Learning Java - Chapter 12 : Java : Supplements

JavaBeans take the component concept of object oriented programming to the next level. A JavaBean system allows one to build a program completely from a drag-and-drop menu without writing any code directly.

JavaBeans are in fact just Java objects but ones that obey a set of design rules that allow visual application builders to interogate them to determine their properties and to modify them.

JavaBeans take advantage of

Design patterns - such as factory methods and accessing properties with well defined "getter" and "setter" methods:

...
private int A, B;

public void getA(){ return A;}
public void getB(){ return B;}
public int setA(int a){ A = a;}
public int setB(int b){ B = b;}
Reflection - allows the classes to be interogated to find their fields, methods, etc.
Object serialization - objects can be taken apart and saved to files and then rebuilt later just as they were.
Scalability - beans can be constructed out of other simpler beans, e.g. a bean can be as simple as a AWT label or as elaborate as a spreadsheet.

JavaBeans are beyond the range of this course. See the following sites for more information:

References & Web Resources