June 21, 2004

Java productivity gains eyed

Tools from Eclipse, Sun promise streamlined development

Java development will become markedly easier if upcoming technologies from Eclipse Foundation and Sun Microsystems live up to their promise.

Version 3.0 of the open source Eclipse platform, which will be announced this week, focuses on improving the Java IDE (integrated development environment) and on serving as a Rich Client Platform for tools integration and client application development. Sun Java Studio Creator, the company’s purported easy-to-use Java tool for building workgroup and departmental applications, is due this summer. The tool will be a major theme of the JavaOne Conference next week.

To boost the IDE, Eclipse has simplified installation, improved customization of menus and toolbars, and added a role- and experience-based approach for managing workbench features.

By reducing the functionality initially exposed to users in the IDE, Eclipse is easing navigation through the interface, said Mike Milinkovich, Eclipse Foundation executive director. “All of the functionality is there. It’s just a matter of what you see when you’re doing a particular task has been thought through much more [thoroughly],” Milinkovich said.

The Rich Client Platform functionality in Version 3.0 provides a framework for “universal” application integration. Through the platform, developers can construct general-purpose client applications out of Eclipse framework components. Also, the Eclipse environment now can scale to thousands of plug-ins.

An early user of Eclipse 3.0 said the Rich Client Platform capabilities enabled him to develop high-performance client applications. “Java hasn’t been supersuccessful on the desktop. It’s been great on the server,” said Mike Taylor, CEO of Instantiations, which builds Eclipse-based development tools. “[The Rich Client Platform] helps it be really good on the client side of an application, also.”

Sun Java Studio Creator will enable development of components based on Web services, code snippets, HTML forms, Java servlets, and JSP. Components can also be built based on JavaServer Faces and Java technology Rowsets for database access.

“[Sun Java Studio Creator] is a development tool that is targeted toward the rapid and easy construction of Java applications,” said Joe Keller, vice president of marketing for Java Web services and tools at Sun. “It uses a component-based model that was released as part of the Java platform specification called JavaServer Faces.”

Previously available in an Early Access Release program, Sun Java Studio Creator is set for general availability this summer. The tool had been code-named Project Rave.

Paul Krill is an editor at large at InfoWorld.
Close

On Twitter now

Application development

Powered by Twitter

White Paper

D2D Virtual Tape Library Replication Primer

This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.

Download now »

White Paper

An Alternative to Virtualization for Datacenter Cost Savings

Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.

Download now »

White Paper

Why Your Firewall, VPN, and IEEE 802.11i Aren't Enough to Protect Your Network

The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.

Included in HP ProCurve WLAN solutions is security technology that alleviates threats from WLANs through:
* Monitoring wireless activity inside and out of the enterprise
* Classifying WLAN transmissions into harmful and harmless
* Preventing transmissions that pose a security threat to the enterprise network
* Locating participating devices for physical remediation

Download now »

White Paper

Bringing the Edge to the Data Center

Effectively address data protection challenges, implementing solutions that help store and protect business–critical data while cutting costs and improving efficiency and reliability.

Download now »

Sign up to receive InfoWorld Resource Alerts

Subscribe to the Developer World Newsletter

Receive a weekly roundup about the art and science of software development.

©1994-2009 Infoworld, Inc.