In a few more days the official release of JavaFX 1.0 will be made. It’s been almost exactly 2 years since my first entry on this blog, which introduced the F3 language that has since come to be known as JavaFX script. Although F3 was almost entirely a one-man project, JavaFX 1.0 is the product of many, many contributors. Along the way there have been many supporters, and quite a few detractors and nay-sayers, both inside and outside of Sun. I believe what you’ll see in December does indeed reflect much of the vision I’ve expressed on this blog over the past 2 years. Nevertheless, the vision now embodied in JavaFX 1.0 is not a direct reflection of my personal vision but rather of the collective vision of its contributors. These include the JavaFX compiler team, Swing team, Java2D team, Java Media Components team, Java Plugin team, JavaME team, Netbeans team, Java- organization technical leadership and management, as well as Sun executive technical leadership and management. Over the past two years, I’ve personally heard and/or read literally many thousands of opinions about JavaFX and the validity and potential of the Java platform for client side applications. My view remains that many of the fundamental elements of the Java platform are still far superior to current alternatives and that it is our obligation and duty to make those benefits available to client developers by correcting orthogonal shortcomings and mistakes. For example, it’s unconscionable in my opinion that we allowed a dysfunctional browser plugin to exist for many years, steadily eroding Java’s reputation, and viability on the Internet. Thanks to others at Sun feeling the same way, that’s been corrected. I believe JavaFX 1.0 is a good, incremental step in overcoming some of our past mistakes, that preserves continuity with both standard JavaSE and JavaME. But you don’t have to take my word for it, now you’ll be able to try it yourself. Software Development