News and New Product Briefs (1/5/99)

Sun to meet with Real-Time Java Group

On January 12, Sun (through James Gosling) intends to meet with the Real-Time Java Working Group in San Diego to answer questions about its new Community Source Licensing scheme for Java. But the sides may not be satisfied: group members are looking for details in the CSL plan, and according to member Cyberonix’s Bruce Khavar, Gosling is attending to talk about technical aspects of further Java development.

Khavar adds, though, that “No one wants the balkanization of Java to happen.” He adds, “There are still a lot of questions about licensing, when you pay Sun royalties, intellectual property rights, and so forth, that people still don’t have a comfort level with.”

Other members of the group may see Sun’s position differently. Kelvin Nilsen, CTO of NewMonics, said that “Sun appears to be spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt among the ranks.” Nilsen is referring to Sun’s recent e-mail epistle to the National Committee for Information Technology Standardization (NCITS) in which Sun officials stated “We believe this proposed work [of the Real-Time Group] will seriously infringe on Sun’s intellectual property.” Nilsen went on to say, “We do not believe our efforts violate any of Sun’s intellectual property, and we have received no clarification from Sun regarding how the NCITS effort might be viewed as infringing on their rights.”

An HP spokesperson filled out Nilsen’s sentiment. “I don’t see how this infringes on Sun’s intellectual property. What we’re offering is optional real-time extensions that don’t change the meaning of the Java spec.”

Sun’s NCITS e-mail was issued as a way to urge the body to vote “no” on the topic of formally deciding to guide the group’s efforts toward a final specification. Sun’s standards manager Roger Martin also points to Sun’s recent combo release with IBM that urges the Java industry to participate in defining a real-time extension spec: “We think what we have put in place is a far better place for these guys to come and work, and we really would like to see all of them sign up for it.”

Martin (and Sun) have been mum on the legal implications of the e-mail.

DOJ/Microsoft moves right before the holidays

Following are some of the highlights of the DOJ/Microsoft antitrust lawsuit that occurred right before the holidays.

• On Monday, December 14, Princeton professor/computer scientist Edward Felten (and DOJ witness) defended his claims that Internet Explorer can be safely removed from Windows 98. He started with a short videotape that demonstrated a 600-line uninstall program written by him and two grad students that removed IE from Windows 98.

  When asked why he thought Microsoft designed IE without an uninstall program, Felten responded, “I know of no reason why Microsoft was technically compelled to design the product that way.” Felten added, “The idea here is not to take away the choice of a user to use Internet Explorer 4.0 — it’s to restore choice to use an alternative Web browser.”

• On Tuesday, December 15, the government ran another segment of the Bill Gates’ show. It also showed videotaped excerpts of Steve Wadsworth, Walt Disney subsidiary Buena Vista Internet Group VP, and Ron Rasmussen, SCO VP.

• On Wednesday, December 16, a three-judge federal appeals court in Boston denied Microsoft’s access to the tapes and notes from two professors’ interviews with Netscape officials. Microsoft had subpoenaed the research of MIT professor Michael Cusumano and Harvard Business School professor David Yoffie. The research was for a book they wrote, entitled Competing on Internet Time: Lessons From Netscape and its Battle with Microsoft.

  Microsoft lost its motion to access to the research in October.

  What Microsoft is after in the research is the admission of Netscape executives that they made mistakes in moving its browser technology to market. With it, Microsoft lawyers would boost their assertion that Netscape’s mistakes made it less-than-competitive in the browser market, not Microsoft anti-competitive practices. Microsoft spokesperson Tom Pilla said, “We believe that the Cusumano/Yoffie tapes [demonstrate] that Netscape’s problems were caused by Netscape’s decisions.”

  Microsoft could now ask that a full court review the matter. It could also ask for a ruling from the US. Supreme Court. The ruling also allows Microsoft to ask for quotes from the interviews to verify portions of the book, but the company cannot get parts of the interviews that are not in the book.

