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Sun Releases Second Java 6 Beta

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

June 21, 2006, 4:37 PM

Sun Microsystems on Wednesday released the second beta of Java 6, the company's next-generation development language targeted at so-called Web 2.0 programmers. Perhaps most enticing for those new to Java, the update adds a framework for supporting popular scripting languages such as PHP.

Java SE 6 -- previously known by the code-name "Mustang" -- also leverages JavaScript and includes a full "Web services client stack," along with support for recent Web services specifications like JAX-WS 2.0 and JAXB 2.0. In addition, the release will bring support for Windows Vista.

The Beta 2 release adds a new database to the Java Development Kit (JDK), which requires a footprint of only 2MB. Java DB is Sun's version of the open source Apache Derby database, and supports triggers as well as stored procedures.

The JDK additionally adds the GroupLayout component from the NetBeans GUI Bulder, Sun said, which provides visual development capabilities based on Swing.

Progress has been made on the desktop side as well. Java SE 6 more tightly integrates with the native operating system platform by emulating the look and feel, while adding support for text printing and drag-and-drop.

A final release of Java SE 6 is expected in the fall. The beta version can be downloaded now through Sun's Developer Network Web site.

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By anmol.2k4

edited Jun 22, 2006 - 9:21 AM

i think these developers have mustang 5hit, for inspiration.

Score: 0

By eyryalos

edited Jun 22, 2006 - 7:31 AM

Java, the biggest piece of crap ever made. Stop this as soon as you can.

Score: 0

By templar™

posted Jun 22, 2006 - 1:21 PM

You cannot be more wrong, my friend. Java is a GREAT technology. In my opinion, it is so good that Sun does not deserve to oversee its development.

I'm not sure which camp you are in, but I see a few people doing .NET do not know enough about Java when they make negative remarks about Java.

I love .NET, particularly C#. As a language, I think C# is better than Java. But I still have a lot of respect for Java. It is still a formidable technology.

Score: 0

By mjm01010101

posted Jun 22, 2006 - 1:54 PM

He's not talking about the language, he's talking about the end user experience for java. users hate it's slowness, the plug-ins, the bugs, the incompatible nature of it's "upgrades," it's frequent security issues historically.

Score: 0

By templar™

edited Jun 22, 2006 - 11:48 PM

Java is indeed not very good on the desktop yet. And I hate applets too. However, this is a very small portion of Java.

A large portion of Java deployment is still on the server side - that's where the $$$ is at the moment.

Score: 0

By phill666

posted Jun 22, 2006 - 10:38 AM

Have you ever looked at VB?

If you look at what Java was designed and intended for, it does it better then any other language. That is, compile once - run anywhere is true for most things. Plus, a number of very large systems disagree with you, such as the ERP created by SAP. The core of that system is now java. Granted, the VM has been tweaked heavly to run what needs to be run, it is still java.

If you understand how java works, and how it actually compares to things like C++ and C# once the VM is running, you would know where to use it and how good it actually is.

Score: 0

By templar™

posted Jun 22, 2006 - 1:31 PM

phill666, I think it is not very fair to compare Java with VB. As a language, Java's closest cousin is C#, because the designers of C# obviously took (too) many things from Java when they designed C#.

I disagree that Java "does it better than any other language." Java is starting to lag behind newer languages and programming platforms, such as C# (.NET Framework) or the dynamic languages (Ruby on Rails, etc.). And I put the blame solely on Sun.

Score: 0

By phill666

posted Jun 23, 2006 - 12:33 AM

You missed it, He said "the biggest piece of crap ever made" VB is the biggest piece of crap ever made, not just from a proper development point of view, but from an end user point of view as well.

Turns out you missed the second comment as well. Java was intended as a multi-platform language, that big "Compile once Run anywhere" slogan that sun came up with means compile on windows, run on Linux, Unix and Mac. C# is not intended for the same use, it is Windows, and only Windows. Nothing else does what java does, and runs as many places as java. You may say PHP can run anywhere, but it is a weak language compared for java. Granted, when you get into lower level stuff like hardware, java starts to have problems with the run anywhere bit, but that’s like everything else.

Java is a very powerful language, very easy to use and once you learn what you are doing, you can make it a lot faster (like any language). You don’t have to worry about memory, memory leaks, over-runs, etc. you really have to be a moron to not be able to program it.

