Farata Systems      

I’ve uploaded the pdf, which contains the description of the hands-on workshop on CDB4.0 that we ran for one of our customers. Currently we are working on the September release of CDB 4.1 that will automate data persistence via Hibernate. The appropriate section will be added to the workshop when ready. The Java branch of code generation will have substantial changes in CDB 4.1, but the current doc may be helpful in understanding of the CDB basics.

You can download it in the doc section of Clear Toolkit on Sourceforge: https://sourceforge.net/projects/cleartoolkit/

The beta version of CDB 4.1 will be presented during our symposium on September 10, 2010 in New York City http://www.eventbrite.com/event/770788449 . Enter the code njflex to get $50 off the ticket price.

Yakov

Oracle managers are clearly out of their minds. Rather then embrace huge potential Android brings to Java market thanks to Google they are trying to kill it again – the same way they killed it on Microsoft and Apple platform – by inserting themselves as “guides” on innovation. Turning Java from legacy to red-hot environment again was not an easy task.

After 4 month of Android development I have to complement Google on cleverness and quality of their work. There is more innovation in the way applications, security, and new technologies (voice, messaging, small factor UI) become practical than I have seen in all other technologies combined including iPhone (used it for 3 years), Linux on mobile (have 3 different devices), Java ME, etc.

The patents Google allegedly infringed on are laughable from technology perspective as they are not anywhere close to the core technologies. In short term I believe they can be easily bypassed (with actual benefit to the platform!) by minor changes to the VM and transforming engine that repackages Java byte code to the appropriate ARM level, or handle repackaging on the device itself. That would easily solve formal infringement issues but I do not know if it would matter for legal system.

There are few outcomes none of which seems to be good – licensing or forcing Oracles approval on the changes. Second option is even worse as in my mind Oracle stopped being technology company over decade ago. At this time it is holding company that buys and “milks” legacy products – with appropriate mind set and people.

One thing is clear – there is a need to create Java Open Source Alliance to replace Oracle dependency. It has to examine all Oracle patents and steer away in VM implementation that is based on patents that can be challenged by Oracle. That is the only way to keep momentum Android built in Java space and provide Oracle with expiration notice on their stronghold on Java technology. I would also strong backlash from Java community back at Oracle – I would really doubt any Java professional facing Oracle’s strategy that diminishes ones ability to make living would recommend or support their products.

Sincerely
Anatole Tartakovsky

Fifteen years ago there was no iPhone and Android. Web browsers were hot. Netscape market share was over 90% – they didn’t have competition.The situation changed when Microsoft has introduces Internet Explorer (me too, me too). Back in 1998, there was an infamous law suite between Microsoft and Sun Microsystems – the former started quietly introducing their own class libraries to Java breaking the write-once-run-anywhere idea of Sun that back then seemed to be achievable. Sun won that $10B law suite. But as the saying goes, they won the battle but lost the war.

Angry Microsoft refused to include upgrades to JVM that came with Internet Explorer, which seriously hurt applets popularity – the end user couldn’t just open a Web page to see the applet that required, say 1.3 version of JVM. They’d need to first download the proper version of JVM, and only then the applets that were written with the assumption that JVM 1.3 was available would work. The process of downloading the right JVM Plug-in was a multi-step process, and a truck driver from Alabama wouldn’t be able to go through it.

Update. Two days after I published this blog, the news broke that Oracle decided to sue Google for the “wrong use” of Java on Android platform. Does Larry Ellison have short memories? Sun literally killed Java on the desktop because of that old law suit with Microsoft. In the worst case scenario, if Oracle will win this law suit, Google may do the same thing as Apple did on the iOS and ban Java from this very promising Android platform. Given the fact that five years from now large portion of the applications will consist of a mobile device communicating with the cloud, Java will be seriously damaged. Imagine how many top-notch developers can be added to Java and JavaFX engineering teams at Oracle if the money spent on lawyers would be saved? Oracle, please stop!

High penetration of the required runtime environment and the ease of its upgrade are the crucial moments for any Web-based technology. Adobe Flash Player shines in this area today (sorry, Steve). Flash Player is also a virtual machine with a small memory footprint (1.5Mb), and its installation takes under 20 seconds after one button click. For years, the size of the JVM Plug-in was about 16Mb and install was complicated for a non-programmer, and (the rumor has it) – it’s a lot smaller now.

