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As usual, JavaOne was full of announcements from Sun and other companies. I am going to try to give you a snapshot of the announcements and provide you with links where you can find out more about each product or technology. Visit the JavaOne website for more information on announcements and presentations.
Three themes seemed to emerge from the conference. The first was various product announcements from multiple companies and groups, the second being Sun’s role in the Open Source arena, and thirdly, building a stronger Java community. The third topic came up multiple times during the conference. Numerous executives encouraged conference attendees to join the JCP and participate in making Java and its various components stronger.
Release of the Java EE 5 Platform
Sun announced the release of Java EE 5 platform, formally formerly referred to as J2EE. The aim of the Java EE 5 platform design has been to streamline the features of its predecessor, J2EE 1.4, and add convenience, improve performance, reduce development time, and help developers get products to market that much sooner.
For a great introduction to the Java EE 5 platform go to http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/J2EE/intro_ee5/.
Release of the Java EE 5 SDK
Java EE 5 SDK is a free integrated development kit that one can use to build, test and deploy Java EE 5-based applications. Included in the SDK is the Sun Java System Application Server Platform Edition 9, which implements the latest Java EE 5 technologies and provides features, aimed at improving developer productivity. The Java EE 5 SDK includes
- Sun Java System Application Server Platform Edition 9
- Java EE 5 Samples
- Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition 5.0 Update 6
- Java BluePrints
- API documentation (Javadoc)
There are three versions of the SDK:
- Java EE 5 SDK
- Java EE 5 SDK SOA Starter Kit Preview
- Java EE 5 Tools Bundle Beta
Java EE 5 SDK SOA Starter Kit Preview
The Java EE SDK SOA Starter Kit includes everything in the Java EE 5 SDK plus http://java.sun.com/integration/openesb/starterkit.jsp, which allows you to integrate web services and enterprise applications as loosely coupled composite applications, realizing the benefits of a service-oriented architecture (SOA).
Java EE 5 Tools Bundle Beta
You can find everything you need for all three versions of the SDK, plus more, at http://java.sun.com/javaee/sdk/index.jsp
Sun Launches AJAX, JavaScript Developer Hubs
What is a conference these days without the mention of Ajax? Sun highlighted that Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) 6, has support for AJAX components in its Sun Java Studio Creator tool.
As part of this initiative, Sun is also launching two new developer portals:
- The JavaScript hub will become your one-stop resource for all things related to JavaScript technology.
- Check out the section on Project jMaki to see the “best parts of Java and JavaScript to deliver rich AJAX style widgets”.
- The AJAX hub for a very good site covering Sun-oriented solutions and a lot of information on JavaServer Faces components using AJAX with the Java Studio Creator IDE and more.
Four New Plug-ins for NetBeans IDE
Sun announced four new plug-in modules for the open source NetBeans integrated development environment (IDE).
The new plug-in modules include Jackpot, Real Time Java technology, Web Services Interoperability Technology (WSIT) and Grid Compute Server for NetBeans. The new toolkit additions embody Sun’s commitment to bring new ideas directly from Sun engineers to the developer community.
Jackpot Module
The Jackpot module – intelligent code re-engineering – was developed by Sun Labs. It provides the ability to perform scriptable transformations on Java technology source code. The Jackpot module enables “next-generation refactoring” – global source code transformations based on a comprehensive model of the project’s structure.
Jackpot can be used to find bad coding practices and repair them, or upgrade projects to use new versions of libraries. These changes are either made with scripts that use a custom Java pattern matching language, or with Java classes that extend the Jackpot transformation engine. The module comes with support for writing transformations so that it is easy to develop and distribute custom transformations within engineering organizations.
Real Time Java Technology
The Real-Time Java module provides editing support for applications using real time APIs for Java technology (JSR 1), while supporting the cross-platform development features needed to create real-time applications intended for specific devices. Real-Time Java technology regulates the ability to reliably and predictably reason about and control the temporal behavior of program logic.
For the 2006 JavaOne Conference, Sun developed a Slot Car Programming Challenge to expose developers to Real Time Java technology. Developers who enter the Challenge will write a polling loop using Real Time Java technology to gather sensor data and give the small, 1/24 scale cars the appropriate voltage to move around the track. The 10 best times at the end of the Conference will get prizes and the top three will be invited to participate in a “race off” during James Gosling’s keynote on Friday, May 19, 2006.
