Visually Editing FXML Files in IntelliJ IDEA

Yes, IntelliJ IDEA provides excellent support for visually editing FXML files through integration with JavaFX Scene Builder. Here's how to set it up and use it:

Prerequisites

1. Install Scene Builder: First, you need to download and install JavaFX Scene Builder from Gluon:

   • Download from: https://gluonhq.com/products/scene-builder/
   • It's a free, standalone application that works with IntelliJ IDEA

Setting Up Scene Builder in IntelliJ IDEA

1. Configure Scene Builder Path:

   • Go to File → Settings (or IntelliJ IDEA → Preferences on macOS)
   • Navigate to Languages & Frameworks → JavaFX
   • Set the path to your Scene Builder executable (e.g., C:\Program Files\SceneBuilder\SceneBuilder.exe on Windows or /Applications/SceneBuilder.app on macOS)
   • Click Apply and OK

Opening and Editing FXML Files

Once configured, you can visually edit FXML files in two ways:

Method 1: Open in Scene Builder from IntelliJ

1. Open your FXML file in IntelliJ IDEA
2. Look for the Open in SceneBuilder button in the top-right corner of the editor
3. Click it to open the current FXML file in Scene Builder

Method 2: Right-click Menu

1. Right-click on any FXML file in the Project view
2. Select Open In → SceneBuilder

Using Scene Builder

Scene Builder provides a drag-and-drop interface for designing JavaFX UIs:

1. Library Panel (left side): Contains all available JavaFX components
2. Hierarchy Panel (center-left): Shows the component hierarchy
3. Canvas (center): Visual representation of your UI
4. Inspector Panel (right side): Properties, layout, and code editor

You can:

• Drag components from the Library panel to the Canvas
• Adjust properties in the Inspector panel
• Set up layouts, styles, and event handlers
• Preview your UI in different screen sizes

Synchronization with IntelliJ

When you save changes in Scene Builder, the FXML file in IntelliJ is automatically updated. You can switch between:

• Visual editing in Scene Builder
• Code editing in IntelliJ IDEA

Tips for Your Dark UI Project

For your dark-themed JavaFX project:

1. Custom CSS: In Scene Builder, you can apply your custom CSS file:

   • Go to Preview → Scene Style Sheets → Add Style Sheet
   • Select your dark-theme.css file

2. FontAwesome Icons: To preview FontAwesome icons in Scene Builder:

   • Add the Ikonli JAR files to Scene Builder's library
   • Go to Library → JAR/FXML Manager → Add Library/FXML from file system
   • Select the Ikonli JAR files from your project's dependencies
3. Custom Components: If you create custom components, you can add them to Scene Builder's library using the same JAR/FXML Manager

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with Scene Builder integration:

1. Make sure the path to Scene Builder is correctly set in IntelliJ settings
2. Verify that your FXML file is valid XML
3. Try restarting IntelliJ after installing Scene Builder
4. Check that your JavaFX dependencies are correctly configured in your project

Scene Builder makes designing JavaFX UIs much more intuitive and can significantly speed up your UI development process!

You're right to notice that the fonts folder is empty. Here's what you need to know:

About the Empty Fonts Folder

1. No Immediate Action Required: You don't need to add any fonts to the fonts folder for the application to work. The project will run fine without any custom fonts.
2. Why It's There: I included the fonts folder as a best practice for organizing resources. It's a placeholder for any custom fonts you might want to add later.
3. FontAwesome Icons: For the FontAwesome icons, you don't need to add font files manually because the Ikonli library (which we're using via the dependencies in build.gradle) handles this for you. It includes the necessary font files within its JAR.

Using Custom Fonts (Optional)

If you want to use custom fonts in your application, here's how:

1. Add Font Files: Place your font files (TTF, OTF, etc.) in the src/main/resources/com/darkfxui/fonts/ directory.
2. Load in CSS: Reference them in your CSS file (dark-theme.css):

3. Load in Java: Or load them programmatically in Java:

Default Fonts

The application currently uses the system font 'Segoe UI' with a fallback to sans-serif, as defined in the CSS:

This will use the system's Segoe UI font if available (common on Windows) or fall back to the default sans-serif font.

Recommendations for Dark UI

If you want to enhance your dark UI with custom fonts, consider:

1. Modern Sans-Serif Fonts: Fonts like Roboto, Open Sans, or Source Sans Pro work well in dark UIs
2. Monospace for Code: If displaying code, consider fonts like JetBrains Mono or Fira Code
3. Variable Fonts: These provide flexibility with weight and width in a single file

To add these, download the font files and place them in your fonts directory, then update your CSS to use them.

Example: Adding Roboto Font

1. Download Roboto from Google Fonts
2. Place the TTF files in your fonts folder
3. Update your CSS:

Remember that adding custom fonts increases your application size, so use them judiciously.