If client code has explicitly set the focusability of a Component by either overriding Component.isFocusTraversable() or Component.isFocusable(), or by calling Component.setFocusable(), then a DefaultFocusTraversalPolicy behaves exactly like a ContainerOrderFocusTraversalPolicy. If, however, the Component is relying on default focusability, then a DefaultFocusTraversalPolicy will reject all Components with non-focusable peers. This is the default FocusTraversalPolicy for all AWT Containers.

The focusability of a peer is implementation-dependent. Sun recommends that all implementations for a particular native platform construct peers with the same focusability. The recommendations for Windows and Unix are that Canvases, Labels, Panels, Scrollbars, ScrollPanes, Windows, and lightweight Components have non-focusable peers, and all other Components have focusable peers. These recommendations are used in the Sun AWT implementations. Note that the focusability of a Component's peer is different from, and does not impact, the focusability of the Component itself.

Please see How to Use the Focus Subsystem, a section in The Java Tutorial, and the Focus Specification for more information.