title: Java AWT/SWT/Swing: How to plan a GUI?
body: <p>I've already realized some applications with a small graphical user interface. Nothing complex, but I've encountered several problems that components aren't displayed or just not behaving as expected.</p>
  
  <p>Now my question:</p>
  
  <p>How do you plan those user interfaces? What do you do when you need to make changes? How do you debug strange behaviours?!</p>
  
  <p>This applies for nearly every type of gui-design. Sure, with Microsofts Visual Studio you have a big advantage because you nearly get what you see in the designer.</p>
  
  <p>Does a <em>good</em> and open-source (or freeware) designer for AWT exist? Already looked around and didn't find anything really intelligent.</p>
  
  <p><strong>EDIT:</strong> Until now, I've also created all of my GUIs by hand. Sure it is cleaner code but sometimes it's very hard to find the layouting bugs. If Visual Studio by MS is able to create approximately clean code, why aren't the others?</p>
  
  <p>I've heard about some Eclipse Visual designer. Is that one already production-ready?</p>