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JavaFX is a rich client platform for building cross-device applications and content. This article will use JavaFX script, the programming language for JavaFX. The following will use JavaFX as a short term for JavaFX script.

JavaFX script is a programming language from Sun for creating rich media and interactive content which is tightly integrated with Java. With JavaFX it should be easy to develop Rich Internet Applications (RIA).

It is a statically typed language which means that the data types of each variable, return value, etc. is known at compile time. JavaFX uses type inference / implicit typing to identify the type of a variable, e.g. the programmer does not have to specify the type himself. JavaFX is a declarative language, e.g. you describe what the application should do, rather then specifying the control flow of the application yourself. See Declarative programming for details.

The language provides data binding to connect UI elements with model elements.

JavaFX is compiled to Java byte code.

The basis for a JavaFX UI application is the class javafx.stage.Stage. Within this stage you have a hierarchy of graphical elements which are described as part of a javafx.scene.Scene. These graphical elements are called nodes and can be: