Original Page[1]
JavaWorld News Briefs (published 5/15/96)
Keeping you abreast of the ever-changing Java world
See also JavaWorld 's Digital Espresso Digest[2]
(http://www.javaworld.com/dedigest/jw-dedigest5.html)
for the latest highlights from the popular Java newsgroup summary.
[IMAGE][3]
Edited by Max Airborne ( max.airborne@javaworld.com[4] )
Inferno competes with Java
The Bell Labs division of Lucent Technologies Inc., a spinoff of AT&T
Corporation, unveiled Inferno, networking software for delivering
interactive media. Inferno runs on many different networks, including
the Internet, cable TV, satellite broadcasts, and telephones, and allows
differing devices across different operating systems to communicate with
one another.
Inferno consists of its own programming language, called Limbo, network
APIs, and its own operating system. (Java's operating system, Kona, is
still in the works. See below). Aimed beyond the Internet and the Java
market, Inferno's lightweight OS requires only a megabyte of memory to
run, making it useful for hand-held units and a wide array of other
devices, such as TV set-top boxes, game consoles, and video phones.
According to the company, Inferno is "a research project to build a
network operating system for [the] new world" of interconnectivity
between the entertainment, telecommunications, and computing industries.
Inferno was made available for licensing last week, although Lucent has
not revealed the names of any licensees. According to the company,
Inferno is meant to complement Java, and is likely to support Java in
the future. http://www.att.com/press/0596/960506.chb.html[5] .
New Java OS to be announced
Hoping to gain momentum in the network appliance software market, Sun
Microsystems is gearing up to announce Kona, the company's lightweight
Java operating system, before or during the JavaOne developers
conference (May 29-31 in San Francisco). Kona is designed for use in
embedded applications with Internet terminals and other small or
portable devices. Kona licensees are expected to be revealed next week,
sometime before the conference, and will likely include Oracle and other
Java licensees that have indicated their interest in creating devices
that run Java applets.
Sun also is developing network appliance hardware, technology that Sun
and other companies are positioning to compete with the PC as a
lower-cost alternative method of accessing Internet services, as well as
microprocessors designed for running Java applets. The microprocessors,
picoJava, microJava, and ultraJava, are being developed for various
communications technologies, including cellular phones, consumer games,
computer peripherals such as printers, and powerful multimedia programs.
Adobe moves to standardize the Web with Java
In an effort to improve the quality of online publishing and grab a
piece of the Internet market, Adobe Systems, Inc., makers of popular
graphics and publishing software, announced 2-D imaging technology that
will allow Web publishers to use print-style graphics. Sun has agreed to
license and distribute the technology, code-named Bravo, with Java.
Bravo will allow a standard look to be displayed to all Web surfers,
regardless of computer hardware and operating system.
"The limited graphics that characterize the World Wide Web today are due
to the lack of a rich, efficient graphical development environment."
said John Warnock, chairman and CEO of Adobe Systems Incorporated. "The
combination of Adobe "Bravo" and Java will deliver a new scalable,
device- and platform-independent framework that promises to span the
desktop, the Internet and the emerging network appliances. This will
enable developers to create platform-independent, graphically rich
applications that will significantly enhance the visual experience on
all platforms."
In a related announcement, Adobe and Microsoft have agreed to combine
their type font technologies in order to develop a standard for the
Internet, dubbed OpenType. The two companies have competed over font
technology for years.
Adobe also announced several other Web-related products, including
Vertigo, a Web-authoring tool based on Bravo; Web Presenter, a Web
presentation graphics tool; and PrintMill, a tool for managing network
printers from a Web browser. For more details, see " Adobe takes on the
Internet[6] " in this month's News & Views.
Jamba allows true WYSIWYG Java creation
Aimtech Corporation introduced Jamba, a visual authoring tool for
creating Java applets and applications. Jamba gives Web developers a
WYSIWYG page layout environment to drag and drop Java objects. These
objects are assigned content (such as animation, graphics and audio) and
actions without programming or scripting. Jamba will be available in
June for Windows 95, for a price of $495. The company promises Windows
3.1 support sometime this summer. Users can download a beta version of
Jamba from the company's website: http://www.aimtech.com[7] .
