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Sun has recently introduced a new family of Java products which have the potential to grab developers from AJAX, Flex and Silverlight. JavaFX, which consists of a mobile platform and a new script, is meant to deliver RIA technology on any platform. As Sun’s website put it, JavaFX is, “designed to enable consistent user experiences, from desktop to mobile device to set-top box to Blu-ray disc.” The JavaFX products, which are gaining popularity, are made up of a series of development tools, scripting and runtime environments, and widgets all based on Java technology. Sun is hyping the new product line as follows:

• The JavaFX product family leverages the Java platform’s write-once-run-anywhere portability, application security model, ubiquitous distribution and enterprise connectivity
• JavaFX initially is comprised of JavaFX Script and JavaFX Mobile
• JavaFX Script is a highly productive scripting language for content developers to create rich media and interactive content
• JavaFX Mobile, Sun’s software system for mobile devices, is available via OEM license to carriers, handset manufacturers and others seeking a branded relationship with consumers

JavaFX Script is specifically geared towards RIA developers, and it was designed to allow applications to run on the desktop, in a browser, or on a web-enabled cell phone. As it moves into the mainstream, it’s expected to compete with Adobe Flash/Flex and Microsoft’s new Silverlight platform. This new script, which focuses on animated, interactive interfaces, is garnering support among top level executives at Sun, including James Gosling, widely regarded as the founding father of Java. As Gosling told InfoWorld, “You can use it for anything that you would use AJAX for. You get much more dynamic behavior. You get much more advanced APIs that you get access to.” Gosling expects JavaFX may be the key to integrating our desktop, web, and mobile environments. “There are parts of the world where a person’s desktop computer is their cell phone, and that’s the kind of end point that we’re going to get to,” he says.

To reach this goal, Sun has included a fully-functional mobile phone platform in its JavaFX product line. JavaFX Mobile will bring rich content to cell phones in a way that has not yet been possible. It will support Java ME applications as well as other standard Java APIs. This new mobile software platform is expected to compete with Adobe’s Flash, which has not yet been optimized for a mobile environment.

Flash is purported to suck so much battery life that Apple has not yet adopted it for their popular iPhone. Adobe is reportedly working on a Flash player for the iPhone, though they are cautious about it’s future. According to a recent InfoWorld article, Adobe representatives released a statement saying, “However, to bring the full capabilities of Flash to the iPhone Web-browsing experience, we do need to work with Apple beyond and above what is available through the SDK and the current license around it.” The battle between Apple and Adobe is far from over, and Sun’s JavaFX may fill the void between the two companies.

While the new script and mobile platform help Sun boost its reputation in the RIA development world and compete with Microsoft and Adobe, the real significance of these products is the move towards integrating Web 2.0-style web applications regardless of the user’s hardware. JavaFX and similar products are starting to recognize the power of mixing online and offline functionality, which gives users the most versatility and performance in any environment.

Monday, March 31st, 2008 You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

By Haley January Eckels