Score: 0

By templar™

edited Jun 23, 2006 - 1:05 AM

While we both agree that Java is great, I really do not see great benefit of "compile once, run anywhere". It is extremely rare that a server-side app. needs to change platform. This is even more so now with SOA and stuff.

It has more benefits for desktop apps. But Java is not good for desktop apps. Just look at OpenOffice & Azureus. They are both not very resource efficient. Azureus is better only because of SWT.

PHP fans may take offence at your statement there. But let's not go into that.

Oh, and Java apps do have memory leaks.

Score: 0

By deda.jabko

edited Jun 23, 2006 - 11:19 AM

'"compile once, run anywhere". It is extremely rare that a server-side app.'

i don't think so. you can develop application under linux or even windows on common computers with i386-like processors or amd64 (with no difference) and then deploy whole application to servers based on itanium/sparc/opteron processors with Linux, Solaris or even Windows. imho this is quite good benefit.

Score: 0

By djuzoran

posted Jun 22, 2006 - 5:30 AM

Java is the ONE.
Microsoft sucks...

Score: 0

By templar™

edited Jun 23, 2006 - 2:39 AM

Score: 0

By Kramy

posted Jun 22, 2006 - 1:07 AM

Apparently this version of Java has minor speed improvements. Sounds good to me, if they can enhance speed while adding new crap. :D

Score: 0

By templar™

posted Jun 21, 2006 - 11:32 PM

Sun has disappointed me again and again with their mediocre developer support. They should learn a lesson or two from MS. MS really has excellent developer support. Yeah, sure MS has the money. But I still feel Sun can do a lot better.

Java is also too rigid compared to C# / .NET. I hope things will change for the better for Java.

Score: 0

By ghammer

posted Jun 21, 2006 - 11:06 PM

"A final release of Java SE 6 is expected in the fall"

If only it were truly the 'final' release. Put this crap to sleep.

Score: 0

By mjm01010101

posted Jun 21, 2006 - 7:34 PM

Hooray for a platform that was supposed to negate the need to updating clients and be cross platform! So now we upgrade everything 6 times a year!

Hopefully this version breaks as much as v5 broke in the embedded space.

Score: 0

By jbaltz69

posted Jun 21, 2006 - 5:21 PM

I hope the new version supports x64 editions of Windows.

Score: 0

By twanj

posted Jun 21, 2006 - 9:34 PM

It no doubt will. The old versions have.

Score: 0

By smarterthanyou

edited Jun 22, 2006 - 6:17 AM

Really? If Sun fully supports 64-bit Windows as you claim, then why can't I use Java in 64-bit IE?

Score: 0

By jbaltz69

posted Jun 22, 2006 - 10:37 AM

Exactly.

Score: 0

By The MAZZTer

edited Jun 21, 2006 - 5:06 PM

Vista users should consider grabbing Mustang if they run Java applications... previous versions of Java are incompatible with Aero Glass (probably because of the strange, non-WinAPI way they handle Windows themes... they seem to go straight to the .MSSTYLES file instead of calling functions through the theming API like they should).

Luckily, Mustang is compatible with Aero Glass, which is good news if you have an app in Java that you NEED to use, but you like glass. >.>

Score: 0

By headfog

posted Jun 21, 2006 - 5:01 PM

"adds a framework for supporting popular scripting languages such as PHP."

So now PHP can run as slow as Java. That's not exactly what they mean by leveling the playing field.

Score: 0

By SirDarius

posted Jun 22, 2006 - 4:38 AM

PHP is waaaaaay slower than Java.

With a good JIT compiler, Java does just run slightly slower than C++, and still faster than all the existing interpreted languages.

Evidence can be found here: http://shootout.alioth.d...p?test=all&lang=all

Score: 0

By Paradise-FH-

posted Jun 21, 2006 - 4:44 PM

"Java SE 6 more tightly integrates with the native operating system platform by emulating the look and feel ... "

good to see that six versions later sun has finally pulled its collective head out of its collective ass.

Score: 0

By m1y1k1e1l

edited Jun 22, 2006 - 6:03 AM

Still java 1.5> crashes on Linux while visiting the folowing URL:
http://www.forexpf.ru/_quote_show_/java/

I have also reported this incident to Sun.
Version 1.4.x has not this bug.

Score: 0

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