This situation has changed after the release of Java 6 update 10, which includes so called next-generation Java Plug-in.  Now applets don’t run in the JVM packaged with the Web browser, but run in a separate JVM launched by the Java Plug-in. The applet still appears in the Web browser’s window, but now it doesn’t depend on the goodwill of the browser vendor to include the latest Plug-in. You can read more about this Java Plug-in at https://jdk6.dev.java.net/plugin2.

The other major change introduced in the next-generation Java Plug-In is ability to launch Java applets directly from JNLP (Java Network Launch Protocol) files, which in the previous releases were used only in Java Web Start technology that allowed local deployment of the applications over the network. As of Java 10.6.10 you can use the JNLP meta descriptors to launch applets too. JNLP support is described in details at http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/index-142562.html.

Earlier versions of HTML standard included the tag <applet> to incorporate Java applets into HTML page. But as of HTML 4.01 this tag has been deprecated and you should use the tags <object> for users who like Internet Explorer or <embed> for other Web browsers. But Oracle, the company behind Java, recommends using <applet> for Web pages accessed through the Internet and <object> or <embed> for intranet-based Web sites. The main reason being that Web browser vendors are infamous for being inconsistent of implementing HTML standards, and it’s safer to use tried and true <applet> tag to get predictable look and feel of the Web pages that host Java applets. But intranet is a more controlled environment. You can read about the differences of embedding applets with these tags at http://download.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/guides/plugin/developer_guide/using_tags.html. When young and old kids (sorry Steve) tell that HTML 5 will change the world, it’s funny.

The deployment options for applets have been extended as of release of Java 6 update 10. To learn all the options of applet deployment in depth, refer to the Oracle document titled “Java Rich Internet Applications Deployment Advice” available at http://download.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/guides/jweb/deployment_advice.html.

What’s the next step in applet’s evolution? You’ll be creating UI for the Web-based applications with a relatively new language called JavaFX. In a month, I’ll be trying to attend every JavaFX technical session at JavaOne conference to see if it’ll become a real competition to Adobe Flex and Microsoft Silverlight. By the way, anyone heard any noise about Apple not letting JVM on the iPhone? Neither did I. Do you know why?

If you’re not into Java applets, consider attending our Third Annual Enterprise Flex Symposium in New York City. It’s a small event where attendees and presenters will talk turkey about Adobe Flex.

Yakov Fain

Last week I was thinking about design of the main view of a new project for a new client of ours. This application is interesting in that it can deployed as an enterprise RIA as well as a tool to be used by any consumer connected to the Internet.

The mockup of the main view looks clearly like a Web portal with a number of portlets, which can be maximized, moved around, and independently communicate with the server(s).  But… This Web site has to be discoverable to bring more and more new customers.
Here comes the quiz. Can you see why the previous two paragraphs have an important logical issue, which represents a misconception sitting in minds of many creators of Web content?

Being a Java developer, the JSR 168 is always in my mind and the first annoying thought is, “I can create a traditional HTML/JavaScript Web site with portlets, some of each are Flash Player SWF’s and the others are regular HTML/JS markup. This will give to search engines enough of a textual chew to digest plus the benefits of more animated, engaging, and better performing (sorry, Steve) Flash content”.  If some of you want to bring these dopey and groundless Adobe statements that Google is indexing Flash content with special secret, mighty, but headless Flash Player, please, get real or show me the money.

I know how to create a well looking and performing Flex/Flash based portal. I know how to cut this RIA into pieces, how to run this project, how split the job between team members located all around the globe. I don’t know just one thing – how to make this Flash-based portal d-i-s-c-o-v-e-r-a-b-l-e on the Web.

And here comes the answer to my quiz. Stop confusing Web sites and rich Internet applications! Got it? OK, let me re-phrase it. A Web site and RIA are created for different purposes.  Creating an HTML/JS Web site to present, promote, and make discoverable your RIA is one independent track of your project. And a-f-t-e-r the random user somehow landed on this Web page offer him or her a little link to the real beauty – a Flash-based (sorry, Steve) portal.

That’s all folks. It’s Sunday morning, and I need to go out and get some stuff for the barbecue – having more than 20 people over today.
If you want to discuss it in person, consider attending our Third Annual Enterprise Flex Symposium in New York City. It’s a small event where attendees and presenters can have face-to-face conversations.

Yakov Fain