Keeping you abreast of the ever-changing Java world
Headlines
9 Japanese companies test Java’s effectiveness
Agave’s JDBC NetServer links Java applets to standard databases
Asymetrix and Symantec offer RAD tools for Java
Communicator’s beta available earlier than expected
Java Study Group standards meeting — hit or miss?
Java library requirements for Linux
Live simulcast on the Web features Microsoft and Java gurus
Marimba tunes in to Internet Explorer, Navigator, and MacOS
Merz.Com releases a Java-based Web mapper
Microsoft delivers Internet Explorer and FrontPage for Macintosh
Microsoft rewords its Java SDK licensing agreement to entice developers
OS/2 Warp 4 may soon let you surf the ‘Net with voice commands
Penumbra sells software over the Internet with CNET’s BuyDirect
Taiwan Java Alliance off to good start
Using Java and HTML to make WebTV look like real TV
Java Study Group standards meeting — hit or miss?
The Java Study Group (part of the International Standards Organization) and interested independent Java licensees held an informal meeting earlier this month to discuss potential standardization of the Java programming language and related technologies. The meeting was intended to be solely procedural, and when it became apparent that arriving at results was not part of the agenda, bickering over the standardization process began.
Bob Mathis, organizer of the Java Study Group, said he was satisfied with the meeting’s outcome, but Microsoft Internet client and collaboration software manager Charles Fitzgerald expressed frustration over what he perceives to be JavaSoft’s unwillingness to move forward in the process of standardizing Java. He pointed to Sun’s virtual absence from the meeting as an indicator. JavaSoft denied the charge and reiterated that the company is committed to the standardization process and is simply waiting for the various pieces of the technology to mature.
The meeting was not without a small victory. The participants did find themselves agreeing on several issues, including penning a letter to Sun urging the company to open all aspects of Java to standardization, and assigning special subcommittees to deal with future issues.
The group has agreed to meet later on in the year to continue in its endeavor to work out the kinks in the ongoing Java standardization soap opera.
Asymetrix and Symantec offer RAD tools for Java
Visual Cafe and Visual Cafe Pro from Symantec and SuperCede Java Edition from Asymetrix mark the first integrated RAD tools for Java to appear on the market. Both companies have established partnerships with Netscape Communications and Sun Microsystems, and both are competing head-on with Microsoft’s planned visual development environment.
Visual Cafe provides 96 pre-written components and interactive wizards to help you quickly wire together Java building blocks. Visual Cafe Pro adds database connectivity and includes a local relational database engine to get developers up and running quickly. It also incorporates the dbAnywhere Workgroup Server, Symantec’s new middleware application database server technology that allows Java programs to access corporate databases over the intranet/Internet using a set of APIs (including JavaSoft’s JDBC API) and providing distributed database access from anywhere on the Web.
Both Visual Cafe and Visual Cafe Pro are available for Windows 95 and NT. Visual Cafe retails for an estimated 99 and Visual Cafe Pro retails for an estimated 99.95.
SuperCede Java Edition is an interactive tool that combines the Java and C++ development environments and includes the ability to compile code that runs on X86-based PCs. In addition, SuperCede includes the Object Design’s ObjectStore Persistent Store Engine for Java and ObjectSpace’s Java Generic Library.
In an effort to capture marketshare, Asymetrix is offering SuperCede, which is available for Windows 95 and NT, at an introductory price of 49 through March 31. However, if you want to take a drive down to Egghead software, you can pick up your copy for only 9.
Symantec’s Visual Cafe for Macintosh
Symantec’s Visual Cafe for Windows 95/NT
Symantec’s Visual Cafe Pro
Asymetrix’ SuperCede
https://www.asymetrix.com/products/supercede/launch/
Live simulcast on the Web features Microsoft and Java gurus
On Saturday, January 18, Asymetrix will sponsor a live event featuring Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft and chief technologist at Asymetrix, and Patrick Naughton, a member of the original Java team at Sun and now vice president of Starwave Corp.
The two will discuss a seminar on Java programming in the wired world with Shabbir Dahod, who is vice president of the Internet Tools Group at Asymetrix. This event is being broadcast simultaneously to Fry’s Electronics stores via satellite television.
