Desktop- and web-applications that are based on Java Swing can significantly benefit from a tailor-made look and feel. The look and feel can, e.g., support the grouping of individual applications into a product family comparable to the common look and feel of the individual applications from the Microsoft Office Suite. In addition, a recognizable and individual look and feel can act as business differentiator.

The ideal look and feel should accentuate an application’s key features in a visually appealing fashion, e.g. through smooth animated transitions between UI control states as well as through shadow- and glow-effects. In addition to aesthetical aspects, technical considerations have to be taken into account. If, e.g., a look and feel lacks conformity to platform standards, this can complicate its integration into an existing application.

At SYSTEMS 2008, Centigrade demonstrates the capabilities of the look and feel engine Cezanne 1.4, which is slated for December 2008. In addition to an extended support for right-to-left orientation beyond what is know from Metal and Nimbus, the integrated scalability of the presentation allow the automatic adjustment to the current screen resolution.

SYSTEMS 2008 will take place October 21-24 in Munich, Germany. Centigrade can be found in hall A2, booth 516.