Web Services Interoperability Technology (WSIT)
WSIT is a key component of the Sun internal project code-named “Tango” and part of the ongoing web services interoperability efforts between Sun and Microsoft. The WSIT module will help facilitate development of cross-platform web services. WSIT provides ground-breaking capabilities that enable higher levels of quality of service and reliability than is typical in web services software today. Sun is releasing a NetBeans 5.5 plug-in for WSIT to help facilitate development of cross-platform web services.
Compute Server Plug-in for NetBeans
Compute Server Plug-in for NetBeans helps developers take advantage of countless opportunities for innovation that are presented by the Sun Grid Compute Utility (http://www.network.com). Sun is changing the nature of computing by delivering access to enterprise compute power over the Internet with its Sun Grid Compute Utility. Sun Grid provides easy and affordable access to an enormous computing resource for the predictable and all-inclusive price of $1/CPU-hr.
The Compute Server plug-in is intended to help Java technology developers use the Sun Grid Compute Utility for the distributed execution of parallel computations. The plug-in supports Java developers’ use of familiar NetBeans development and debugging tools to create applications based on the Compute Server programming model. Significant features include Compute Server project templates, support for local (off-grid) debugging and automatic packaging of application code and data for delivery to the Sun Grid. The Compute Server plug-in is available for free download under the Apache License 2.0, as part of the Compute Server project, a Sun Grid Developer Community project hosted at computeserver.developer.network.com.
For more information about any of these modules visit: http://www.netbeans.org.
Sun Advances Open Source Strategy
Sun it is accelerating its support of open source through the release of key Java technologies including the award-winning Sun Java Studio Creator, market-leading Sun Java System Portal Server, Sun Java Studio Creator and the Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) Engine from the Sun Java Composite Application Platform Suite (Java CAPS), as well as Sun’s Java Message System (JMS)-based message queue and Web Services Interoperability Technology (WSIT).
Sun is releasing the next set of components from the Java Enterprise System as part of its ongoing strategy to open source its entire middleware software stack.
- The Sun Java System Portal Server 7
- The first open source release from the SeeBeyond acquisition, the Java CAPS BPEL Engine, is available as part of the Open ESB Community at: http://java.sun.com/integration/community.jsp. Sun’s BPEL Engine automates orchestration of complex business processes and workflows, spanning Web services, systems, people, and companies.
Sun is also releasing its award-winning Sun Java Studio Development Tools as part of the NetBeans.org community.
- The innovative and highly regarded Java Studio Creator toolset for rapid visual development of standards-based Web applications will be made open source this year.
- The complete set of Java Studio Enterprise code, a complete package of UML, BPEL-based Web services orchestration and advanced XML editing tools, is now available at: http://www.netbeans.org/products/enterprise/index.html.
Building on the momentum from the release of Java Platform Enterprise Edition (Java EE), Sun is supporting the development and evolution of Java technology by open sourcing additional Java platform components.
- Through the Open MQ project hosted on http://mq.dev.java.net, developers and end users gain access to an enterprise-class Java Message System (JMS)-based message queue.
- Web Services Interoperability Technology (WSIT), a collection of WS-* implementations, focused on the areas of security, messaging, quality of service and metadata support, to help drive web services interoperability between Java technology and the .NET framework. For more information go to http://wsit.dev.java.net.
Sun’s Major Open Source Initiatives
Project GlassFish
GlassFish is getting a lot of attention. I highly recommend all java developers to check it out. It is a free, open source application server that implements the newest Java EE 5 platform features. Designed to encourage communication between Sun engineers and the community, this project enables all developers to participate in Sun’s application server development process.
java.net
Formed by a diverse group of Sun engineers, researchers, technologists, and evangelists to provide a common site for Java technology conversations and development projects. The community continues to attract industry associations, software vendors, universities, and individual developers and hobbyists. Meeting, sharing ideas, and using java.net collaboration tools, these new communities uncover synergies and create new solutions that expand the value of Java technology.
NetBeans Project
Not something new, but mentioned by Sun for its Open Source properties. It was founded by Sun in 2000 and hosted by CollabNet on Sun’s dime, NetBeans.org is a democratic, independent community with thousands of subscribers and several full commercial offerings built on the reference implementation. Two base products-the NetBeans IDE and NetBeans platform-address the needs of developers, users and businesses which rely on NetBeans as a basis for products. Everything for NetBeans can be found at http://www.netbeans.org.
OpenSolaris
Sun open sourced over 5 million lines of code in 2005 with the OpenSolaris project. Sun continues to sponsor the project by employing hundreds of software engineers who work on OpenSolaris, and by hosting the community site, opensolaris.org.
