Lesson 7

This module introduced you to the JavaBeans Development Kit (BDK) and the tools and resources it provides for Bean development.
You learned about the BeanBox test container and how it is used to customize and test Beans.

In the context of JavaBeans, visual programming refers to the process of creating and editing JavaBeans using visual development tools, rather than writing code manually. These visual development tools typically provide a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows developers to create and edit beans by dragging and dropping components, setting properties, and connecting event handlers.
The JavaBeans Development Kit (BDK) includes a visual development tool called BeanBuilder, which can be used to create and edit JavaBeans. BeanBuilder allows developers to visually design and lay out the components of a bean, define its properties and events, and set up event handling. BeanBuilder uses property editors and BeanInfo classes to provide a visual representation of the bean's properties and events, which makes it easy for developers to understand and modify the bean's behavior.
Visual programming simplifies the development process for JavaBeans, making it more accessible to developers with less programming experience, and providing a more intuitive way to create and modify beans, allowing the developer to focus on the logic and functionality of the bean, rather than the syntax and structure of the code.

Visual programming^[1] is a key part of the component model. Components are represented in toolboxes or palettes. The user can select a component from the toolbox and place it into a container, choosing its size and position. The properties of the component can then be edited in order to create the desired behavior. Our thermostat control might present some type of user interface to the application developer to set the initial comfort temperature. Likewise, the choice of font and color will be selectable in a similar way. None of these manipulations require a single line of code to be written by the application developer. In fact, the application development tool is probably writing the code for you. This is accomplished through a set of standard interfaces provided by the component environment that allow the components to publish, or expose, their properties. The development tool can also provide a means for the developer to manipulate the size and position of components in relation to each other. The container itself may be a component and allow its properties to be edited in order to alter its behavior.
In the next module, the Java Archive (JAR) utility that comes standard with the JDK to examine JAR files and package Beans will be discussed.

Before moving to the next module click the Quiz link below to take a multiple-choice quiz that has questions pertaining to the lessons of this module.
JavaBeans - Quiz

[1]Visual programming language: (VPL) Visual programming language is any programming language that lets users create programs by manipulating program elements graphically rather than by specifying them textually.