News and New Product Briefs (10/15/98)

JScape’s PowerSuite gets certified

JScape announced that its PowerSuite Java components have been certified 100% Pure Java. The PowerSuite suite is a set of all of JScape’s products, which includes more than 120 components and 400 classes.

PowerSuite includes such JScape products as MailWidgets, PlannerWidgets, PowerPanel, PowerTools, PowerSearch, WidgetsPro and Form. The PowerSuite components — user interfaces and system and utility components — support JDK 1.02/1.1, JavaBeans and Java Studio.

Any product can be evaluated in full-feature form for 30 days. And the company is offering all products at a 20 percent discount to celebrate its certification.

https://www.jscape.com/

SAP’s BAPI interface to support VisualAge for Java

SAP announced at the recent SAP TechEd 98 conference that the company has chosen IBM’s VisualAge for Java as the fully supported Java-integrated development environment validated by SAP’s Business Application Programming Interface (BAPI).

According to SAP VP Hartmut Schaper, “As a result of our partnership with IBM, we have delivered a comprehensive, object-oriented, Web-enabled development solution that allows custom applications to fully interoperate with a SAP R/3 business backbone.”

The move will make BAPIs accessible to IBM Component Broker middleware (later in 1998) and will deliver a way for Java developers to use BAPI features in their applications.

With BAPI access, SAP ERP applications (such as the R/3 system or any app that uses the component-based SAP business framework) and the volumes of data stored in them will be available to Java users — effectively Internet-enabling SAP apps.

BAPIs are object-oriented interfaces between components that encapsulate business processes and practices. Component Broker is IBM’s enterprise middleware solution for distributed object computing.

Component Broker: https://www.software.ibm.com/ad/cb/ SAP Business Framework: https://www.sap.com/bfa/ Open BAPI Network: https://www.sap.com/bapi/

Ultrexx delivers Java RAD tool, Visual CruXpert 2.0

Ultrexx Corp. announced the release of Visual CruXpert 2.0, an upgrade to its Java RAD tool designed to help developers craft intelligent, knowledge-based applications in Java or HTML.

CruXpert encapsulates knowledge-application rules in a tool that uses an “almost English” language to build applications, after which the tool generates the Java code. The resulting Java code can then be compiled into platform-independent bytecode.

Knowledge-based, network-aware applications built with CruXpert can be inserted as an applet or in an HMTL page; the engine is a Java class. The software delivers both the Java- and the native-level interfaces to make embedding the applications easier.

CruXpert comes with:

• CruXpert Knowledge Representation Language (CKRL) — A high-level language designed for building and maintaining applications

• CKRL compiler — Converts the internal knowledge bases to Java

• Inference engine — A component that automatically applies certain search criteria to knowledge-based applications

• Target Application User Interface Template (TRAIT) — A user interface template that contains the basic graphic elements necessary to access an expert system

• CruXpert Application Builder (CAB) — The IDE with a simple, English-style representational language

• CruXpert Graph Builder (CGB)

For Windows 95 and NT systems, CruXpert 2.0 comes in three versions: CruXpert Lite (with a maximum of 50 business rules) for 9; Standard (with a limit of 250 rules) at 99; and the Pro (with no rules limits) costs 95. Developers can test a trial version first. (Note to users: According to the site FAQ, the CAB feature will not run under any system other than Windows 95.)

https://www.ultrexx.com/products/datasheet.html

ISE offers EiffelBase library for free

Eiffel vendor Interactive Software Engineering (ISE) is offering its newest EiffelBase library publicly in source form on the Internet.

Eiffel creator Dr. Bertrand Meyer said, “In practice…there is a role for both [free and commercial software]. The decision to make EiffelBase free software recognizes this and shows ISE’s willingness to work in concert with the many developers who, with exceptional talent and energy, are devoting their efforts to building and improving great software for the sheer sake of the intellectual challenge.”

The EiffelBase release includes the library’s entire Eiffel code — the implementation as well as the specification. EiffelBase is a general-purpose library that delivers fundamental computing structures such as lists, queues, stacks and trees. The library is divided into high-level (interface styles, abstraction techniques, option-operand separation) and low-level (name choices, comment style) aspects.

Meyer added that the free release “in no way lessens the commitment of ISE to our customers…. In fact, it heightens this commitment since the primary aim is to expand and improve EiffelBase.”

