Skinning Java desktop applications?

Question

Does anybody know a way to "skin" Java desktop applications. (Like Winamp skins, or skins for MirandaIM)? I don't want to create my own look and feel.

Haldane

Sry, I'm talking about desktop apps. – Haldane

Answer 1

Yes, there are a few ways this can be done, but I don't know anyone that is really simple. Have a look at Nimbus: The New Face of Swing, it contains a few examples. You can often override the look of components or just change the colors.

Some links:

• Nimbus Colors
• Skinning a Slider with Nimbus
• Nimbus UIManager UIDefaults

And you can always change to another LaF, in example Substance.

Plourde

Nimbus looks very good. Do you know a way to change the shape of a window (e.g rounded corners or an elliptic shaped window)? – Haldane

Yes, have a look at java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/misc/… – Plourde

Answer 2

We've successfully used the NimROD Look and Feel to 'skin' the Swing look & feel. It works well, has several 'themes' already written for it, and can be added in a few lines of code.

Nootka

Nimrod is awesome I have used that many times in conjunction with Miglayout, all other layouts pale in comparison – Kuykendall

Answer 3

For a project that's still actively maintained in 2022 and allows skinning of Swing applications try FlatLaf

FlatLaf is a modern open-source cross-platform Look and Feel for Java Swing desktop applications.

It looks almost flat (no shadows or gradients), clean, simple and elegant. FlatLaf comes with Light, Dark, IntelliJ and Darcula themes, scales on HiDPI displays and runs on Java 8 or newer.

The look is heavily inspired by Darcula and IntelliJ themes from IntelliJ IDEA 2019.2+ and uses almost the same colors and icons.

Rochdale

Answer 4

Swing has built-in dynamic look and feel support. If you are talking about desktop apps, you might want to start with Lesson: Modifying the Look and Feel.

Edit: If you are talking about a webapp, then absolutely use different .css to acheive a skinnable interface. CSS Zen Garden is a great example/tutorial on how the same page can look entirely different with a different .css file.

Nels

Answer 5

Another modern look and feel active maintained in 2022 is https://github.com/vincenzopalazzo/material-ui-swing

It include also a way to develop a custom theme in an external jar, like this one https://github.com/material-ui-swing/DarkStackOverflowTheme

Expulsion