java.awt.Window
class and its subclasses let you create free-standing windows. Stand-alone windows can also be used to build applications that use the AWT instead of the command-line or to provide additional space for applets.
A Window
is a subclass of java.awt.Container
that is independent of other containers. That is, a Window
is not itself contained. Since Window
extends java.awt.Container
you can add components like Button
s and TextField
s to Windows. You can arrange the Components you add with a LayoutManager
. You can draw directly into a Window
in a paint()
method. Everything you do in an applet panel can also be done in a Window
.
Normally you Don't use the Window
class directly.
Instead you use one of its subclasses, either java.awt.Frame
or java.awt.Dialog
depending on your need. A Frame
is what most people think of as a window in their native environment. It can have a menu bar; it can be independently moved and resized; and it will hang around on the screen as long as the user is interested in the content of the window.
A Dialog
will not have a menu bar. It can be moved but often can't be resized. Its purpose is to get some particular information from the user (input) or to impart some particularly important information to the user (output). It is normally visible on the screen only until it gets the input or receives acknowledgement from the user about its output.