OpenSPARC
The OpenSPARC project is making the hardware source code of the recently announced UltraSPARC T1 processor available under an Open Source license. This technology offers a wide range of innovative opportunities. The project lowers entry costs through access to existing hardware designs, allowing more
developers to engage, and increasing opportunity to pursue specialized implementations.
OpenOffice.org
An open source software release that makes the OpenDocument format a viable alternative for millions of people worldwide. Originating in Europe, OpenOffice.org software offers a multiplatform office productivity suite. While Sun is the main sponsor and primary contributor, OpenOffice.org is developed, supported, and promoted by an international community of volunteers.
Sun and Microsoft Showcase Interoperability Between the Java Platform and .Net Framework
Sun announced the availability of a collection of WS-* components to help drive web services interoperability between the Java platform and the .Net framework. These Web Services Interoperability Technology (WSIT) components are focused on the areas of security, messaging, quality of service and metadata support and are being delivered through the open source OpenJava EE community as part of Project Glassfish. In addition, Sun is simultaneously releasing a NetBeans 5.5 plug-in for WSIT to help facilitate development of cross-platform web services.
WSIT is a key component of the internal project code-named “Tango” and part of the ongoing web services interoperability efforts between Sun and Microsoft. WSIT has been tested extensively with Microsoft Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and provides a reliable way for Java technology -based applications to integrate and interoperate with the .Net framework – above and beyond the WS-I Basic Profiles. As part of Sun’s ongoing commitment to improving interoperability with Microsoft products, Sun also announced plans to support WSIT in the next version of the Sun Java System Application Server.
Sun and Microsoft engineers are closely collaborating to help ensure that implementations of WCF- based services and Java Platform Enterprise Edition 5 (Java EE 5) based services will be interoperable, allowing a single business process design to run seamlessly across the Java platform and the .NET framework. In addition, integration with the Sun Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) Engine enables developers to apply business logic and orchestrate complex business processes and workflows. The specific interoperable WSIT technologies that will be delivered within the scope of this open source effort are:
- Quality of Service ? WS-Reliable Messaging, WS-Coordination, WS-Transactions
- Security ? WS-Security, WS-Trust, WS-Secure Conversation, WS-Security Policy
- Metadata ? WSDL, XML Schema, WS-Policy, WS-Metadata Exchange
- Messaging ? SOAP, WS-Addressing, Message Transmission Optimization Mechanism (MTOM)
Developers using Java EE SDK 5.0 or Sun Developer Tools and technologies to leverage WSIT can get support through Sun’s new Developer Expert Assistance service program at http://develpers.sun.com/services.
BEA’s Announcements
Release of Kodo 4.0 with EJB3, Open JPA, and a technology preview of BEA WebLogic Server
BEA is furthering its commitment to JavaEE 5 and Enterprise Java Beans 3.0 (EJB3) by announcing the general availability of Kodo 4.0 with EJB3 and a technology preview of BEA WebLogic Server. The technology preview is designed to feature a full implementation of the recently finalized EJB3 specification.
In addition, BEA announced that Open JPA (Java Persistence API) has been approved into the incubator of the Apache Software Foundation. A portion of the code has already been delivered to the community and BEA is actively working on subsequent code drops. BEA originally announced plans to donate a substantial portion of its Kodo product to the open source community under the name Open JPA earlier this year.
Kodo 4.0, which was acquired as part of BEA’s purchase of SolarMetric, Inc., in November 2005, is among the first generally available products to implement the EJB3 Java Persistence APIs. Kodo 4.0 provides leading EJB3 tooling and flexible support for Java Data Objects.
BEA Kodo 4.o and the WebLogic Server technology preview can be downloaded from http://commerce.bea.com. Open JPA is being actively developed and can be found at http://incubator.apache.org/projects/openjpa.html.
The Common Annotations open source project
BEA and Interface21, the company behind Spring, have released an open source project that is designed to provide features and tooling to make programming enterprise Java easier. This project uses Spring 2.0 as a foundation for several key Java EE 5 components, specifically the Java EE 5 Common Annotations (JSR-250), which includes resource injection and EJB 3 (JSR-220) interception.
The innovative joint project can help developers to use core elements of the Java EE 5 programming model within the Spring container. In addition, the recently released technical preview of WebLogic Server uses this code to deliver its Java EE 5 solutions. WebLogic Server customers can use the technical preview to see how they can extend their Java EE 5 applications with more advanced Spring functionality, blending the latest standards-based enterprise Java code with the simplicity and power of Spring. And Spring Framework customers can take advantage of important Java EE 5 standard features in their development.
The Common Annotations open source project is available now and can be found at http://www.interface21.com/jsr250.