ISE will continue to maintain and support EiffelBase.

EiffelBase: ftp://ftp.eiffel.com/pub/shelf/ise/eiffelbase/base-1998-08.zip EiffelBase discussion group: https://talkitover.com/T324/A22/Q167/062/L-18582

Clean up leftover Internet junk with Luckman’s WebSweep 1.0

Luckman Interactive’s WebSweep 1.0 is neither a Java-based nor a developer-oriented product — it’s just a utility that automatically cleans up your hard drive.

Designed to “safely” remove Internet-delivered files (such as ActiveX files and Java classes) on Windows 95/NT desktops, it has the added bonus of erasing the traces of previous browsing sessions.

Besides ActiveX and Java files, WebSweep also cleans out HTML, video, audio, browser history lists, IE cache and push channel data, Navigator cache and Netcaster data, plug-ins, recent document lists, and other defined temporary and compressed files.

When running on full automatic, WebSweep uses a Cleanup Wizard that can be scheduled. On the interactive-prompting mode, users view and delete files selectively. Note: WebSweep is not an active security product. It doesn’t operate during Internet access; it works after the session.

WebSweep also comes with Luckman’s Anonymous Cookie technology, which lets users view and delete cookie files.

For Windows 95/NT desktops, WebSweep costs 0. A full-featured 30-day trial version is available.

https://armitage.luckman.com/products/websweep/

Are U.S. developers less concerned with standards than international counterparts?

A Evans Marketing Services study claimed that international Windows software developers were more aware of standards than their U.S. counterparts, causing them to focus on standards when making business decisions.

The study consisted of two surveys: the 1998 Windows Developer Opinion Survey Volume I (for American and Canadian developers) and the International Windows Development Series (for international developers). The standards mentioned exceeded Microsoft-based ones (COM, DCOM, ActiveX, WFC) to include more open standards, such as CORBA, IIOP and JFC.

Besides standards familiarity and usage, these surveys covered:

• Current/future language usage
• Java development issues
• Multitier architecture
• Middleware
• Technical development issues
• Developer relations programs

Janel Garvin, director of research for Evans, said that the company’s new, biannual international studies are important, since more than “50 percent of all U.S. tools are sold outside of North America.”

Of the 130 developers from 37 countries, 59 percent were from Europe, 26 percent from Asia/Pacific region, 12 percent from the Middle East, and 3 percent were from South America.

According to an Evans spokesperson, the content of the international survey was similar to that in the U.S./Canada survey.

https://www.EvansMarketing.com/

Courion serves up Self-Service ProfileBuilder

Courion Corp. announced the release of Self-Service ProfileBuilder, a Java self-service applet that allows IT users to securely and directly build and customize their help desk system, user profile information.

Updated user profile information is necessary to authenticate users for services and to deliver custom services to users. Besides being easy to integrate into existing help desk systems, the software comes with a simple, forms-based interface for users to update their own profiles.

This interface provides strong security aspects so that:

• Users can protect their personal information by requiring two pieces of authentication data;
• Any field in the data can easily become the authentication data;
• There are one-time code-generation utilities;
• Transmitted data is encrypted; and
• You can set a number of authentication tries, after which the user is disabled

The Administrator Utility lets IT users customize the ProfileBuilder for such existing help desk systems as Remedy’s AR System, Vantive HelpDesk, Software Artistry/Tivoli Expert Advisor, MagicSolutions’ SupportMagic, Network Associates’ (McAfee’s) ServiceDesk, and Astea/Bendata HEAT.

The software can be replicated along the network for all of your end users. It is currently priced at per end user, with a maximum fee of 4,000.

https://www.courion.com/products/pbuilder/index.html

Datek SOLO mainframe-app-access software is 100% Pure Java

Datek announced that its SOLO 3270, a lightweight browser component that allows users to access mainframe applications from within Java-capable browsers, has received 100% Pure Java certification.

SOLO 3270 delivers IBM mainframe-app access by running on top of IE 4.0, Communicator 4.05, or any browser that supports Appletviewer or JDK 1.1. The software comes in two versions: The Personal edition runs as a client-side app on PC, workstation, or Mac; the Client/Server edition delivers multiple-client support from a workgroup server.

For now, the Personal edition is available free, but will soon cost 0. Contact the company for C/S edition prices.

https://www.batavia.com/solo3270.html

Solstice Enterprise Manager gets a shot of caffeine

Sun recently announced a new Java-enabled version of its scalable, multi-protocol distributed network management foundation, Solstice Enterprise Manager 3.0.

