Developing a Java Application Launcher

Question

I'm just about to start developing some Java applications so I can get too know that language a little better, for my first real project I'd like to make a application which when it's loaded up will give two different panels, the change-log (which get's retrieved from Tumblr?) and another which isn't as wide which contains either a login form or button to launch the application, once the user has launched to application it closes the launcher then opens up the JFrame for the main application such as a game.

I've had an attempt a getting my JFrame and such working but haven't had too much success. Wwhat is the best possible way of getting this to happen?

Current Code

import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Canvas;
import java.awt.Dimension;

import javax.swing.BoxLayout;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;

public class Launcher extends Canvas {
private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
public static final int LAUNCHER_WIDTH = 350;
public static final int LAUNCHER_HEIGHT = 200;
public static final int LAUNCHER_SCALE = 3;
public static final String LAUNCHER_TITLE = "Launcher";

public static void main(String[] args) {
    Launcher l = new Launcher();

    JFrame f = new JFrame();

    JPanel c = new JPanel();
    JPanel u = new JPanel();
    JPanel s = new JPanel();    

    l.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(LAUNCHER_WIDTH * LAUNCHER_SCALE, LAUNCHER_HEIGHT * LAUNCHER_SCALE));
    l.setMinimumSize(new Dimension(LAUNCHER_WIDTH * LAUNCHER_SCALE, LAUNCHER_HEIGHT * LAUNCHER_SCALE));
    l.setMaximumSize(new Dimension(LAUNCHER_WIDTH * LAUNCHER_SCALE, LAUNCHER_HEIGHT * LAUNCHER_SCALE));

    c.setLayout(new BoxLayout(c, BoxLayout.X_AXIS));
    c.add(u);
    c.add(s);

    f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    f.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
    f.setTitle(LAUNCHER_TITLE);
    f.add(l, BorderLayout.CENTER);
    f.add(c);
    f.pack();
    f.setResizable(false);
    f.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
    f.setVisible(true);
}
}

Answer 1

A couple of suggestions:

• For your Launcher() don't extend Canvas as that is java.awt .
• Use a JPanel or JFrame instead as these are swing which will be more compatible with your other swing components
• In general don't mix swing and awt components unecessarily