• Also on Wednesday, December 16, US District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson commented that the proposed merger of AOL and Netscape “could have an immediate effect on the definition of the market.” Microsoft made a motion to make the merger documents subject to discovery.

  Jackson continued, “We are all aware that there has been what might be a significant change in the playing field, as far as the industry is concerned. In order for the AOL-Netscape deal to be brought to fruition, government approval is required. It seems the Department of Justice will be in possession of the operative documents and that Microsoft may have the right to review them.”

  Jackson decided that instead of ruling, he hoped both sides’ lawyers could agree on a resolution.

  Microsoft spokesperson Mark Murray said, “We believe the AOL-Netscape-Sun deal demonstrates that competition is alive and well in this industry and that the government’s attempts to regulate this industry are always five steps behind. All three companies sent representatives to testify that they could not compete against Microsoft but now they are joining forces. The judge should be able to see what they have been doing behind closed doors to attack Microsoft.”

  DOJ lead attorney David Boies proposed that the evidence may show that Microsoft’s actions (which resulted in forcing Netscape to give the browser away for free) made Netscape unviable. Boies said, “All of the elements regarding the way the industry looks are going to be relevant. The judge is going to have as much up-to-date information as possible.”

Short take: Expect licensing model sometime in February

Well, the lawyers are involved now, so it will probably be late January or February before the Community Source Licensing approach (language, description, etc.) will be available to the public.

Microsoft appeals Sun Java ruling

On Wednesday, December 16, Microsoft filed a notice of appeal with the US Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The notice appeals US District Court Judge Ronald Whyte’s preliminary injunction that forces it to comply with Sun’s version of Java. (Microsoft is also moving to comply with the order.)

Microsoft’s appeal is based on allegation that it was in compliance with the Java license it negotiated with Sun. Microsoft lawyer Tom Burt said, “Microsoft is appealing the District Court’s preliminary ruling because Microsoft does not believe any preliminary injunction should have been ordered. We are confident that Microsoft has developed the best Java implementation within the terms of our contract with Sun and in the best interests of Java developers and consumers.”

Microsoft now has 28 days to file the appeal brief.

Mastering Java 1.2 book

Sybex announced Mastering Java 1.2, a book by John Zukowski that details from the basics to the advanced, including

• in-depth coverage of the Java Foundation Classes;
• new enhancements to multithreading, event handling, layout management, and I/O;
• and Swing.

The book also covers Java 2, creating Java graphics with the 2D API, implementing drag-and-drop support, providing built-in security with the Java Cryptography architecture, integrating Java programs with CORBA, and enhancing server-side performance with servlets. The book contains a CD with code and third-party tools.

There are excerpts from the book at the Java Developers Connection (https://developer.java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/Books/MasteringJava/), but you’ll have to register (for free) to see them.

https://www.sybex.com/cgi-bin/rd_bookpg.pl?2180back.html

Transitioning to Java 2 article

The Sun Java Developers Connection site is offering an article by Steve Meloan to help developers transition to Java 2, including sections on

• execution and configuration (the jre command and classes.zip file are gone, new class search paths, and new extensions framework),

• file structure,

• JIT compiler (now for Windows and Solaris),

• native threads in Solaris,

• debug,

• security/signing tools (now handled by two tools — keytool for key generation in certificate management and jarsigner for signing of JAR files),

• new JAR command options (-u option in which a file can either be added or replaced into an already existing JAR file without having to build it from scratch, and an option to allow changing directories during the creation or update of a JAR file.),

• doclets (now outputs a variety of text files — HTML, SGML, XML, RTF, and MIF).

You will have to register (for free) to read this article.

https://developer.java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/Trans/index.html

Developer Connection offers four early access products

The Java Developer Connection has four new early access programs, started on December 18 and 22. The EA programs include the Java Sound API, jbug, RMI-IIOP, and the Java Cryptography Extensions 1.2.

The Java Sound API delivers low-level support for such audio operations as mixing, capture, MIDI sequencing, and MIDI synthesis. The release consists of two major components — version 0.8 of the API specification and version 0.8 of an early access implementation of the API.