Java books multiply
As part of its Nutshell series of handbooks, O'Reilly has released Java
in a Nutshell , a complete quick-reference guide to Java. The book
contains descriptions of all the Java classes and their related calls,
as well as an introduction to important Java concepts. The Nutshell
handbook will be followed by the publication of a complete series of
Java documentation books. The first of these, Exploring Java , is due
for release this week. For an except from the book, check out O'Reilly's
Web site: http://www.ora.com/info/java[8] . Java in a Nutshell: A
Desktop Reference for Java Programmers , by David Flanagan, 418 pages,
ISBN 1-56592-183-6, $19.95 ($14.95, special introductory price).
In other Java book announcements, MIS Press has released Java
Programming Basics , a book and CD-ROM. An excerpt and selected
programming examples can be found on the Web at
http://www.pencom.com/javabasics/[9] . Java Programming Basics , by
Edith Au, Dave Makower, and Pencom Web Works, ISBN 1-55828-469-9,
$34.95.
JDK 1.0.2 release fixes some security bugs, not all
JavaSoft announced general availability of the Java Developers Kit (JDK)
version 1.0.2 for SPARC/Solaris, x86/Solaris, Microsoft Windows 95 and
Windows NT, and MacOS. Version 1.0.2 fixes several of Java's latest
security problems, although the famed DNS-spoofing problem is still
under investigation. Further details about what's changed since the
1.0.1 release can be found at http
://java.sun.com/java.sun.com/products/JDK/1.0.2/changes.html[10] . The
kit can be downloaded from
http://java.sun.com/java.sun.com/products/JDK/1.0.2/index.html[11] .
Operating systems to incorporate Java
Javasoft has made agreements with OS makers to embed Java directly into
many popular operating systems. Under the terms of the agreements,
JavaSoft will provide to each OS licensee the Java Virtual Machine and
Java Class Libraries. Each licensee will become a provider of the Java
implementation for their platform and will expose Java as binaries in
the operating system, providing ready access to developers. Among the
companies that intend to embed Java in their operating systems are Apple
Computer, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi Ltd., IBM, Microsoft, Novell, Silicon
Graphics, SunSoft, The Santa Cruz Operation (SCO), and Tandem Computers
Inc.
For more details, see " Java jumps to operating systems[12] " and " Java
in OS to ease cross-platform development[13] " in last month's News &
Views.
TRiMARK brings Java to the insurance industry
TRiMARK Technologies announced TRiMARK Connections, the insurance
industry's first application to incorporate Java technology. Through the
use of Java, TRiMARK Connections enables an identical user interface to
both intranet and Internet users. In addition, a significant benefit of
the Java implementation is the portability of application functionality
across platforms; simplifying the current process of software
distribution and administration.
"Given the complexity of the insurance industry's distribution channel,
Java is an ideal platform to deliver the breadth of required
functionality while providing the desired portability, ease of
distribution, and software version control required," said Mark Palmer,
president and CEO of TRiMARK. "We believe the Internet represents a
significant opportunity to insurance providers to drastically improve
customer service, accessibility to information and, therefore, the
opportunities to increase sales."
Drag-and-drop Java comes to Windows
SourceCraft has released NetCraft, a visual development environment that
generates fully compliant Java source code on Windows 95 and NT.
Netcraft is designed to ease the transition to object-oriented
development for 4GL programmers. The product is free of charge, and
available from SourceCraft's Web site: http://www.sourcecraf
t.com:4800/about/netcraft/[14] .
