Listing 1. Java is verbose, as demonstrated by the assembly of Swing components and event listeners in JavaCheckerboard.

package example;

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;

import javax.swing.*;

public class JavaCheckerboard extends JPanel {

  public static class BoardPanel extends JPanel {
    int width, height, tileWidth, tileHeight;
    int[] initX;

    public BoardPanel(int width, int height, 
      int tileWidth, int tileHeight) {
      initX = new int[2];
      setBoardSize(width, height, tileWidth, 
        tileHeight);
    }

    public void setBoardSize(int width, int height,
                            int tileWidth, int 
                            tileHeight)
    {
      this.tileWidth  = tileWidth;
      this.tileHeight = tileHeight;
      initX[0] = 0;
      initX[1] = tileWidth;
      setBoardSize(width, height);
    }


    public void setBoardSize(int width, int height) {
      Dimension size;

      this.width      = width*tileWidth;
      this.height     = height*tileHeight;

      size = new Dimension(this.width, this.height);
      setPreferredSize(size);
    }

    private void paintTiles(
      Graphics g, int firstTile, Color color) {
      int x, y = 0, dx = 2*tileWidth;

      g.setColor(color);

      while(y < height) {
        x = initX[firstTile];
        while(x < width) {
          g.fillRect(x, y, tileWidth, tileHeight);
          x+=dx;
        }
        y+=tileHeight;
        firstTile ^= 1;
      }
    }

    public void paint(Graphics g) {
      paintTiles(g, 0, Color.WHITE);
      paintTiles(g, 1, Color.BLACK);
    }
  }

  BoardPanel board;
  JScrollPane boardContainer;

  public class SizeListener implements ItemListener {
    public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e) {
      if(e.getStateChange() == ItemEvent.SELECTED) {
        String item = (String)e.getItem();
        JViewport viewport;
        int size;

        if("2x2".equals(item))
          size = 2;
        else if("4x4".equals(item))
          size = 4;
        else if("8x8".equals(item))
          size = 8;
        else
          size = 16;

        board.setBoardSize(size, size);
        viewport = boardContainer.getViewport();
        viewport.setViewPosition(new Point(0, 0));
        repaint();
      }
    }
  }

  public JavaCheckerboard() {
    JComboBox boardSize;

    board = new BoardPanel(8, 8, 50, 50);
    boardContainer = new JScrollPane();
    boardContainer.setViewportView(board);

    boardSize = new JComboBox();
    boardSize.addItem("2x2");
    boardSize.addItem("4x4");
    boardSize.addItem("8x8");
    boardSize.addItem("16x16");
    boardSize.setSelectedIndex(2);
    boardSize.addItemListener(new SizeListener());

    setLayout(new BorderLayout());
    add(boardContainer);
    add(boardSize, BorderLayout.NORTH);
  }

  public static final void main(String[] args) {
    JFrame frame = new JFrame("Fun and Games");
    frame.getContentPane().add(
      new JavaCheckerboard());
    frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(
      JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    frame.setSize(400, 400);
    frame.setVisible(true);
  }
}