Sun believes that with the addition of Java, they have a best-of-breed solution that will aid telcos and ISPs deploying next-generation services.

“The introduction of Java into Solstice Enterprise Manager 3.0 capitalizes on an efficient development environment to reduce deployment times and total cost of ownership as carriers rush to beat their competition to market,” said Jack Collins, director of Network Management Products at Sun.

Java additions to Solstice Enterprise Manager include:

• A suite of Java tools, which allows rapid application development and cross-platform support, as well as a 100 percent Java graphical installation wizard to ease installation of the management solution.

• The integration of the Java Dynamic Management Kit (JDMK) reduces management traffic on the network, allows low-level problems to be dealt with locally without alarm generation, and enables quicker response to events.

In addition, an improved user interface and the implementation of new services on top of the Solstice Enterprise Manager infrastructure allows flexibility and scalability for future growth without modification of existing applications.

Check with Sun for pricing and availability.

https://www.sun.com/sem

4thpass SourceGuard 2.0 combats bytecode decompile

4thpass Software announced the release of SourceGuard 2.0, a Java-based product that shields Java bytecode from reverse engineering.

SourceGuard does this by replacing names with unreadable symbols, so that it’s practically impossible to read the decompiled code. The SourceGuard software also crafts bytecode with no equivalent source code, so the original source is tough to re-create.

SourceGuard also reduces the size of class files; the reduction depends on the product, the naming conventions, and the configuration. On average, class file size may be reduced by 30 percent. With SourceGuard, developers can choose to protect or exclude any packages, classes, methods or fields.

The software can also be set up to remove debug information from your classes, including line numbers, local names, the coverage table, source names, and absolute path.

Other features include:

• An intuitive visual development environment
• Wizards
• Support for multiple source locations
• Support for the ASCII naming convention
• Support for name mapping

SourceGuard requires a system that supports JVM 1.1.5 and JFC 1.0.1. The Professional Edition 2.0 costs 99 (online download) or 49 (CD-ROM). Distribution with applications is royalty-free and unlimited. There’s a full-function evaluation copy.

https://www.4thpass.com/SourceGuard

B&W’s new Object/LM 1.1 supports VisiBroker and Orbix

Black & White Software announced the release of Object/LM 1.1, an object-usage and -access control environment that now supports Inprise’s VisiBroker for Java and IONA Technologies’ Orbix/OrbixWeb CORBA implementations.

Besides controlling and tracking object usage and access based on customer-defined usage policies, Object/LM also delivers usage metering capabilities, helping to determine associated costs. The software conforms to OMG’s CORBA licensing and metering specification, and uses the standard CORBA IDL, as well as other admin and meter interfaces. For communication, it uses IIOP.

The software also supports Access Control to manage the authorized usage of objects and Usage Metering to measure the utilization of objects. It includes a plug-in security/authentication module to keep outsiders from fooling with the usage-control mechanism.

Object/LM 1.1 is available now for Windows and Unix, and Java and C++, with pricing based on platform and deployment configuration.

https://www.blackwhite.com/products/deployment.html

Ad Astra’s mobile Jumping Beans available

Ad Astra Engineering introduced the Jumping Beans mobility framework, software that lets developers build mobile, self-containment abilities into applications, which can then move from one machine (while it is running) to another machine, and complete its execution on its new host.

And when a Jumping Beans-enhanced Java application jumps around, it takes its essential information (such as the executable, data, state, and resources) with it, besting other mobile technologies such as push.

Jumping Beans clients are Java-/PersonalJava-compliant, weighing in at 130KB, and promising store-and-forward with guaranteed delivery. They also integrate into existing environments.

Jumping Beans come in a five-user pack for 99. Developers can test a free three-user, 60-day evaluation copy.

https://www.JumpingBeans.com/

AAA uses Inprise for travel reservation system

The American Automobile Association (AAA) has chosen Inprise’s VisiBroker for Java to build its new travel reservation system, designed to support AAA’s 40 million-plus members by the end of 1998.

For AAA, VisiBroker will be used to develop high-performance systems to deliver disparate travel products and services such as: airline, hotel, car, and cruise bookings; auto-travel routing requests; and online (and on-the-road) travel assistance. AAA picked VisiBroker because the system it builds can scale as its membership grows.

