What's the different between ImageIcon and Image?

[nimble marsh]

Hi, I'm new to Java and am currently learning how to do animation.
And I am confused that why I should use Image but not ImageIcon when making animation.
And why should I use ImageIcon but not Image when adding an icon to a button, label, etc.?
What's the difference between them?
Thanks.

[next gazelle]

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[regal oak]

from the docs:

An implementation of the Icon interface that paints Icons from Images

there are other implementations of Icon but this specific one uses Image

when adding to a button/label/etc, those things expect an Icon , so you use an ImageIcon to say "hey here's the icon you wanted, shhh don't tell anybody but it's actually just an image"

[nimble marsh]

What does "paints Icons from Images" mean? (What's the difference between Images and Icons here?)

[nimble marsh]

And here
Thanks.

[regal oak]

an Icon can be sourced from various locations (e.g. a reference from the OS, a Look-and-Feel (LAF), etc.) - ImageIcon is a specialisation of Icon that sources it from an Image

if we look at "All Known Implementing Classes" here:

we can see that there are other implementations of Icon that aren't from an Image (most of them reference "Metal" which is the built-in java look-and-feel)

[nimble marsh]

got it! Thanks 🙂

[next gazelle]

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