JavaFX is a rapidly maturing technology, but its capabilities are still limited. In this installment of Open source Java projects, Jeff Friesen introduces you to JFXtras, utilities and add-ons that fill in useful features that are absent in JavaFX 1.0.
JavaFX 1.0 is missing a lot of functionality, especially in regard to UI components and layouts. To address these deficiencies, developer Stephen Chin initiated the JFXtras project in late 2008. He released JFXtras 0.1 shortly after JavaFX 1.0 debuted. This initial JFXtras release introduced dialog boxes, more layouts, a unit-testing framework, and asynchronous thread support to JavaFX.
The JFXtras 0.2 milestone, released in January 2009, adds a new library of custom shapes via integration with Andres Almiray's jSilhouette Project, and it enhances 0.1's Grid layout, unit-testing framework, and more. With 0.3's release on February 17 (shortly after this article's completion), JFXtras is becoming an increasingly significant part of the JavaFX landscape.
This article focuses on JFXtras 0.2. After introducing you to the project's software distribution, I demonstrate how to use the software via the NetBeans and command-line versions of JavaFX. I then explore JFXtras' various features, ranging from asynchronous thread support and a custom shapes library to unit testing and utilities classes.
