I have read an intro chapter on the Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT). It is implemented via the "java.awt" package. The package provides a number of graphic user interface components. Examples are buttons, scrollbars, and checkboxes.Two of the most useful components are the TextField and TextArea. The TextField is a single line of input from the user, while the TextArea is a multiple line edit control.
Checkboxes are components. They can be grouped using a CheckboxGroup class, which itself is not a component.
A LayoutManager interface has been defined to determine how components are placed on a screen. There are 5 different implementations of the LayoutManager provided to you by the AWT.
Let's talk about a few more AWT concepts. A container is an area on the screen which holds other components. A windows is a top level one on the screen that has no menu bar or border. It is used to create popup messages. If the user provides input in a such a window, it is then called a dialog. A frame, on the other hand, is a window that has a title, border, and buttons like maximize/minimize.
The last idea which I shall expound upon later is that of events. The entire AWT system is driven by events. AWT manages these events, and sends them to interested components. For example, an event is generated when the user clicks the mouse button. The AWT catches this, and sends the information to component(s) that had previously requested mouse press events.
