Is there any Java Builder tool for creating a Java GUI that is not specific to the IDE?

Question

I used various IDEs (Eclipse, NetBeans, Intellij IDEA), and although all of them have GUI building tools, they all generate a graphical interface in a way that connects the developer using this IDE.

I am currently working on an open source project in which the GUI was created using Netbeans, so it will not work when opened in another IDE. This is not good for me, partly because I use Intellij IDEA, but mainly because the project is configured to create with Maven.

From the looks of things, it seems that Netbeans adds code when a project is being built, so there is something implicit when I test it through subversion.

Answer 1

I believe that JFormDesigner matches the score.

It is available as a standalone application and as a plugin that can integrate with Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA and JBuilder. It generates stand-alone Java code that does not need any special compilation purposes.

However, JFormDesigner itself relies on .jfd files (they are just XML) that describe the form so that JFormDesigner can open and edit the GUI again. These files are needed only for visual editing of the GUI using JFormDesigner; you can still modify the generated Java code without breaking anything while you stay away from specially commented sections written by JFormDesigner.

I use JFormDesigner regularly (both standalone and inside IntelliJ IDEA), and most of my projects are configured and built with Maven. In the few years that I used, I did not encounter compatibility issues.

Change The specific Eclipse Jigloo GUI project should also satisfy your request. It's been a couple of years since I last used it, but if something hasn't changed, it also creates stand-alone Java code that works well with Maven or another IDE.

Jigloo also has a very cool ability to round code: give it a form created manually or in another GUI builder, and it (surprisingly efficiently) interprets the class and allows you to visually edit the graphical interface in the same way as if you created it in Jigloo in the first place .

Answer 2

AFAIK has no GUI developers who work (Eclipse, NetBeans, Intellij IDEA). However, you should be able to view the generated source code in any IDE. I would be surprised if Netbeans makes the code inaccessible.

In the worst case scenario, you will need to add the NetBeans Swing libraries to your Intellij project and get the source code using the Java decompiler.

Using a good layout manager such as MigLayout will probably be more productive than using a GUI constructor, especially if you have many similar screens.