May 7th, 2008

JavaFX's day in the Sun

Posted by Ryan Stewart @ 12:22 am

Categories: Adobe, Java, JavaFX, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems

Tags: Sun Microsystems Inc., Rich Internet Application, JavaFX, Dan Farber, Programming Languages, Java, Software Development, Software/Web Development, Ryan Stewart

Dan Farber has some information about JavaFX from the JavaOne keynote today. It sounds like it wasn’t a great day for demos but that we’re starting to get a better picture of JavaFX and what the plans are. Michael Coté has some additional information about Sun’s plans around Java as a whole and JavaFX. In our podcast with Joshua Marinacci before JavaOne, I was able to learn a lot about what the plans for JavaFX are and how it fits into the greater ecosystem of Java. It’s not a replacement for Swing (a UI framework for Java) and it’s also not entirely correct to say it competes with Flash, Silverlight, AIR, or any other technology.

JavaFX is just one part (albeit a very snazzy part) of many enhancements to the Java runtime which includes the Java Update 10 browser plugin that would enable JavaFX developers to target the browser with animations and vector art. But JavaFX is part of a larger Java ecosystem and is in some ways a lynchpin to allow developers and designers to create RIA experiences across a lot of devices. As Coté mentions, this is a lot like Adobe’s Open Screen Project and I think it shows an industry trend of moving towards a more cohesive multi-demensional platform.

Java has been down this road before so anyone counting them out isn’t giving them enough credit. They have a LONG way to go especially when you look at Adobe’s RIA strengths and Microsoft’s very enthusiastic entry into the space. But I think JavaFX will be a breath of fresh air for people and will help in expanding the RIA footprint further.

Update: Dion Almaer posted a video (embedded below) from the JavaFX demo:

And here’s a ZDNet video of Sun executives Rich Green and Nandini Ramani showing the JavaFX environment at the JavaOne Conference in San Francisco:

April 6th, 2008

JavaFX preview coming in May with a 1.0 release "shortly thereafter"

Posted by Ryan Stewart @ 12:42 pm

Categories: Java, JavaFX, Sun Microsystems

Tags: Rich Internet Application, JavaFX, Podcasts, Programming Languages, Java, Internet, Software Development, Software/Web Development, Ryan Stewart

I’ve been really bad about keeping up with the news lately because we’re in Europe with the on AIR tour but during our RIA Weekly podcast, Coté mentioned an article by Paul Krill which indicated that JavaFX is going to be releasing a preview version at the Java One conference in May.

If we really do get to see a version of JavaFX, it could be a big deal. JavaFX has kind of been the quiet one in the big three RIA companies (Microsoft, Adobe, and Sun). There has been a lot of speculation but not a lot of hard information other than sporadic bits of JavaFX mobile talk. In the podcast, Coté mentions that a lot of Java developers just want to build a better user interface. JavaFX could be a big, big leap for them to do that. Sun sees JavaFX as a way to create interactive content with one language across devices and desktops.

I think it’s a bit difficult to place JavaFX in the general competitive space. As I understand it, JavaFX is analogous to XAML or MXML, it’s more of a language enhancement that will be built into the Java runtime than something like a browser plugin or a standalone runtime. They’re also looking to target the set-top box market which could be VERY cool to see. I think that space is ripe for RIA technology.

November 13th, 2006

What a free Java means for Rich Internet Applications

Posted by Ryan Stewart @ 10:53 am

Categories: Adobe, Eclipse, Java, Rich Internet Applications, Sun Microsystems

Tags:

The big news today was that Java is going to be released for free under the GPL license. This comes hot off the heals of Adobe's decision to open source their ActionScript Virtual Machine (my thoughts here), the core part of the Flash Player. While both of these announcements are unrelated, I think both are very good for Rich Internet Applications.

One of the main concerns for many people in this new, standards-based world, is that the Rich Internet Technologies that exist are largely proprietary. Microsoft's Windows Presentation Foundation isn't open, Flash player is still largely closed, though ActionScript is well-positioned to become the ECMA standard implementation for the 4th revision. OpenLaszlo provides an open source solution, but if you go the Flash route, you're still stuck to proprietary technology.

Java has always tried to be the write once, run everywhere solution, and it made a lot headway. There are supposedly 5 million Java developers out there, and it runs on everything from servers to mobile devices. As a Rich Internet Application solution however, it has always lacked a little bit. It was difficult to build compelling user interfaces with Java, and because it came before the web really took off, it never quite meshed with web developers. As new and more interesting technologies appeared, Java took a back seat quietly riding along powering big parts of the web from behind the curtains.

But this announcement should bring a healthy jolt to the Java community and revitalize Java as a platform at just the right time. Eclipse's Rich Client Platform continues to make strides, and I hope is one of the main beneficiaries of a new, open Java. Between Flash, and Windows Presentation Foundation, there is starting to be a lot more interest in applications that leverage the web, but are available offline and can make use of the power that we have heavily invested in on our client machines.

Java is well positioned for a resurgence because of their strong developer community and their history as a platform. This step could help bring Java into the new world and make it a rallying point for developers who want an open source solution do deliver Rich Internet Applications. I also hope it encourages other providers to open up more. We got a glimpse that Adobe is willing to consider that, and I hope this adds to that conversation within the company.

July 17th, 2006

Is Java making a comeback?

Posted by Ryan Stewart @ 9:56 am

Categories: Java, Rich Internet Applications, Sun Microsystems

Tags:

When I think about Sun Microsystems, I’m reminded of Galileo, one of the major proponents of the idea that the earth revolved around the sun, and not the other way around. A brilliant scientific mind, he was far ahead of his time and after being convicted of heresy by the church in 1633, spent the waning years of his life under house arrest. It could be argued that Sun suffered a similar fate with their Java technology.

When Sun released Java, it was supposed to connect everything. It could run on any computer and in the not to distant future our refrigerators and showers would be running java and talking to each other. The very first web applications were Java, and indeed until FutureSplash came along, Java was seen as the only way to do animation on the web. The future was looking "Sunny".

Then something happened. Some people blame Microsoft for seeing the threat of Java and fragmenting the platform. Others say that Sun just bungled it, and still others say that the world just wasn’t ready for cross platform. But while the shine has dimmed a bit, Java is still very much alive and in what could become the age of cross-platform, has both a head start and some valuable allies.

The world of operating systems is undergoing a big transition. The MacBook pro opened up the Mac platform to a wide range of people and the Ipod helped give Apple new relevance. As a result, application developers are now taking Macs into account when they look at technologies. Java runs on everything - Windows, OSX, Linux, and powers a number of devices as well. Furthermore, there are a lot of Java developers in the world, and a lot of great Java applications. I use Eclipse as my IDE, Azureus as my Bit Torrent client and one of the RIAs nearest and dearest to my heart, Streamer Suite ™ at TD Ameritrade.

So can Sun translate a Java renaissance into a piece of the RIA pie? That is less clear. IBM has made some significant investments in Eclipse. The Eclipse platform is behind the Rich Client Platform. Java remains very entrenched in the world of cross-platform applications. I have long considered the RIA world a three-way race between Laszlo, Microsoft and Adobe. I won’t make that mistake anymore. Sun needs to make big strides to provide the same kinds of offerings as the companies mentioned above. Galileo spent those years under house arrest writing one of his seminal works - Two New Sciences. Perhaps Sun still has time to help shape the history of the Rich Internet Application. And in fact, maybe the better question to ask is did Java ever leave?