The JDK 1.2-compatible jbug Java platform debugger includes

• the Jbug architecture description.

• the Java Debug Interface, a high-level Java interface that includes support for remote debugging.

• the Java Debug Wire Protocol that defines the format of information and requests transferred between the debugging process and the debugger front end.

• the Java Virtual Machine Debug Interface specification and documentation.

• a sample debugger that uses the JDI interface.

The JDK 1.1.6/1.2-compatible RMI-IIOP EA offers an implementation of the Java RMI API over OMG’s Internet Inter-Orb Protocol, so developers can write remote Java interfaces and implement them just using Java and the Java RMI APIs.

The Java Cryptography Extension 1.2 is a release candidate, and provides a framework and implementations for encryption, key generation/agreement, and Message Authentication Code (MAC) algorithms. It supports symmetric, asymmetric, block, and stream ciphers, as well as secure streams and sealed objects.

You will have to register to access these products.

Java Sound API: https://developer.java.sun.com/developer/earlyAccess/sound/index.html

jbug debugger architecture: https://developer.java.sun.com/developer/earlyAccess/jbug/index.html

RMI-IIOP: https://developer.java.sun.com/developer/earlyAccess/rmi-iiop/index.html

JCE 1.2: https://developer.java.sun.com/developer/earlyAccess/jdk12/jce.html

Two new Bean collections from IBM

IBM alphaWorks announced two new Bean collections — the KeyedCollection for storing, retrieving, and manipulating elements in a collection of elements, and WiringDebugger for application debugging.

The KeyedCollection includes 12 Beans which can be used to model an environment that consists of a keyed collection of elements. It is JDK 1.1-compliant.

The JDK 1.1-compliant WiringDebugger set of five Beans are special JavaBeans that can be used to debug applications that have been written using visual programming in the VisualAge for Java Visual Composition Editor.

KeyedCollection: https://www.alphaWorks.ibm.com/foundry.nsf/alphaBeans/0797d65ba8ccd7f6882566d60022fd49

WiringDebugger: https://www.alphaWorks.ibm.com/foundry.nsf/alphaBeans/8a894d5658104c7e882566cc00315f58

Java Developers Connection offers Java 2 articles

The Java Developers Connection is offering up a series of articles and tutorials on using Java 2 (the JDK 1.2). The articles are

• a tutorial on application text. Application text is any writing that appears in the user interface or any application-related files the user can see. It can be editable, static, or graphical. This article presents an overview of Java 2 text classes and packages with links to tutorials for more. https://developer.java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/RoadMaps/Text/

• an overview of Java 2 features and functions, covering from performance enhancements to Swing, Java IDL to the Input Method Framework, as well as collections enhancements, reference objects, extensions support, and the VM debugger interface. https://developer.java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/monicap/Roadmaps/feat.html

• an article on upcoming extensions. https://developer.java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/monicap/Roadmaps/jdk1.2.html

• an article on 2D graphics features. https://developer.java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/monicap/2DGraphics/Intro/simple2D.html

• an article on the new color classes. https://developer.java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/monicap/2DGraphics/Color/color.html

• the new printing model in Java 2. https://developer.java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/Printing/index.html

• an overview of collections (which include frameworks, algorithms, iterators, serialization, concurrency, how to use collections with legacy code, etc.). https://developer.java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/Collect/index.html

• and garbage collection in Java 2. https://developer.java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/monicap/RefObj/refobj.html

You will need to register (for free) to view the articles.

Metamata Suite Java components aids IDEs

Metamata announced the Metamata Suite 1.0.4, a set of integrated productivity components designed to enhance popular IDEs for developers working in the areas of static-code quality analysis, static metrics measurements, smart source code browsing, and advanced debugging.

The Metamata Suite offers the following components:

• Metamata Audit, a module that evaluates code for programming errors and style against a set of standard good-coding principles. It provides hyperlinks into the Metamata Edit module (formerly known as Metamata Browse).