Dynamo incorporates Java into database-driven dynamic documents
Art Technology Group introduced Dynamo 2, the first open Internet
application engine based on Java. Dynamo 2 allows Web developers to
create and deploy scalable, high-volume, and database-driven Web
applications requiring dynamic HTML page generation and personalized
content. A comprehensive development framework based on open standards,
Dynamo 2 lets Web developers embed native Java code into HTML files to
extend server-side functionality. Java code is compiled on the server to
customize every page -- everything from the visual characteristics of
the page to behaviors of traditional client-side Java applets.
http://www.atg-dynamo.com[15] .
Development tool introduces Java to financial and engineering
applications
Thought Inc. announced CinnaMoney, an advanced class that enables Java
developers to create applications that perform accurate financial and
engineering calculations. CinnaMoney has built-in conversion routines to
turn Java data types into CinnaMoney objects, and integrates with
Thought Inc.'s Nutmeg classes. An evaluation copy can be obtained from
the company's Web site: http://www.thoughtinc.com[16] .
Tool links Java to ODBC databases
Sun's JavaSoft is preparing to announce a tool to link Java applications
to databases that support Microsoft Corp.'s Open Database Connectivity
(ODBC) interface. The software is a bridge that allows Java developers
to work only with JDBC (Java Database Connectivity interface) to build
database applications that can also access ODBC data, the most common
format for corporate data storage. The bridge is compatible with
existing ODBC drivers. The tool is currently in beta, and will be
available in June.
Natural Intelligence partners to develop Java database connectivity tool
Natural Intelligence Inc. and EveryWare Development Corp. announced a
strategic partnership, which will begin with development of Java
database connectivity software. The software will allow programmers to
query and retrieve ODBC data from databases such as Oracle, Sybase, SQL
Server and Informix. The software will be shipped free with any purchase
of Roaster DR2, Natural Intelligence's development environment for Java,
or Tango 1.5, EveryWare's Web application development tool.
http://www.natural.com/[17] , http://www.everyware.com/[18] .
Natural Intelligence also recently announced a partnership with
QuarterDeck, makers of WebSTAR (formerly known as MacHTTP), a Macintosh
Web server. The company is developing a Virtual Machine plug-in for
WebSTAR that will allow Java applets to execute on the server via the
WebSTAR Server API.
Roaster release delayed
Natural Intelligence Inc. will release Developer Release 2 of its
Roaster Macintosh Java development toolkit this week. Version 1.0 was
originally scheduled to ship during Apple Computer Inc.'s World Wide
Developer's Conference, in San Jose, Calif. Instead, the company decided
to put out a second developer's release, and has scheduled Version 1.0
for summer's end of this year. http://www.natural.com/[19] .
Oracle's Power Browser supports Java
Oracle announced a beta version of its Power Browser 1.5, which adds
Java support. The software also includes a Web Server, an integrated
BASIC scripting environment, and support for third-party applications
called Network Loadable Objects, as well as Database Wizard to help
developers create database-enabled Web applications. PowerBrowser
currently runs on Windows 3.1x, Windows 95, and Windows NT. The current
production version is 1.0, and PowerBrowser 1.5, with support for Java
applets, is in beta. Oracle promises Macintosh and Unix versions in the
future. Download the software from
http://www.oracle.com/products/websystem/powerbrowser/html/[20] .
Paradigm Exchange announces Grinder Java development tool
The Paradigm Exchange announced Grinder, an integrated Java development
environment. Grinder features a graphical Java class hierarchy browser
with point-and-click source code editing, compiling, debugging, and Java
applet and application testing in one environment. The product also
auto-generates HTML tags for Java applets. The software is in
development, and is free until June 30. http://www.tpex.com/grindovr.htm
[21] .
CodeWarrior incorporates full Java support,
plans to add ability to create ActiveX Controls
Metrowerks announced that its CodeWarrior development tool now includes
full support for Java. According to the company, the product's Java
byte-code interpreter is optimized for the Power PC. Java is directly
accessible from the CodeWarrior IDE, which includes full source-level
debugger support for Java. CodeWarrior's Java products include an
electronic edition of "Learn Java on the Macintosh" by Barry Boone with
Dave Mark, six Apple Guide files featuring interactive tutorials, online
reference material, and sample applets and applications. Metrowerks also
announced plans to add support for Microsoft's ActiveX in CodeWarrior,
while Microsoft's Internet Explorer 3.0 will include Metrowerks' Java
Virtual Machine http://www.metrowerks.com[22] .
