// Web 3.0 alias Java 6 update N + JavaFX Desktop profile anounced
"The Workaround" - better known as Web 2.0 is now no longer necessary ;).
With Java 6 update 10 and later + JavaFX Desktop profile it is possible to run REAL applications (lets call them applets) out of process in the browser. The browser sandbox is now optional, if you like the applet to persist, just drag it out of the browser and you can use it stand alone (same process -> same state).
If you close it, it simple moves back to the browser, but what happens if you close the browser when the stand alone applet is still up and running you may ask? Now you technically transformed your applet to a webstart application and installed it on your system. Isn't that cool?!! Installation has never been so easy.
Additional to that a great demonstration of the Adobe - Photoshop/Illustrator exporter plugin has been shown on the JavaOne tech session where a professional designer and a java geek developed side by side a cool looking animated application without knowing concrete implementation/design details from each other*. Now you are able not just to develop techical superior applications you can also make them look awesome with minimal effort. (technically the exporter plugin exports each layer so coolest things will be possible)
But this is not everything: missing audio and video codecs are now ready to use, BDLive which brings network to your Blu-ray player has been shown and BDLive developer discs are now availabe at BDLive.com.
The early access JavaFX SDK will be available in June. More information on javafx.com (well the webside does not look and feel very good but thats probably because its not written in JavaFX script... ;) )
-------
Applets Reloaded with Ken Russell
Livedemo including sourcecode and documentation of the draggable applet feature is now available.
Hmmm I dunno, this just sounds like you have been blinded by the marketing hype here. Considering that Java is one of the lesser used technologies in actual web development (Ruby, PHP, Perl tend to be the more popular) - it's focus is more on enterprise scale stuff then I can't imagine this working on an enterprise level.
I can also see a lot of trouble "installing" an app - what happens to data sources in this case.
I can't imagine it having anywhere near as big an impact as it wants.
Posted by James Hughes on May 08, 2008 at 03:30 PM CEST #
Excellent news! This could truly revolutionize Java web apps. The problem with Java web start has always been that it was unpleasant to quickly try out an application (at least compared to Ajax apps). Now this is solved.
I wonder if they have fully worked out how data storage changes when turning an applet into an application (file system versus what? Google gears?). The same holds for turning an applet GUI into a full-blown application GUI.
Posted by Axel Rauschmayer on May 08, 2008 at 08:00 PM CEST #
hi James,
no, I don't think I have been blinded. I am talking of applications in the browser. It is pretty hard to develop anything fancy, multi threaded or computational intensive (like the Jake2 demo) in the technologies you mentioned. And if yes you have to mix technologies (languages) which could be a nogo in some projects.
Everything has its usecase. For me I even prefer plain old html pages for surfing.
>I can also see a lot of trouble "installing" an app - what happens to data sources in this case.
this will be solved according to the plugin devs and I don't think this a hard problem to solve given that webstart already does a lot of resource management.
Posted by mbien on May 08, 2008 at 08:07 PM CEST #
Michael!!
Take a look at my post about what I call, the Web 3.0:
http://blog.brunoborges.com.br/2008/04/wfx-is-web-we-need.html
It's in some kind, the way you think it is, in relation with what I read in this post.
see ya!
Posted by Bruno Borges on May 12, 2008 at 09:11 AM CEST #
Hi Bruno,
nice blog entry but a little bit to radical for my taste ;-)
thank you for the comment
Posted by mbien on May 13, 2008 at 11:57 PM CEST #