Tips and Guidelines for Programming Java GUI Applications

by Matthew Ford (updated 24^th May 2014)
© Forward Computing and Control Pty. Ltd. NSW Australia
All rights reserved.

These Tips and Guidelines are primarily aimed at Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) applications but some of them are also applicable to general Java Programming.

Introduction:

Computers today have more power and storage then most people can use but users are still expected to struggle with programs that

• don't save their work

• don't allow them to change their minds

• don't recover from errors and

• give useless error messages.

As Alan Cooper says [1]
“Software Forgets,   Software Is Lazy
Software Is Parsimonious with Information
Software Is Inflexible,   Software Blames Users
Software Won't Take Responsibility “

These tips and guidelines outline how to write better GUI applications. They are a mixture of high level guidelines and low level code.
These tips cover:-

• Error Recovery

• Unified Error/Information Messages and Help

• How to set up Java logging Updated 23rd Oct. 2004
          Logging and LogStdStreams can now roll you console log file when it reaches a given size. Also catch your Console output from Log4J

• Why you should not use Dialog boxes to Interrupt the User

• Designing a Graphical User Interface New 8^th Jan 2006

• Why your application should not have a Save function Updated 24^th May 2014

• What's wrong with undo/redo and how to fix it.

[1] "The Inmates are Running the Asylum", Alan Cooper, 1999, ISBN 0-67231649-8, SAMS Indiana USA

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