Asymetrix.LIVE is an ongoing series of one-hour live events on a variety of topics for multimedia, Web, and computer-based training developers, authors, and content providers. Each live event consists of a brief presentation on a topic of current interest and an open period during which participants can ask questions of the resident panel of experts.
https://www.asymetrix.com/resources/asymlive/
Microsoft delivers Internet Explorer and FrontPage for Macintosh
Microsoft took advantage of the opportunity presented by the Macworld trade show to unveil the production version of Internet Explorer (IE) 3.0 for the Mac. The company also announced a Mac version of its FrontPage Web page authoring product, previously available only for Windows.
Microsoft, which has been criticized for not focusing enough energy on developing Internet products for the Mac, indicated that the release of IE 3.0 and the announcement of FrontPage are integral parts of its overall cross-platform strategy. Netscape has had a Mac version of its Navigator 3.0 browser out since June. That software supports Java and ActiveX components using a plug-in from Microsoft.
IE 3.0 for the Mac will allow users to run Java applets and ActiveX controls in the same way that Windows 95 users do. Information on FrontPage for the Mac was not available at press time.
IE 3.0
https://www.microsoft.com/ie/mac/default.htm
Front Page
http://ww w.microsoft.com/frontpage/97beta/mac/fpmacinfo.htm
Java library requirements for Linux
Check out this site to get a rundown of the set-up and external libraries that are required to use the JDK 1.0.2 for Linux. You’ll find a variety of links to information on how to install the JDK 1.0.2, how to make Netscape 3.0 and Java work, how to use Java Binary Format Support in the Linux kernel, as well as JDK 1.0.2 release notes, and information on Marimba’s tuner, transmitter, and Bongo.
https://www.blackdown.org/Howto/Howto.html
Marimba tunes in to Internet Explorer, Navigator, and MacOS
Microsoft and Marimba are considering teaming up to incorporate Marimba’s Castanet tuner with Internet Explorer (IE) 4.0, allowing IE to “broadcast” up-to-the-minute information directly to the user. In an attempt to provide as many options to its users as possible, Microsoft has cut a deal with Internet broadcaster PointCast to deliver its existing array of information channels to IE 4.0 users.
Castanet allows Web publishers to automatically deliver news headlines, sports scores, and financial data to a special viewer application, rather than requiring users to manually visit a Web site for the same information. The technology includes the transmitter, a Java-based tuner/server that delivers information or Java applets. The client and server work closely together to ensure that the tuner always has the most up-to-date version of a news headline or program.
Whether it signs a deal with Microsoft or not, Marimba will create a version of its tuner that functions as an ActiveX control on the Active Desktop, the broadcast feature with IE 4.0. The Castanet tuner, now in beta testing, is written in Java.
And Marimba isn’t about to stop with Microsoft. Both Netscape and Apple Computer have struck deals with Castanet’s developer: Netscape has indicated that the Castanet tuner will be incorporated into its Communicator upgrade of Navigator, and Apple will be bundling the tuner with its new MacOS Runtime for Java.
https://www.marimba.com/tunein/
Agave’s JDBC NetServer links Java applets to standard databases
Agave Software Design has posted a beta version of JDBC NetServer, a product that links Java applications to standard databases. The JDBC NetServer is a set of tools and component building blocks for Internet/database connections, based on Sun’s JDBC database connectivity protocol, which lets users query data from any Java-enabled client.
Agave also will post beta versions of two other Internet products on its Web site: Agave Forms and SQml-CGI. Agave Forms runs Oracle Forms applications as Java applets over the Internet without any modified code, and SQml-CGI allows companies to link HTML documents to SQL databases through SQL queries embedded in HTML.
http://www.agave.com/product s/index.html
Microsoft rewords Java SDK licensing agreement to entice developers
Microsoft is rewording its Java SDK licensing agreement because many users thought their apps would be legally bound to run exclusively on Microsoft’s Java virtual machine (JVM). Although Microsoft officials described the new wording as solely a technicality, the reaction comes at a time when some large user organizations have balked at developing Java-based applications using Microsoft’s programming tools. Their fear is that they would legally be locked into the Windows platform.
