Extends JFrame vs. creating it inside the program

Question

When making an application using Swing, I've seen people do one of the two things to create a JFrame. Which is a better approach and why?

I'm a beginner at Java and programming. My only source of learning is books, YouTube and Stack Overflow.

import {imports};

public class GuiApp1 {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        new GuiApp1();
    }

    public GuiApp1()  {
        JFrame guiFrame = new JFrame();

        guiFrame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        guiFrame.setTitle("Example GUI");
        guiFrame.setSize(300,250);
        ................
    }

AND

import {imports};

public class GuiApp1 extends JFrame {

    public Execute() {
        getContentPane().setBackground(Color.WHITE);
        getContentPane().setLayout(null);
        setSize(800, 600);
        .............
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Execute frame1 = new Execute();
        frame1.setVisible(true);

    }
}

Answer 1

Thoughts:

• Avoid extending JFrame as it ties your GUI to being, well a JFrame. If instead you concentrate on creating JPanels instead, then you have the freedom to use these JPanels anywhere needed -- in a JFrame, or JDialog, or JApplet, or inside of another JPanel, or swapped with other JPanels via a CardLayout.
• Avoid inheritance in general, especially of complex classes. This will prevent pernicious errors, such as inadvertent method overrides (try creating a JFrame or JPanel that has a getX() and getY() method to see what I mean!).
• Avoid inheritance of complex classes if you are using an IDE: If you override a complex class, when you call methods on objects of these classes, you will have many, too many, choices of methods offered to you.
• Encapsulation is good, is and allows for creation of safer code. Expose only that which needs to be exposed, and control that exposure as much as possible.