
    47. ThreadDeath::TBA.
    48. ThreadGroup::TBA.

    49. Toolkit::TBA.

    50. Vector::TBA. a dynamic array.

    . . . . . . . . . ( end of section General Purpose Classes) <<Contents | End>>

    Errors and Exceptions

16. Throwable::=Exception | Error, includes Exceptions and Errors, Something that can appear in throw and catch statements.
    • Error::TBA.
    • Exception::TBA. unuusual situations things that a normal programmer can be expected to sort out.
      • RuntimeException::TBA. things that a programmer may explicitly catching or throwing.
      • Other exceptions either have to be caught or the code must decalre that it throws them.

17. AbstractMethodError::@Error,

18. ArithmeticException::TBA.
19. ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException::TBA.
20. ArrayStoreException::TBA.

21. AWTError::@Error,
22. AWTException::TBA.

23. ClassCastException::TBA.
24. ClassCircularityError::@Error,
25. ClassFormatError::@Error,

26. ClassNotFoundException::TBA.

27. CloneNotSupportedException::TBA.

28. EmptyStackException::TBA.

29. EOFException::TBA.

30. IllegalAccessError::@Error,
31. IllegalAccessException::TBA.
32. IllegalArgumentException::TBA.
33. IllegalMonitorStateException::TBA.
34. IllegalThreadStateException::TBA.

35. IncompatibleClassChangeError::@Error,

36. IndexOutOfBoundsException::TBA.

37. InstantiationError::@Error,
38. InstantiationException::TBA.

39. InternalError::@Error,

40. InterruptedException::TBA.
41. InterruptedIOException::TBA.
42. IOException::TBA.

43. LinkageError::@Error,

44. MalformedURLException::TBA.

45. NegativeArraySizeException::TBA.
46. NoClassDefFoundError::@Error,
47. NoSuchElementException::TBA.
48. NoSuchFieldError::@Error,
49. NoSuchMethodError::@Error,
50. NoSuchMethodException::TBA.
51. NullPointerException::TBA.

52. NumberFormatException::TBA.

53. OutOfMemoryError::@Error,

54. ProtocolException::TBA.

55. SecurityException::TBA.

56. SocketException::TBA.

57. StackOverflowError::@Error,

58. StringIndexOutOfBoundsException::TBA.

59. UnknownError::@Error,
60. UnknownHostException::TBA.
61. UnknownServiceException::TBA.
62. UnsatisfiedLinkError::@Error,

63. UTFDataFormatException::TBA.

64. VerifyError::@Error,
65. VirtualMachineError::@Error,

    Glossary

66. TBA::="To Be Announced".
67. abstract_class::=`A class with one or more abstract functions. No objects can be made for this class but there can be references to abstract_classes and classes derived from them that are not abstract.
68. interface::=a list of public abstract methods(functions) that other classes can implement. A variable can refer to any object that implements an interface but no objects can be created for an interface directly.

. . . . . . . . . ( end of section Java Application Programmers Interface) <<Contents | End>>