Java Reference
In-Depth Information
17.2.2
The next logical question is, “If you think SWT is unnecessary with Swing al-
ready there, why cover it in your book?” Also a sensible question. The answer
is that there is very little published literature on this library (a notable exception
being Chapter 10 of
The Java Developer's Guide to Eclipse
by Shaver et al., from
Addison-Wesley). Also, SWT provides the only fully functional GUI library
that will work with the GNU Compiler for Java. As such, it is a major required
component if you wish to write native compiled GUI applications on Linux
systems.
Of course, there is another reason. Anyone heavily into Linux is well aware
of the political and philosophical debate about Free Software and Open Source.
If the core values of Free Software are critical for you, you should be aware that
the IBM Common Public License
5
under which Eclipse (and thus SWT) are
published is a Free Software license. You get the source code, you may use it
in your own products, and it imposes obligations similar to the GNU GPL,
6
but goes even further by requiring you to grant royalty-free licenses for any
patents you hold in derivative works.
So you might choose SWT (or not) for political or philosophical reasons.
Both authors still suggest Swing first because it is the official Java GUI library.
When an employer wants to know if you can write a Java GUI application, he
or she almost certainly means a Swing application. Philosophy is great, but it
may not put the food on your table. You need to know that Swing is not Free
Software (and neither is either of the major Java SDKs), and SWT is Free
Software, but it is up to you to decide what best serves your interests.
7
Duplicated Effort. Why Cover It?
5.
http://www.eclipse.org/legal/cpl-v10.html
6.
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html
7. A lot of people couldn't care less about the Free versus non-Free issue, but I must say that
many of my most interesting workplace discussions have arisen from this issue. It is the first
issue in my career that has had programmers talking about the balance between their personal
interests, their employers' interests, and the public interest. Wherever you stand philosophically,
I think it is good that programmers are thinking about the consequences of their work at all
of these levels. I wish there were more pressure at all levels of business to consider and balance
all of these interests.
