Java AWT reference : [Java 1.1] The Abstract Window Tookit (AWT) provides the user interface for Java programs. Unless you want to construct your own GUI or use a crude text only interface the AWT provides the tools you will use to communicate with the user. Although we are beginning to see some other APIs for building user interfaces like Netscapes IFC (Internet Foundation Classes) those alternative APIs will not be in widespread use for some time and some will be platform specific. Likewise we are beginning to see automated tools for building GUIs in Java; Sun&rsquo;s JavaBeans effort promises to make such tools much more widespread.