AAA also chose VisiBroker because it could handle data from disparate sources. The federation is made up of 94 independent clubs, and each club uses different hardware and software to meet it members’ needs.

AAA senior developer Peter Eberley said that AAA wanted to “enable a large number of concurrent users.” He added, “By using VisiBroker, we can distribute our CORBA services over a variety of machines, or co-locate them next to the database to reduce network latency. VisiBroker gives us a variety of configuration options.”

AAA: https://www.aaa.com/

VisiBroker: https://www.inprise.com/visibroker/

Short take: Visual Café to support Orbix

IONA Technologies and Symantec announced that Symantec’s Visual Café for Java Enterprise Suite will now support IONA’s Orbix CORBA enabler, allowing developers to build large, scalable systems that can handle high levels of transactions, as well as disparate platforms.

The Visual Café development environment will include extensions for Orbix. Another feature includes client and server wizards, visual aids that help developers generate CORBA-perfect client and server code and perform distributed debugging.

https://www.symantec.com/domain/cafe/vc4java.html

Rorke Data’s Flexstor.db gets Java-certified

Rorke Data announced that its digital asset-management software, Flexstor.db 1.1, has received 100% Pure Java certification.

Flexstor.db manages high-resolution image files in their native format (for ensured file integrity) on online magnetic storage while being able to display JPG thumbnails of the image on demand. The system also manages the migration of the original versions to request sites attached to the storage server or across the network.

The system also enables administrators to set up a distributed database server with centralized management, delivering support for local and remote clients as either full-application users or browser-based users. With it, the company can track customer transactions and data exchange (and make changes to the system) from anywhere via a Java browser.

https://www.rorke.com/

IES JaWiz 1.0 develops and debugs Java for Windows

InfinityEdge Systems (IES) announced the release of JaWiz 1.0, an integrated visual development and debugging environment for Java applications on Windows platforms.

JaWiz 1.0 offers a full-featured, hierarchical, project-management system capable of supporting sub-projects and multiple build- or debug-configurations.

Other features include:

• Five project views:

  • Project
  • Subprojects
  • Files
  • Classes
  • Hierarchy

• Wizards that support building and managing components, classes, methods, interfaces, and the software’s customizable Component Gallery;

• An AppWizard for applications, applets, beans, and existing code import;

• A GUI builder with full Swing and layout manager support;

• Source code generation, navigation, and analyzing capabilities;

• A professional source code editor with:

  • Eight-language, customizable syntax coloring
  • Unlimited undo/redo steps
  • Auto-identing and virtual spaces
  • Regular expression find/replace and macros

• A visual source-level debugger with conditional breakpoints and exception filtering; and

• Integrated support for VSS-compliant source code control systems.

JaWiz 1.0 runs on Windows 95/98 and NT 4.0 systems, and costs 49.

https://www.infinityedge.com/jawiz/

Leuville’s Borneo beans build charts

Leuville Objects introduced Borneo 2.0, a set of JavaBeans for building dynamic charts and graphical views that’s 100% Pure Java certified.

Borneo 2.0 beans let developers add table and chart views to applications that update in real time. Besides performance enhancements, Borneo 2.0 includes new features such as a new, numerical-value table component, called TableChart, and a wider array of integrated legend capabilities.

Other features include:

• Varied graphical components, such as bar graphs, histograms, and transparent buttons;
• Views in either 2D or 3D;
• Double-buffering to enhance graphics rendering performance;
• Compatibility with leading development environments;
• Transparent components that can be superimposed over images; and
• Compatibility with EventListener 1.1

In addition to the new TableChart, Borneo includes BarGraph (with up, down, left, or right orientations), PieChart (which, according to the company, comes in the classic, real-time “camembert”), Trend (with such representation choices as cross, line and polygon), and MultiTrend.

The company plans to add server connectivity options (CORBA and SSL support) and industrial control command views (alarm interfaces and action histories) in the near future.

Borneo 2.0 costs 96 (for bytecode version) and 241 (for source code version). (The prices are approximate, since they’re converted from French francs.)

https://www.leuville.com/

Software Research announces 2nd International Software Quality Week Europe

Software Research announced the Second International Software Quality Week Europe (QWE 98) program.

The QWE 98 show, scheduled for November 9 through 13 in Brussels, will focus on the euro and Y2K.