New version of HotJava browser available
The preBeta1 version of Sun's HotJava Browser is available for download
from Sun's Web site (
http://java.sun.com/java.sun.com/HotJava/CurrentRelease/[23] ). New
features in the product redirect its appeal to that of a development
tool rather than a typical Web browser. This version adds support for
FCS Java applets and HTML 2.0, and has a document-centric user interface
and HTML verification. The HotJava Browser is now a standalone
application, distributed independently of the Java Developer's Kit.
Pricing and a release date are expected to be announced at the JavaOne
conference later this month.
IntraNet show focuses on Java
Integrated Computer Solutions' IntraNet New York show closed a three-day
run on Broadway with a full schedule of presentations on Java-enabled
technologies for business application developers. Held April 8 through
10 at the Manhattan Conference Center of the Millennium Hotel in Times
Square, IntraNet attracted more than 300 attendees to more than 40
tutorials, technical sessions, and panel discussions.
Presentations were held concurrently in three tracks: Building an
Intranet Strategy, Introductory Java Programming, and Advanced Java
Programming. Featured addresses were given by Jeff Scherb, chief
technology officer at Dun & Bradstreet Software; Miko Matsumura, Java
Evangelist for Sun's JavaSoft group; and Kim Polese and Arthur van Hoff,
principals of an as-yet-unnamed Java start-up venture. (The latest word:
the company will be called Marimba.)
IntraNet NY sessions included: Java and CORBA, Java for C++ Programmers,
Java for Visual Basic Programmers, Developing a Custom HTTP Server in
Java, Java and Threads, OO Multimedia Programming in Java, Java Internet
Media, Java and Databases, Tips and Tricks for Java Developers,
Converting Motif Applications to Java, Comparative Java Programming
Environments (a panel discussion with representatives from Symantec,
Borland, and SunSoft), and Joe, among others.
"From the feedback we received, the most popular sessions were on Java
Security, the Future of AWT, and Rethinking Interactivity with Java,"
said ICS's conference director, Aub Harden.
In response to the growing interest in Java-based solutions for
corporate communications, ICS is planning to expand its instructional
offerings. Information concerning current and future training services
from ICS can be obtained via the company's Web site at
http://www.ics.com[24] . --Kieron Murphy
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[1] http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-06-1996/jw-06-newsbriefs.html
[2] /javaworld/dedigest/jw-dedigest5.html
[3] /javaworld/icons/blueline.gif
[4] /javaworld/cgi-bin/jw-mailto.cgi?max.airborne@javaworld.com
[5] http://www.att.com/press/0596/960506.chb.html
[6] /javaworld/jw-06-1996/jw-06-adobe.html
[7] http://www.aimtech.com
[8] http://www.ora.com/info/java
[9] http://www.pencom.com/javabasics/
[10] http://java.sun.com/java.sun.com/products/JDK/1.0.2/changes.html
[11] http://java.sun.com/java.sun.com/products/JDK/1.0.2/index.html
[12] /javaworld/jw-05-1996/jw-05-license.html
[13] /javaworld/jw-05-1996/jw-05-license2.html
[14] http://www.sourcecraft.com:4800/about/netcraft/
[15] http://www.atg-dynamo.com
[16] http://www.thoughtinc.com
[17] http://www.natural.com/
[18] http://www.everyware.com/
[19] http://www.natural.com/
[20] http://www.oracle.com/products/websystem/powerbrowser/html/
[21] http://www.tpex.com/grindovr.htm
[22] http://www.metrowerks.com
[23] http://java.sun.com/java.sun.com/HotJava/CurrentRelease/
[24] http://www.ics.com