The Abstract Windows Toolkit or AWT is a Java application programming interface (API). This API allows a programmer to develop Java applications having windows, scroll bars, menu bars, Textboxes, and other components of a GUI which are useable on any platform for which there is JVM. This includes Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX. By using the AWT a program will "look and feel" the same on all platforms. The AWT instructions are translated for the host operating system by the Java Virtual Machine (VM).