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Java GUI - NOT Swing

I need a new way to create the graphical user interface of my application. I don't want to use Swing. I'm looking for something that looks a little different. Can you recommend me some other way of creating it, please?

Why not JavaFX ?
It is supposed to be replacing Swing as the standard Java GUI builder, so it would be a good option as it will be getting regular updates from Oracle itself. Additionally, being an officially sanctioned kit, it has plenty of tutorials, guides, and a decent (and growing) userbase that you can use for help.
And it uses CSS, which is good to learn as it can be useful in other applications. (Webdesign, etc.)
Finally, JavaFX is included with Java 8, so you don't even have to worry about installing a separate package! (Although adding a package is really not difficult if you prefer Java 7 or below.)

If your complaint with Swing is how it looks, note that you can change the look and feel of a Swing application very easily, or even write your own if you really wanted.
To get a look and feel that matches other applications on your system, you call:
UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
At the beginning of your program.
The default L&F, called Metal, also has a couple themes you can choose from (or you can create your own):
MetalLookAndFeel.setCurrentTheme(new DefaultMetalTheme());

Yes, javafx could be the way for you.
You can create Views using FXML files instead of coding everything in java.
The learning curve is not too hard in my view (and I am far from being a guru).
The tool Javafx Scene Builder is here to help you create your views or controls in FXML and integrates nicely with netbeans, and I suppose also with eclipse.
You can adapt the look of your controls using css.
I would suggest to start here to see if it would fit your need:
http://docs.oracle.com/javafx/2/overview/jfxpub-overview.htm

How can I use eclipse to build a GUI? (I want to use only swing/awt and no other packages)

I usually write java code using a simple text editor and .bat files to compile and run. I'm not used to IDEs like Eclipse or Netbeans and as a result every GUI I've made so far has been written by hand.
Questions:
Can I use eclipse to build a GUI easily (e.g. drag-drop features)?
Can this generated code use only the basic java packages (swing, awt) and not any other package provided by the IDE?
I'm saying this because -correct me if I'm wrong- from what I have read so far, I understand that Eclipse and other IDEs use their own packages (to achieve better layouts for example). I would like to avoid this dependency and if possible copy-paste the code generated by Eclipse and then work in the simple way I'm used to.
Thanks in advance.
[edit]
Having tried it for a couple of days, I can now say that WindowsBuilder is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for all your replies.

Eclipse uses the Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT, not included in JRE by default), Netbeans uses Swing (included).
Since recent Eclipse versions, it includes WindowBuilder to create Swing or SWT via drag'n'drop. WindowBuilder is even bidirectional, so code generation is supported as well as reflecting hand-made changes. It don't know if Netbeans includes this feature, too. In 'New' dialog of Eclipse you find everything you need under the WindowBuilder category.

Yes , You can use the feature of drag and Drop in java by going through these few Steps:
Help → Eclipse MarketPlace → WindowBuilder(Install)

Can I use eclipse to build a GUI easily (e.g. drag-drop features)?
Yes, go to the Marketplace and pull in WindowsBuilder; it supports bi-directional GUI drag-n-drop / direct-code editing.
Can this generated code use only the basic java packages (swing, awt) and not any other package provided by the IDE?
The code generated by the Swing Design tool is strictly Swing/AWT based.
It does offer design tools for SWT and GWT as well.

If you want to create Drag n Drop Swing GUI, you should try Netbeans. Eclipse may have a plugin but i usually find netbeans very good in GUI and it is also recommended by Sun for making Swing/AWT GUI

I haven't seen such in Eclipse. In Netbeans you can of course. But I am warning you! Create the GUI by hand. Netbeans is using GroupLayout to build drag and drop GUI, and that's a nightmare when you look at it!!! If eclipse has the same function, don't expect more than this!! Apart from that, not like .NET, most Java developers create everything by hand (Yes, real programming..That's why most say Java is hard). So, it is better if you can get used to it :)

Swing Form Editor

I'm a .net developer and I am studying Swing for Java and I have a question.
Is there any way to build the form controls by dragging and drop like a simple .net windows application project or WPF project?
I am using eclipse and it seems that everybody works with controls by adding positioning and width, height by code, I find that a pain in the a**.

