For years, JavaFX has been missing from the main Java Development Kit (JDK). It was removed back in Java 11, which came out over seven years ago. Now, there’s renewed interest in bringing JavaFX back into the JDK, and even Oracle is considering making it easier for developers to access JavaFX directly from the JDK again.

A discussion on the OpenJDK mailing list has brought up the idea of reintegrating JavaFX. Bruce Haddon, a developer involved in the open-source Java community, argues that the original reasons for separating JavaFX from the JDK are less valid today. He points out that JavaFX once added significant size to the JDK, which was a concern. But now, with the modular system introduced in Java 9, the JDK has been cleaned up, reducing bloat. Additionally, JavaFX now evolves alongside the JDK, and both are open source projects—OpenJDK and OpenJFX—making collaboration easier.

Haddon also emphasizes how inconvenient it is for developers to have to install and configure two separate parts—JavaFX and the JDK—especially since configuring IDEs can be tricky. Combining them into a single package would simplify development workflows. He believes that re-integrating JavaFX as the preferred GUI toolkit within the JDK makes sense now and would benefit the community.

In response, Oracle has acknowledged the discussion but remains cautious. On October 30, Donald Smith, Oracle’s vice president of Java product management, stated that Oracle is actively involved in the OpenJFX project. While there are no concrete plans announced yet, Oracle is exploring ways to make JavaFX easier to use with the JDK.

JavaFX was originally launched in 2007 by Sun Microsystems as a modern platform for building rich client applications. It supports desktop, mobile, and embedded systems. Today, JavaFX is open source and maintained by Gluon, with versions available for Linux, macOS, and Windows.

The idea of bringing JavaFX back into the JDK is gaining traction among developers who see it as a way to streamline Java application development. Whether Oracle will move forward with reintegration remains to be seen, but the conversation highlights the ongoing effort to improve Java’s ecosystem and make it more user-friendly.

Inspired by

• https://www.infoworld.com/article/4082709/will-javafx-return-to-java.html

Sources

• gmpg.org
• openjdk.org
• gluonhq.com
• podigee.com
• podigee.com