The conference already includes more than 60 speakers spread out over 11 full- and half-day tutorials, five keynote addresses, a three-day, four-track technical conference, and two days of vendor exhibits.

Topics include:

• Testing Internet/intranet applications
• Modal testing strategies for object-oriented applications
• Automating software testing
• Compliance testing and data management in the face of Y2K and the euro
• Behavioral models for automated testing
• Capturing the experience of software users
• Building reusable testing environments

https://www.soft.com/QualWeek/QWE98/qwe98.program.html

Visual Numerics launches JWAVE 2.0 Java visualization

Visual Numerics introduced JWAVE 2.0, a visualization and computational environment that uses Java components to build and implement distributed, visual data-analysis applications.

The JWAVE JavaBean components support distributed-application-specific mathematical, statistical and graphical visualization features.

Some of JWAVE 2.0’s new features are:

• A large set of prewritten JavaBeans to help develop JWAVE client applications;
• The JWAVE server communication protocol is now object-based;
• The new Data Manager allows all the data to reside on the server, so ultra-thin clients can now be hooked to the network; and
• Support for 2D and 3D beans APIs.

JWAVE servers run on Unix and NT platforms. Developers can get a free, 30-day trial version. Check with the company for pricing.

https://www.vni.com/products/wpd/jwave/

Chordiant offers new Customer Communications Solution 1.5

Chordiant Software introduced version 1.5 of its Customer Communications Solution (CCS) call center software, which adds support for Java and JavaBeans.

CCS 1.5 is an integrated suite of services, objects and application layers. It follows a three-tier architecture model that separates the GUI, the application logic, and the data access. Some of the application’s functions runs on the client, and other parts can run on one or more servers through a technique known as “application partitioning”: The presentation layer/user interface is with the client; the database resides on a server; and the business logic resides on the third platform.

The ChorServices layer combines the enterprise components to integrate and communicate with telephony equipment, legacy data systems, networks, and transactional applications. It also delivers access and communication capabilities to SQL relational databases and interfaces.

The ChorObjects layer integrates business objects and rules with the workflow components, a drag-and-drop workflow editor, and management functions.

CCS’ ChorApps are role-based. The CSR Application (customer service representative) is primarily the most used one in the system. It can handle inbound and outbound transactions regardless of where the various bits of data (customer info, product availability, shipment status, accounts receivable, etc.) lie, regardless of the access method (telephone, fax, e-mail, the Internet, or ATM). The CSR Application supplies scripts, prompts, and business process information to the agents.

Check with the company for pricing.

https://www.chordiant.com/product_frame.html

Update for ObjectShare’s Parts for Java 2.6 ready

ObjectShare announced an upgrade of its visual programming environment for Java applications, Parts for Java 2.6 (all editions).

Version 2.6 improvements include:

• Enhanced version control support
• Better compilation handling
• Faster repository-retrieval speeds
• A new Find Latest Versions tool that makes getting the up-to-date version of products automatic
• An enhanced compiler interface
• A new Compile Log utility for reporting compilation errors

Version 2.6 also supports the new JFC libraries with a more complete integration of JFC widgets. Users can now automatically build a catalog of components from a jar file. Menus are more consistent and software documentation contains more detail on features.

The Parts for Java 2.6 update (for the Lite, Standard and Professional editions) is available free to all registered users. If you need the full versions, they run ,495, 95, and 49 for the Professional, Standard and Lite editions, respectively.

https://www.objectshare.com/p4j/

Object/FX debuts CSR visual-info software — ServiceFX

Object/FX announced the release of ServiceFX, Java-based software that delivers data-visualization capabilities to customer service systems.

ServiceFX delivers real-time visibility of customer data, service orders, technicians, service contracts, product codes, sales orders, repair histories, and parts inventories to customer service reps — all through interactive map displays. The data comes from several databases, and the interface can display up-to-the-minute information visually by a system of customizable symbols and colors.

ServiceFX can be used for client/server and Internet/intranet deployments, giving users (or customers) the ability to access information from outside the company via Java-capable browsers.

ServiceFX includes JavaBeans, Java classes, a nationwide, street-level map, and an open interface for using maps from other commercial vendors. Pricing depends on configuration and deployment options.

https://www.objectfx.com/

MindQ delivers three interactive Java-training packages

MindQ Publishing introduced a line of computer-based Java training solutions that are distributed on CD-ROM — “Essential Java Training,” “Advanced Java Topics,” and “Developer Training for Java.”