Microsoft denied that the wording stating that the application to be developed is intended “for use with Microsoft Virtual Machine for Java” means it must run solely on its VM. “There is no intent to preclude people from running on other VMs,” said Charles Fitzgerald, Microsoft Internet client and collaboration software manager. “I agree the license language is not clear, and we’re going to make it more clear so that there is no confusion.”
At issue is the cross-platform usage of the “vanilla” Java code produced using the kit. Microsoft officials said the vanilla version meets all of JavaSoft’s tests for 100 percent pure Java code and, despite the disputed wording, such applications can be deployed on virtual machines on other platforms and on other Windows-based virtual machines.
One anonymous Fortune 1000 Java developer said the current license wording caused his company to back away from using the kit. He said that once his company’s lawyers saw the license restrictions, they told him to use a different JVM.
Using Java and HTML to make WebTV look like real TV
To make Web content look and act like regular television content, WebTV Networks, PowerTV, and ViewCall America have confirmed that they’re developing their own HTML extensions for the audience they expect as Internet access comes to television. In addition, both WebTV Networks and PowerTV said their companies are separately working with JavaSoft to develop Java subsets for TV-based content. WebTV’s Java subset could be ready as soon as February.
A JavaSoft spokesperson said there is “no formal project or no product plan at JavaSoft right now” for a TV-tweaked Java subset. “If anything, it’s an experiment in our lab. People at WebTV have had some conversations with people here and may be doing some tinkering. But it’s not clear when, if ever, anything that they might be working on with JavaSoft engineers will be published.”
Independent Java tinkering could mean many versions of television-specific subsets, which could lead to Java applets that won’t run on any platform. But according to the WebTV spokesperson, this process will probably be necessary to make Java’s unwieldy runtimes, API, and applets manageable on memory-constrained set-top boxes. “In our WebTV box, we only have 2MB of memory,” said WebTV’s Perlman. “We need a subset of Java.” PowerTV, on the other hand, acknowledged the desirability of a standard subset, but claimed that the PowerTV device has full Java applets up and running in the lab. PowerTV set-tops, such as the Pegasus box ordered by Time Warner Cable, use 2MB of DRAM for MPEG decoding and graphics, and 1MB for the CPU. A built-in unified-memory-management system allows the memory units to be dynamically shared between the two ASICs. The box also has 1MB of flash and 1MB of ROM.
Communicator’s beta available earlier than expected
If you’ve been eagerly anticipating Netscape’s Communicator supersuite, your wait is over. It’s available (in beta) now — and before Netscape’s original release date. While some key features are absent, the core features are in place, including the Navigator 4.0 browser, Messenger e-mail client, Composer HTML editing tool, the Collabra News reader, and Conference audio conferencing software. The beta version of Communicator supports only 32-bit Windows platforms (Windows 95 and NT); Mac, Unix, and Windows 3.1 users will have to wait a while longer.
The browser now supports layering and absolute positioning, two technologies that enhance the layout of Web pages. The messenger supports e-mail look-ups in Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) servers, rules and filters, and message searches. The Conference software exploits the H.323 interoperability standard. The graphical user interface for all components has been significantly changed, as well.
A few features are missing, including secure e-mail, JavaScript and CSS1 StyleSheets, and full help support. Messenger also lacks full support for IMAP4 (Internet Mail Access Protocol), which simplifies e-mail use for mobile users, although some basic IMAP capabilities are available.
Netscape hopes to have the Mac and Unix preview releases available in early 1997.
Download site
http://home.netscape.com/e ng/beta_central/
Alternate download site
https://www.download.com/PC/Result/TitleDetail/0,4,0-20708,00.html
Taiwan Java Alliance off to good start
Sun Microsystems reports that the newly formed Taiwan Java Alliance, which provides Java training classes in conjunction with the government-backed Institute for Information Industries, is off to a good start, despite the slow response by local companies to sign licensing contracts. At press time, only the government-backed Computer and Communications Research Laboratories (CCL) has signed up; the Taiwan government paid the main license fees for CCL’s access to the source code.
