First JavaBeans-based authoring tool set provides point-and-click ease of use for enhancing Web pages
New York — IBM has released the beta of AppletAuthor, a Java application for creating dynamic multimedia Web content. AppletAuthor is targeted at those who wish to deploy Java applets for such purposes as multimedia, special effects, smart forms, and live data in Web sites, but who do not wish to grind their own pure code. The new product is touted by IBM as the first visual authoring tool for the Web that is completely compliant with Sun Microsystems’ JavaBeans component API.
“The real goal here is to help businesses provide more online than just static information,” said Scott Bosworth, IBM’s marketing manager for AppletAuthor. “People are clamoring for more interactivity in Web sites. And Java is playing a significant role in bringing not only that interactivity to Web sites but also in bringing commerce to the Web. AppletAuthor allows non-programmers in the business world to take advantage of all that Java has to offer, and to do so very quickly and easily.”
According to IBM, AppletAuthor is written completely in Java and is centered around the sophisticated JavaBeans component architecture. The new authoring toolset promises a rich set of Web authoring features that include: a point-and-click tool palette that enables visual creation of applets, provides user-interface controls to the AWT layer, offers JDBC data access, and allows linking to other URLs as well as browser mail; a packaged set of reusable beans for getting started; and a wizard for importing additional beans (or Java classes or applets) to the tool palette.
“There are three things that distinguish AppletAuthor from other Web-authoring Java tools out there,” said Bosworth. “Foremost among these is that it is based on JavaBeans — it’s a first-class Java citizen. The next is ease of use. Anyone who can use a spreadsheet can take advantage of our tools right out of the box. The third thing is where we’re going with integrating this with Lotus Domino and the Domino Designer tool suite.”
The beta release of AppletAuthor for Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows NT can be downloaded now from IBM’s new Java Showcase Web site, which includes a developer discussion area. Current system requirements include: a Pentium PC with Windows 95 or Windows NT 3.51; 24 megabytes of RAM; and 10 megabytes of free hard-disk space. IBM expects to have a full release version of the new product (with support for Macintosh, OS/2, and the major flavors of Unix) by the end of the first quarter of 1997.