“Essential Java Training” is designed for individual/corporate IT professionals who are interested in learning Java fundamentals. It includes:

• An overview of Java
• Basic Java syntax
• Java for C/C++ programmers
• Objects and classes
• Advanced Java
• AWT user interface programming
• Java for managers
• A Sun Certification preparation guide

“Advanced Java Topics” is designed for developers who already understand Java and want specific-area proficiency. It comes with comprehensive code samples and reference material, and includes such courses as:

• Using the JFC
• JDBC and other databases
• Programming JavaBeans
• Java security issues
• CORBA interaction
• Java networking

“Developer Training for Java” is a combination of the above packages — a self-paced training system for from beginners to experienced programmers.

For Windows 95/NT systems, “Essential Java Training” costs 95, “Advanced Java Topics” costs 95, and “Developer Training for Java” costs ,595. This price is for a single-user, 12-month license.

“Essential Java Training”: https://www.mindq.com/product/essentialtrain.html

“Advanced Java Topics”: https://www.mindq.com/product/advancedtopics.html

“Developer Training for Java”: https://www.mindq.com/product/modulelist.html

Second Perl conference draws 1,200+

O’Reilly and Associates announced that its second conference on the Perl programming language, Perl Conference 2.0, drew more than 1,200 developers to the four-day festivities, an increase of 25 percent over last year’s show.

“We’re now seeing the critical mass along with the technical maturity,” said Larry Wall, Perl’s creator and senior software developer for O’Reilly.

“Last year, at the first Perl conference, there was a sense of raw excitement. This year, we’ve added to that a sense of confidence that Perl is getting the recognition it deserves,” he observed.

One of the announcements at the conference was the release of the new version, Perl 5.005, which includes new features such as the integration of Win32 into Perl’s core. It comes with more than 1800 pages of documentation and a comprehensive collection of Win32 modules for Perl.

Also, Netscape’s CTO and VP Tim Howes announced Netscape’s upcoming release of PerlLDAP, a product that combines Perl with the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), as open source software.

Six ,000 prizes were also awarded to “Best User Applications.”

Contest categories and winners were:

• Best End-Use Application: Carlos de la Guardia and Javier Rodriguez
• Best Software Development Tool: Ken Fox
• Best New Module: Gisle Aas
• Best System Administration Tool: Marty Cudmore and Richard Jetton
• Best Web Application Tool: Jon Udell
• The Larry Wall Award for Practical Utility: Damian Conway

The conference was followed by the Open Source Developers Day, a full-day of presentations on the practical aspects of developing open source software businesses, and the 300-participant Open Source Town Meeting.

XML developers in search of flexible data storage

XML (eXtensible Markup Language) developers have started deciding how XML data should be stored, opting for a more flexible system than that offered by traditional relational databases.

According to Allaire CTO Jeremy Allaire, “This is essentially reopening the relational-versus-object database debate. The bigger question is, can and should XML databases replace relational structures?”

So far, many developers think that the flexibility of XML doesn’t fit the rigid schemes of traditional relational databases.

“XML doesn’t map neatly at all into the kind of rows-and-columns architecture that today’s RDBMS systems are happy with,” said Tim Bray, one of the authors of the XML 1.0 specification.

Bray added, “One obvious candidate solution is to use an object-oriented database system.”

But Bray doesn’t think the solution is necessarily that simple in all situations.

“I have customers whose repositories really need to be XML-savvy, and others who are using XML heavily, but have no trouble storing the stuff in a plain-vanilla RDBMS,” Bray said. “It depends heavily on the cost/benefit trade-offs in a very application-dependent way.”

XML info: https://www.w3.org/XML/ Original article: /cgi-bin/displayStory.pl?980911.whxmldb.htm

Kinetoscope’s Versatile Intelligent Agent system Java-certified

Kinetoscope announced that its Versatile Intelligent Agent system (VIA) has earned a 100% Pure Java certification.

The VIA system is designed to help developers build intelligent agent features into applications, Web sites and intranets, designed especially for high-transaction Web sites. It comes with components for creating agent tasks, business logic, and user interfaces.

https://www.kinetoscope.com/via/default.htm

CST makes Java headlines with Jacada Innovator, Test Drive Center and ComponentServer

CST Innovator lets Java deploy COBOL apps CST introduced the Jacada Innovator, a messaging server that lets administrators deploy new or existing RPG or COBOL applications with Java or Visual Basic thin clients — and users don’t have to access them with character-based green screens.