• Metamata Metrics, a component that calculates global complexity and quality metrics on code sections, and delivers object-oriented metrics designed to enhance software processes, optimize testing and maintenance, and improve project planning. Output can be saved as reports and Excel spreadsheets.

• Metamata Edit, a module designed for editing Java code, one that understands Java’s semantic structure.

• Metamata Debug is a Java debugger and command-line interpreter designed with complex and mission critical systems in mind. It allows for rapid prototyping and debugging of partially written programs, and provides separate windows to control threads.

• Metamata Package automatically strips assertions and diagnostic code from Java programs.

• Metamata Parse is a follow-up tool to Sun’s JavaCC parser generator for Java.

• Metamata Diagnostics provides the ability to extend Java programs with such diagnostic code as assertions, print statements, and so on. It can be used as a standalone program or work with Debug.

The components run in any JDK 1.1 environment. Pricing for a single-user, full suite license is ,500; a floating license is ,300. The Audit module can be priced separately (95/95); as can the Metrics module (95/,495); as can the Debug module (50/75); the other components are free.

https://www.metamata.com/products/index.html

SFS offers DocFather Pro 2.1

SFS Software announced DocFather Professional 2.1, an upgrade to its full-text, keyword-search indexing engine.

DocFather Professional contains a Java viewer (which functions as either a standalone or embeddable applet) that lets Web site visitors rapidly locate required documents through a customizable interface. The software can arrange for automated live updates to indexes on Web sites, and since it is a Java application, it can run on any Java-compatible system.

DocFather Professional 2.1 is available now. An Internet license for commercial Web sites costs 49; a corporate intranet license runs 90; and a non-commercial Web site license costs 9. There are also available options to use DocFather as the search engine on a CD-ROM distribution. Developers can get a demo version.

https://www.sfs-software.com/docfather/index.html

Cloudscape Java DB version 2.0 beta

Cloudscape announced that the Cloudscape embeddable Java database version 2.0 is now available in a beta release (with selected vendors).

Version 2.0 is designed with a new piece of technology to simplify deployment and management of mobilized applications — Cloudscape’s LUCID technology (Logic Up, Consistent Information Down) is added to make application synchronization more sophisticated. It leverages business-rules-oriented replication technology in a portable way.

Cloudscape 1.5 already includes

• VTI, a data-management technology that gives Java programmers a way to integrate data from a variety of sources.

• single-/multi-user license options for both client- and server-side applications.

• an optional packaged integration with the BEA WebLogic application server.

• performance enhancements and a cost-based optimizer to enhance query performance through automated system optimization.

• a 1.5MB footprint.

• JDBC 2.0 and ODBC 3.0 support.

Expect Cloudscape 2.0 to be commercially available in Spring 1999, with the above LUCID technology and additional row-level locking for higher multi-user concurrency in deployed server environments.

https://www.cloudscape.com/

Rapid Logic debuts JavaControl 2.2

Rapid Logic announced JavaControl 2.2, an upgrade to the networked-device-management software development kit that provides SNMP support, as well as increased performance and reduced development time.

JavaControl 2.2, which uses a brokering scheme to manage applets and applet communications, lets users manage networked devices without requiring that they contain an embedded JVM. It will include a new SNMP MIB inheritance technology known as MIBway. MIBway lets developers add embedded functions with a single mouse-click to devices. With it, existing SNMP code can be added directly to HTML, JavaScripts, and applets without revising the code.

This version integrates Rapid Logic’s OpenControl Backplane (OCB), an embedded management architecture that acts as a bi-directional data dictionary of elements in the device, allowing developers the opportunity to “mass customize” the look, feel, and function of device-management interfaces by reusing code over several product types.

It also comes with a visual RAD tool to let developers drag and drop Java display, data-manipulation, and real-time control panel applications directly onto the devices’ controllers, without having to revise any C code. And data references and elements can be imported from a live device, so the properties of existing SNMP MIBs can be inherited via asynchronous events. In other words, a device can “adopt” existing code, providing SNMP support without writing SNMP code.

