| :: References ::Find here a list of references useful for Java layout.Layout SystemsExplicitLayout
    complements the FormLayout when it comes to non-rectangular layouts
    and other complex non-form-oriented designs. 
   
    It is a powerful general purpose layout manager that
    provides many features to specify the location and size of a component.
	ExplicitLayout offers other useful features: 
	styles, external UI specification and layout reuse. 
	ExplicitLayout is licensed under the GNU LGPL and ships with a 
	user guide and well chosen examples. 
	
	 
	The Explicit Table Builder
	adds a few things that the pure ExplicitLayout is missing
	such as builders, layout styles, support for Dialog Units (dlu), 
	and a nice debug panel.
	 
	The Matisse visual builder (integrated with Netbeans) 
	makes it easy for many people to get layouts done quickly.
	It seems that Matisse has been designed for visual building,
	but the underlying GroupLayout can be used without Matisse.
	 
	Although the FormLayout is intended to replace the GridBagLayout,
	the latter is still a resonable choice, if you cannot add a third party
	layout manager like the FormLayout to your project. 
	The Packer simplifies 
	the use of GridBagLayout.
	
	 
	SwtForms is an SWT port
	of the JGoodies FormLayout and some Forms builder done by Florian Fankhauser.
	
	
  
     JGoodies Forms Cheat SheetRobert Blixt provides a 
    Forms cheat sheet
    that summarizes information about Forms' sizes, units, constraints,
    and the string encoding syntax.ArticlesMicrosoft's 
	Design Specifications and Guidelines - Visual Design
	describe how to layout on the Microsoft platform.
	Since the dimensions are specified in a non-pixel size dlu
	it is quite useful for multiplatform screen design.
	The Apple 
	Human Interface Guidelines
	provide a lot of tips & tricks for good design. 
	
	 
	I provide articles and presentations
	about Swing, apperance, and layout.
	
	 
	  BooksA recommended reading is 
	Designing Visual Interfaces
	by Kevin Mullet & Darrel Sano. If you read 100 pages of this book, 
	you will learn the most valuable basics of user interface design, 
	and more generally, design. It is useful for the daily work of every 
	GUI developer.
	If you either need an introduction or reference about do's and don'ts 
	in GUI design, read Jeff Johnson's 
	GUI Bloopers. If you are busy
	and can't find the time to read 500 pages, just look at the book's 
	contents and check whether you have an idea what all the topics are about. 
	In this case, I guess, a medium skilled GUI designer will read about 50 pages.
	
	 
	There are several tutorials and books that can help you get started 
	with the Swing widget toolkit, widgets, and basic configuration. 
	The Swing book by 
	Robinson and Vorobiev is one of the better books.
	
	
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