Innovator creates an environment for high-performance communications between generated Java or VB clients and RPG or COBOL server code without having to use the 5250 or 3270 data streams.

Some of Innovator’s features include:

• A thin-client GUI builder that generates Java/VB client source code without experience in event-driven, object-oriented programming. Object-oriented GUI design rules and standards are housed in a repository, then distributed to development team members to keep them from violating standards.

• A messaging architecture that lets RPG/COBOL applications to communicate directly with the Jacada Server without using the 5250/3270 data streams.

• Translator utilities that automate the conversion of 5250/3270 program statements to Innovator message statements.

• Screen-conversion utilities that automate the conversion of DDS/BMS/MFS screen definitions to Java/VB GUIs.

The Innovator development kit is scheduled to ship in December 1998. Pricing should start at ,000 per developer seat, with pricing for deployment licenses starting at 0,000 per server/per platform.

https://www.cst.com/News/PR25.htm CST announces a test-drive center CST unveiled the Jacada Innovator Test Drive Center, a place where potential customers can test the Innovator messaging server scheduled for delivery in December 1998.

Innovator is a messaging server and IDE that allows RPG/COBOL applications to communicate directly with Java/VB clients without using the 5250/3270 data streams.

When it opens in November 1998, the center will be specifically for AS/400 customers and partners. It will be staffed by CST employees and members of the IBM AS/400 Custom Technology Center (CTC) in Rochester, NY. The center will also provide conversion services to migrate RPG/COBOL applications to the Innovator architecture.

https://www.cst.com/TestDrive/Welcome.htm

CST debuts Jacada ComponentServer CST introduced the Jacada ComponentServer, a Java-delivered server that lets 5250/3270 legacy-style applications easily integrate with newer application development/delivery technologies.

ComponentServer gives users access to 5250- and 3270-style applications without having to modify the applications or data structures. It’s a specialized application server that is delivered in Java.

To deliver access, ComponentServer doesn’t require that legacy applications had to have been built using modular language techniques (according to IBM officials, less that 15 percent of COBOL/RPG apps are) and it doesn’t require any wrappering technologies (which makes using the application’s included business logic difficult). Instead, ComponentServer delivers access to those applications at the data stream level by exposing individual transactions and providing access through a Java API.

The first ComponentServer API will be a Java wrapper class. APIs (called “Adapters” by CST) to follow will include support for Enterprise JavaBeans, IIOP, MQSeries, and DCOM.

ComponentServer runs on Windows NT and AS/400 servers as a Java application, with support for S/390 and general Unix planned for early 1999. The commercial shipping date for the first version is scheduled for December 1998.

https://www.cst.com/Products/JacadaCS.htm

infoExpress, CRYPTOCard collaborate for better security

infoExpress and CRYPTOCard announced that they will be working together to build complete interoperability between their products.

infoExpress produces VTCP/Secure, a virtual private network security product, and CRYPTOCard makes network-access authentication products, such as CRYPTOAdmin or the Java-based software tokens. With the joint effort, VTCP/Secure customers will get a token-based VPN system.

VTCP/Secure delivers secure entrée to enterprise networks for remote users accessing high-speed Internet connections by encrypting and authenticating data that is moving over open, untrusted networks.

The CRYPTOCard authentication tokens will add a two-factor authentication model (the physical token and the ethereal PIN number) to the already secure VPN by using a random one-time password and secure algorithm architecture.

infoExpress: https://www.InfoExpress.com/ CRYPTOCard: https://www.cryptocard.com

Conextions, Bluestone build Sapphire module to integrate Expresso

Conextions announced that it has developed a Sapphire/Integration Module (SIM), designed to integrate Bluestone Software’s Sapphire/Web application server framework with Conextions’ Expresso legacy-integration software.

Enterprise-level customers will be able to craft a system that smoothly runs from back-end legacy systems (with their existing applications, logic and data) to the new out-in-the-world Web-based technologies

The new SIM comes with the Expresso SDK for Java, helping it to link to Sapphire’s Universal Business Server (UBS) with Conextions’ ExpressoServer.

With the integration module, newly minted Internet applications can be wedded to mainframe apps.