JavaControl 2.2 delivers the ability to generate Java applications and applets in the newest enhanced RAD environment. Users can view object associations, making them easier delete when unneeded. And since terminals without a browser (but with a JVM) can run Java apps, there’s more choice when it comes to management terminals.

JavaControl 2.2 is Java 1.1- and Bean-compliant and includes JDK 1.1.5. Pricing starts at 5,000.

https://www.rapidlogic.com/products/javacontrol.html

KL Group’s JClass 3.6 supports Java 2

KL Group announced that version 3.6 of its JClass JavaBean suite will support Java 2.

JClass Enterprise Suite 3.6 comes with the following components:

• JClass HiGrid, a RAD outline grid for developing advanced multi-level data-bound database GUIs.

• JClass DataSource, a hierarchical multiple-platform data source that provides data-binding capabilities to components.

• JClass LiveTable, a Java grid/table for creating tables and forms.

• JClass Chart, a component for embedding graphs and charts into applications.

• JClass Field, a data-validation Bean collection for forms and applications.

• JClass BWT, GUI components that extend AWT.

It comes with a tremendous number of pricing configurations, so see the table on the company’s site.

https://www.klgroup.com/jclass

Pramati upgrades it Proton 3.0 Web app server

Pramati Technologies announced Proton 3.0, an upgrade to its Web application server that offers new clustering and high-availability features, as well as monitoring and administration tools.

The three-tier Proton 3.0 provides a clean separation between the presentation and application layers, as well as an interface in which developers can use HTML tools without having to consider the complex business-processing rules found in the application layer.

New features in Proton 3.0 include

• Developer Studio, a program to help create project entities, and compile, build, debug, and test applications.

• full access to Java objects from within HTML pages.

• enhanced scalability via dynamic load balancing and clustering. The Studio includes a load simulator to test scalability prior to deployment.

• high availability is assured through two utilities — Automatic Server Restart and Failover Management.

• performance has been increased with new automatic thread pooling, page compilation, and caching techniques.

Proton 3.0 supports such standards as HTTP, SSL, LDAP, JDBC, Servlet API, CGI, ISAPI, and NSAPI. It can be configured for remote administration through a universal client.

Proton 3.0 comes in two editions. The Developer Edition costs ,000, and the Enterprise Edition costs ,000. Additional runtime license runs 00. An evaluation copy is available.

https://www.pramati.com/

Seagate issues Crystal Reports 7

Seagate Software announced version 7 of the Java-based Crystal Reports, its ad hoc query and report-creation software.

Seagate Crystal Reports 7 answers and generates these queries and reports over the Web, using interactive geographic mapping, and legacy report conversion and disparate-data integration.

The added geographic mapping features lets users visualize data and drill down into maps to examine interesting areas. Cross-tabs are now customizable, and when combined with the new field highlighting feature, subtle data patterns can be highlighted so users are alerted to performance problems that before could have gone undetected.

Version 7’s Document Import tool makes it easy to convert legacy text reports to the Crystal Reports format by using sophisticated pattern-recognition technology. A utility called Field Mapping facilitates the migration of existing reports between databases without having to redesign the report.

There is now added support for the latest of database technology, including SQL Server 7 and OLEDB. Integration with VB, Java, and Delphi development environments is now tighter. It comes with the Report Designer Component (which accesses features in VB 6.0), an ActiveX designer. New JavaBean and VCL components are available for Java and Delphi support, respectively.

Seagate Crystal Reports 7 Professional Edition costs 95; upgrade from previous versions for 99.

https://www.seagatesoftware.com/seagateinfo/

NetBeans joins Cloudscape’s partner program

NetBeans announced that it has signed on to the Cloudscape Certified Technology Partners, joining 12 other companies in this program to built products compatible with Cloudscape’s embedded Java database technology.