More than 40 Taiwanese computer, software, and electronics companies formed the Alliance late in 1996. The Alliance has the financial support of the Taiwan government. Duk Chun, general manager of Sun’s JavaSoft Asia-Pacific, said, “Taiwan is a … strategic market place. Not just for Asia, [but] for the whole world, because the PC industry is so strong.” He added, “There’s certainly not a lack of interest in Java. People are just figuring out how to make money from it. It represents a real paradigm shift for the industry here. I think people are slowly seeing business potential.”
Alliance spokesperson Simon Hwang, head of Eten, a local software company, said the members, grouped in categories of semiconductor, systems, and software companies, were each approaching the technology in their own way.
Penumbra sells software over the Internet with CNET’s BuyDirect
You can now get your Mojo 2.0 and Mojo Enterprise Java Development Environment at BuyDirect.com, CNET’s Internet software distribution site.
Mojo consists of two primary components: GUI Designer and Coder. The drag-and-drop Designer lets you create powerful applications without focusing on the Java language or coding principles. The Coder organizes objects into a visible hierarchy and keeps all objects easily accessible for direct coding and control.
BuyDirect.com provides Penumbra Software with a high-traffic environment for promoting and selling its products and establishing direct relationships with customers. By acting as an agent (not a reseller), BuyDirect.com allows Penumbra to retain pricing control and marketing messages — and it guarantees 100 percent registration on the software titles it sells.
BuyDirect.com uses a “try-and-buy” approach, letting users take software for a test drive before making the decision to purchase the full version.
“We look forward to a great relationship with BuyDirect,” said Michael Mittel, Penumbra Software’s vice president of Marketing. “In addition to product sales, CNET offers Penumbra increased visibility through its site traffic alone which generates an average of more than 1.4 million page views a day.”
9 Japanese companies test Java’s effectiveness
Tokyo Electric Power, Japan Airlines, Sakura Bank, and six other major Japanese corporations currently are involved in tests to determine whether Java is a suitable environment to manage the mammoth client/server systems used by these businesses. Because it facilitates network environments without operating system or hardware constraints, Java appears to be a viable choice.
The companies expect to issue a report in February detailing the possibilities and problems that arise in linking Java to existing systems. Based on this report, specific requests will be directed toward a worldwide standards organization — the Java Research Institute — which determines Java-related specifications. One team will be assigned to study the likelihood of configuring existing computer systems with Java; another team will study the possibility of clearing current system-boggling technological hurdles with Java.
Soon you’ll surf the ‘Net with voice commands with OS/2 Warp 4
Using IBM’s native OS/2 version of Netscape Navigator, OS/2 Warp 4 users may soon be able to surf the Internet using simple voice commands. The software melds the embedded speech-recognition and dictation features of OS/2 Warp 4 with the latest 2.02 release of Netscape’s Navigator browser.
The Java-enabled browser runs on OS/2 Warp versions 3 and 4 and with OS/2 Warp Connect. It is available as a free download from both the Netscape home page and the IBM software home page. And because it supports the IBM VoiceType speech-recognition facilities in OS/2 Warp 4, users can tell their PCs to “jump” to an Internet site and then navigate this site by saying the names of links or commands, such as “page up,” “scroll down,” or “back.”
http://www.intern et.ibm.com/browsers/netscape/warp/
Merz.Com delivers a Java-based Web mapper
Merz.Com’s NetScope allows you to build and view Web maps that offer a global view of the Web rather than the traditional hierarchical view. NetScope, which is written in Java, includes a NetScope Mapper application and a NetScope Viewer applet. The Mapper application lets users build any kind of Web map — site or content — from any kind of Web page. With the Viewer applet, which runs on any Java-enabled browser without the need for client-side software, you can view the maps.
NetScope’s features include the ability to:
- Create a customized look by organizing pages on a visual canvas, as one would a collage
- Display a high-level overview of an entire site with zoom-in focus on specific areas
- Zoom into a page on the map and gain greater levels of metadata information about the pages.
- View a dynamically updated map, which allows users to clearly track the current page and the pages that were visited previously.
Try out a Web map demo at the company’s site.
NetScope: http://www.me rzcom.com/eng/products/netscope/about.html
JARS review of NetScope: /javaworld/apprev/ar21.netscope.html
