What is the difference between Swing and AWT in Java?

Difference between Swing and AWT in Java

Swing and AWT are both Java libraries used for creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs). The main difference between Swing and AWT is that Swing is a more modern and powerful GUI toolkit that provides more sophisticated components and greater functionality compared to AWT.

AWT (Abstract Window Toolkit) is the original GUI toolkit in Java, whereas Swing is built on top of AWT and provides a wider range of GUI components such as buttons, text fields, tables, and trees. Swing components are lightweight and are not dependent on the underlying platform, making them more customizable and easier to work with compared to AWT components.

Additionally, Swing supports pluggable look-and-feel, allowing developers to change the appearance of their applications easily. AWT, on the other hand, relies on the native operating system's GUI components, which can result in less consistent behavior across different platforms.

In summary, Swing is recommended for modern GUI development in Java due to its enhanced features, flexibility, and cross-platform compatibility compared to the more basic AWT toolkit.