JavaFX

Status: Production-ready

Java Version: 11+ (17+ recommended)

Learning Curve: Moderate

Last Release: Ongoing (OpenJFX)

JavaFX is the modern standard for Java desktop applications. It provides a rich set of UI controls including tables, trees, charts, media players, and even 3D graphics with hardware-accelerated rendering. The framework supports CSS styling for theming, FXML for separating UI markup from logic, and includes Scene Builder for visual UI design. JavaFX's WebView component (WebKit-based) enables hybrid desktop apps that combine native controls with web content. It's cross-platform by default and has been the go-to choice for enterprise desktop applications requiring modern, professional interfaces. Note that JavaFX is maintained separately under the OpenJFX project and is no longer part of the standard JDK distribution.

Code Example

import javafx.application.Application;
            import javafx.scene.Scene;
            import javafx.scene.control.Label;
            import javafx.scene.layout.StackPane;
            import javafx.stage.Stage;
            
            public class HelloJavaFX extends Application {
                @Override
                public void start(Stage stage) {
                    Label label = new Label("Hello, JavaFX!");
                    StackPane root = new StackPane(label);
                    Scene scene = new Scene(root, 300, 200);
                    stage.setTitle("JavaFX Example");
                    stage.setScene(scene);
                    stage.show();
                }
            
                public static void main(String[] args) {
                    launch(args);
                }
            }