Using Netbeans GUI designer

Question

I'd like to ask you a simple question(maybe stupid one). Would you use Netbeans GUI designer for commercial application?Becase it's generating lots of code, maintenance of application based on designer could be tough(IMHO), there are also pieces of generated code you can't change and so on.

My project will have only few forms, so it's no a big deal right now(I'd go with designer for that), but I am asking for future purposes...

Thanks a lot for any thoughts.

Answer 1

My project will have only few forms ...

If you are good at using Swing components (frames, panels, layout managers etc.), design your forms on your own, so that you can commit/track/share code changes easily in the future. However, if you are in a hurry or not so good at designing your GUI, then you can get use of Netbeans GUI Designer for your situation. It may facilitate and speed up your work, but you should still keep awake to the connections between Netbeans generated GUI and your application logic.

Answer 2

1) Netbeans GUI designer (based on JSR296 ) is long time out-dated and un-suported GUI Framework (by NetBeans),

2) Becase it's generating lots of code that caused by used GroupLayout , this LayoutManager generating bunch of code, you can change this LayoutManager in the project properties

3) there are Custom GUI Framework based on AWT or Swing , part of them aren't free

4) there are Custom LayoutManagers for AWT or Swing J/Components , part of them aren't free

5) My project will have only few forms use CardLayout rather than playing with popup windows on the screen, CardLayout is very simple for usage

6) I'd suggest to write code by your hands by using plain Swing JComponents , majorities of posts on this forum is about that