Yes! Take a look at Window Builder for Eclipse (install it from the update site). Netbeans has also a built-in editor, if you prefer that IDE.

You need to install a plugin to do that.
In Eclipse you can try WindowBuilder.
In Netbeans this ability comes within the standard package.

Java's Swing framework tries to address a broad set of platforms, and it does this by separating out look-and-feel concerns, layout concerns, etc. The most painful part of setting up a form is the layout, and that is driven by the LayoutManagers.
There are various LayoutManager implementations built to be used in conjunction with form designer tooling. I've personally had good results with IntelliJ's designer. See some screen shots and feature listings here.

I would personally not recommend using any Drag and Drop builders. In some IDEs the generated code is not editable. Some IDEs allow you to edit the code, but the bottom line is no matter what IDE you use the generated code is very difficult to maintain. After a while you will find it difficult to work with it yourself.
Instead, since you are just starting out, I would recommend using a good layout manager right away. While we are on that, give the jdk's layout managers a wide berth. They are horrible and that's what causes most people to go in for the drag and drop solution. Instead try the Jgoodies Form Layout. Its very easy to understand and use. The link is here:
http://www.jgoodies.com/freeware/formsdemo/index.html
After you have understood that, try to give this builder I wrote a shot. It makes life even more simple:
http://code.google.com/p/swingobjects/source/browse/SwingObjects/src/org/aesthete/swingobjects/view/SwingObjFormBuilder.java

What JComponents to use..?

Till now, I was using VB for developing applications. Now I have to use Java for developing the front-end. I am quite confused with the Components. Need help.. A book reference or site reference would also do the job.
Basically, I will be using MenuBar, ToolBar, a Frame with JEditorPane. Now if I want to use a small window which will be a child form, to write some notes, of the master frame, which Component should I use?

I guess you're looking for a JDialog or a JPanel. Follow the Swing tutorial. It has detailed guidelines for every component, and has a visual index of all the components.

You can use a JInternalFrame for this. Follow this link for a demo
Components are quite easy to understand. A detailed tutorial is given here. But to tell you the gist Components are nothing but containers. For example JPanel is a component which can hold another component for example a JButton. Since JButton is again a container, you can add one more component, a JPanel to it.
The order and placement of the components that you add are determined by layouts. You have different layouts viz Borederlayout, BoxLayout, Flowlayout, GridLayout, GridBaglayout each having its own pros and cons and behaviors on how it reacts when window is resized.
For an IDE, I would recommend using Netbeans as you can drag and drop components as well as take a look at the generated Java source code to get a better understanding.

You want to the develop desktop applications using java right?
You need:
-Installed JDK(Java development Kit)
-You will need an IDE. My favourite is Eclipse.
There are many out there, but maybe the most intuitive for beginners in java might be Netbeans.
-When creating applications that use the components you mentioned, you will be using the libraries in the pagcage javax.swing(See the documentation in the link)
-And finally, just one more suggestion(Optional), is to get also a most powerfull IDE, just for graphics, so you can speed up your programming.I suppose you would like to speed up your development. In that case i highly recommend you this tool: JFormDesigner
Watch the videos and in matter of a couple of hours you will be developing interfaces fast as light :)
I hope this is useful

Netbeans/Eclipse extracting GUI code

Is there a plugin that would allow me to design the GUI in eclipse or netbeans and then extract the source code to be used in another environment?
I am much more comfortable using emacs for my development but gui design is much easier with a WYSIWYG environment. What i am looking for is design the frame in eclipse/netbeans and then extract just gui code so i can import it to my project?
Like JFrameBuilderdoes.

What's wrong with using both Netbeans/Eclipse and emacs on the same set of files?
Use Netbeans or Eclipse to design GUI.
Close Netbeans/Eclipse.
Open Emacs and code away.
Close Emacs.
Rinse and repeat.

Personally, what I have experienced is that GUI design in Swing is best done without a WYSIWYG. I came into Java after many years of developing applications with Delphi, and at that time there was no suitable GUI designer for Swing, which was a bit of a shock for me.
In order for a manual UI design/coding to be efficient a really good layout manager should be used. MigLayout is one of such layout managers. Since I've started using it I have never looked back at WYSIWIG tools -- a sheet of paper, a pencil, MigLayout and a full control over your code.