The program offers its partners

• a developer license of Cloudscape;
• the ability to bundle Cloudscape’s database with its software;
• joint marketing efforts; and
• access to Cloudscape technical support and engineering resources.

Other partners include Acriter Systems, Active Software, BEA WebLogic, Crossroads Technologies, Data Junction, Information Builders, Internet Image, Informix, NetBeans, Novera, SilverStream, and Vision Software.

https://www.cloudscape.com/Partners/partners.htm

New Atlanta and PlusFactor bundle products

New Atlanta Communications announced that PlusFactor Software has licensed its ServletExec technology for bundling with the Office Pack suite of small-business communication tools.

PlusFactor Office Pack is team-management software that is implemented using Java servlet technology to support disparate networking environments. Now it comes with New Atlanta’s ServletExec, a Java-based Web application server that implements the Java Servlet API and JavaServer Pages (JSP) standards.

ServletExec will let Web applications be deployed with Microsoft IIS/PWS, Netscape FastTrack and Enterprise servers, the Apache Server, and MacOS Web servers. Other ServletExec features:

• A complete implementation of the Java Servlet API 2.0, including Session Tracking; Servlet Aliases; and Remote Servlets.
• Support for JavaServer Pages as (draft specification 0.91).
• Support for servlet chaining and filtering.
• Reloads modified servlets without restarting the Web server.
• Sample projects for servlet developers for CodeWarrior Pro (Windows/Mac), Visual Cafe (Windows/Mac), Visual J++ (Windows), and JBuilder (Windows).

Alone, ServletExec costs 95 for a single server license. OfficePack starts at 49 (five-user license).

OfficePack: https://www.plusfactor.com/officepack/index.html

ServletExec: https://www.newatlanta.com/products.html

Middletier Report looks at 8 EJB app servers

Kevin Dick Associates announced the Middletier Report: Enterprise JavaBeans Application Servers, a 124-page report that details eight Enterprise JavaBeans-supported application servers.

The servers in question:

• GemStone/J,
• NetDynamics Application Server,
• Novera jBusiness,
• Oracle Application Server,
• Persistence PowerTier,
• Progress Apptivity,
• Secant Extreme Enterprise Server, and
• WebLogic Tengah.

Spokespersons noted that the report delivers a step-by-step approach to potential purchasers of EJB application servers as a guide to choose the one that’s right for specific applications. It reviews each server in detail, then offers a side-by-side comparison.

The report costs ,495.

https://www.middletier.com/

Sun inks deal with Matsushita for Java lite

Sun announced a three-part joint development deal with Matsushita, one which may determine whether a smaller version of Java is needed for consumer electronic applications.

Part one of the agreement calls for Matsushita to license the PersonalJava environment from Sun. For part two, Matsushita will develop APIs for Java-based digital television applications. In part three, Matsushita will conduct real-world investigations to determine if consumer electronics applications would benefit from a “smaller footprint” version of Java.

Smaller, in this case, would be a version that needs less memory than EmbeddedJava. Neither of the parties has ventured whether EmbeddedJava will be the basis for the possible micro-version.

In part, this deal seems to come in response to HP’s rollout of its smaller-than-E-Java embedded JVM. The deal doesn’t include Jini.

Matsushita is considering the small Java for such applications as television-programming information, home shopping, medical consultation, and remote control/diagnosis of home appliances.

IBM Japan chooses OS-9 for digital set-tops

Microware Systems Corp. announced that IBM Japan has chosen Microware’s OS-9 real-time operating system (RTOS) for its new digital television set-top box.

IBM will be offering two versions — one for digital broadcast satellite (DBS) and one for digital cable systems. Both will use Microware’s DAVID (Digital Audio/Video Interactive Decoder) technology, a specialized version of OS-9.

The box includes an electronic program guide feature with Java Applet/XML and services linked with various types of content. IBM plans to implement a JVM in future versions.

IBM Japan is also currently developing a PowerPC 603e version that supports PersonalJava to replace its PowerPC 403 version.

https://www.microware.com/html/ph_archive.html