Applications development [Feature report]
Language barriers block Java When Java burst on to the scene a couple of years ago, it was heralded as the programming language with the potential to take a run at Microsoft Corp.'s dominance over the software world. Not surprisingly, it has not lived up to its hype, much the same way Windows 9...
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| Vydáno v: | Computing Canada Ročník 23; číslo 19; s. 49 |
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| Hlavní autoři: | , , , , , |
| Médium: | Magazine Article |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
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Willowdale
CEDROM-SNi fbo Transcontinental
15.09.1997
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| ISSN: | 0319-0161 |
| On-line přístup: | Získat plný text |
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| Shrnutí: | Language barriers block Java When Java burst on to the scene a couple of years ago, it was heralded as the programming language with the potential to take a run at Microsoft Corp.'s dominance over the software world. Not surprisingly, it has not lived up to its hype, much the same way Windows 95 has been seen as a disappointment even though it is generally regarded as superior to Windows 3.1. Still, industry watchers agree that Java has become an important tool for developers who like the fact that it allows them to create programs that can run on any computer regardless of the operating system. While it has not become a "killer" application, it complements other programming tools such as C++, particularly in terms of developing for the Internet. I don't see Java as the world's savior, but I view it as an integral component," said Jim Sinur, a vice-president with The Gartner Group in Phoenix. "Java is here to stay." The success of Java illustrates some of the changes taking place within the software development community as programmers grapple with issues such as the Internet and increasingly complex multimedia applications and efforts by players such as Sun Microsystems Inc. and Oracle Corp. to promote the no-frills network computer. And although Java has attracted a lot of attention and won over thousands of developers, it is just one of the several new languages battling for attention and its acceptance has not been without obstacles. The most evident is speed. Java software is slow at a time when computer makers are introducing products with microprocessors approaching 300 MHz. While expected to become faster, Java now tests the patience of many software users. Sun Microsystems, which invented Java, plans to release an updated development kit by year-end to write Java programs. But until Java's speed improves, trying to create large-scale applications using it as the primary programming language will remain a daunting challenge for developers. Corel Corp., for example, made a lot of noise talking about how its WordPerfect suite would have a Java-version, giving it an advantage over Microsoft's Office offering. Corel, however, switched tactics recently by abandoning its plan to put a full-featured, Java-based version of WordPerfect on each desktop. Instead, it will focus on developing WordPerfect using Java for network servers. While critics described Corel's decision as a strategic miscalculation and a retreat from Java, Michael Cowpland, the Ottawa-based company's president and chief executive, said Corel is revolutionizing how Java is being used. We feel we're accelerating our Java progress and in no way backing off it," he said. "We have a complete Java solution, including WordPerfect and a spreadsheet, that will sit on the server and play into the client." Dave McKay, a vice-president with New Media Architects, understands Corel's sudden shift because he discovered firsthand the frustrations of trying to develop a full-featured Java application. He says a big problem with Java is that some applications he created for the Windows platform wouldn't work when tried on a Macintosh. Nevertheless, McKay gives Corel credit for pushing the limits of Java as it tried to support the network computer concept. Another obstacle to Java's development may be the growing number of varieties now being used, including different versions from Microsoft and Sun Microsystems. Microsoft is throwing a wrench into Sun's strategy with Java because Sun expected Microsoft just to build applications," said Steve Graham, vice-president of IDC Canada Ltd.'s software unit. Instead, Microsoft said we'll ship our own version, which brings Sun back to the drawing board because one of the major attractions of Java was its universality. That tends to signal a slowdown in the progression toward the standard everyone was hoping for." Microsoft's aggressive approach reflects its determination not to be caught flat-looted like it did when the software giant underestimated the Internet. A good indication of Microsoft's determination to own Java and temper the threat to Windows can be found in its recent purchases of Dimension X and Cooper & Peters Inc., two start-ups previously favored by Sun that help write Java software. Whatever happens, the growth of Java into a critical tool is almost a fait accompli and that has some wondering where that leaves C++, the robust language that has served the software community so well over the years. "C++ is still important because it performs like the dickens and has hardened over time," said Sinur, adding it is "an assembler language for the client/server and that won't go away." Meanwhile, industry insiders say Microsoft's VB5 programming language is becoming more popular because it's robust and easy-to-use, particularly in the development of smaller applications. "It's a product catching up to C++ because it's a little more user friendly," said Chetan Mathur, president of Toronto-based Sage Information Consultants Inc. |
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| Bibliografie: | ObjectType-Article-1 content type line 24 SourceType-Magazines-1 |
| ISSN: | 0319-0161 |