Java Term of the Week: GUI

Whether you realise it or not, you are already familiar with GUIs. In fact, you’re looking at one right now! GUI stands for “Graphical User Interface”. The menus, toolbars, scrollbars, etc. that help you view webpages are all part of your browser’s GUI.

A program's graphical user interface presents an easy-to-use visual display to the user. A good GUI will make a program a pleasure to use, and can ultimately determine how successful it will be. A poorly designed GUI can turn users away because they find it too difficult to use.

When you create a GUI in Java, think about how you are going to position the different graphical components to make it as straightforward to use as possible.