Conextions: https://www.conextions.com/ Bluestone: https://www.bluestone.com/

EquitySoft debuts IconPainter Java icon editor

EquitySoft announced its release of the beta version of IconPainter, a Java icon editor based on the Java 2D API.

Written in Java 1.2, IconPainter can craft any size icon in 16-million colors. In addition, IconPainter:

• Allows transparent overlays and supports subtle color blends;
• Comes with such predefined shapes as circle, ellipse, rectangle, triangle, user-defined polygon, as well as quadratic and cubic curve drawing;
• Automatically anti-aliases to create smooth lines and curves;
• Allows the addition of text (in any size and in any Java 1.2 font);
• Allows any drawing to be filled with a gradient shading;
• Can rotate and shift graphics in any direction;
• Supports undo/redo and flood fill; and
• Can cut and import a section of an external image.

The beta, for Solaris and Windows systems, is free. It includes Java Activator, but you’ll need to install Sun’s Java 1.2 beta 4 to run it.

https://www.kagi.com/EquitySoft/IconPainter.html

Flashline online store built with JRun

Flashline.com announced that its recently opened digital products Web site was constructed with Live Software’s JRun Server Pages (JSP) technology, a component of the company’s JRun Scripting Toolkit 1.0.

Flashline.com’s goal is to build an online market where customers can pick up fonts, software components, and the like.

“After five years programming using CGI, Java Server Pages are a dream come true.,” said Flashline.com CEO and president, Charles Stack. “They run three times as fast and are 10 times easier and safer to program. They also allow for separation of code and HTML.”

JRun Server Pages is a server-side scripting language that lets developers craft Java-based HTML documents by embedding Java components and APIs in HTML documents. It is an implementation and extension of the Java Server Pages specification.

Flashline: https://www.flashline.com/ JRun: https://www.jrun.com/

Red Rock TRAQtix 1.1 tracks projects in multisystem environs

Red Rock Software released TRAQtix 1.1, an upgrade to the company’s Web-based time and project tracking product that runs on Windows and MacOS servers.

TRAQtix 1.1 also offers cross-platform file compatibility. New product features include customized invoice generation and a Java-based desktop timer.

TRAQtix requires network TCP/IP running between client (browsers must support JavaScript and frames) and server (which has to be running FileMaker Pro 4.0 on Windows 95/NT or MacOS 7.5). The Java Timer needs a JDK 1.1.5 environment such as JRE 1.1.5 for Windows or MRJ 2.0 for MacOS 8.1.

TRAQtix costs 99 for five users and 0 for each additional user. A 30-day free trial version is available.

https://www.traqtix.com/

Zero G signs up four for InstallAnywhere

Zero G Software announced that Apple, IBM, Inprise and ObjectShare have decided to bundle its InstallAnywhere software with their products.

InstallAnywhere is Zero G’s tool for deploying and installing Java applications across multiple platforms.

Apple plans to include the entry-level version of InstallAnywhere (IA Now!) with the MacOS Runtime for Java software development kit. IBM will include it with the VisualAge Object Connection Partners CD. Inprise will be bundling with JBuilder and ObjectShare with Parts for Java.

InstallAnywhere Now! costs 49.

https://www.ZeroG.com/html/products.html

Object International splits Together UML modeler into three products

Object International announced that it has split its Together UML modeler into three separate products to focus on specific needs — Together/J 2.1, Together/C++ 2.1, and Together/Enterprise 2.1.

New features in Together/J (for Java), Together/C++ (for C++), and Together/Enterprise (for Java and C++) hinge on simultaneous round-trip engineering.

Also, version 2.1 sports generation of CORBA-IDL and COM-IDL, Java and JPython as scripting languages, and automatic code construction for both JGL and JDK containers.

Together/J and Together/C++ come in three editions: Whiteboard (intended for solo use), Standard (intended for a small group of developers), and Developer (intended for a larger group in a midsize company).

Together/Enterprise takes the above versions and adds features to facilitate enterprise-wide application development. It is intended for programmers in a large company, working in multilanguage systems.

https://www.togethersoft.com/

Tek-Tools jTicket offers browser access to Remedy AR System

Tek-Tools announced the release of jTicket, a Java-client applet that lets users submit, query and modify any Remedy AR System from a Java-capable browser.

The AR System is an action-request, three-tier enterprise framework that includes a database-access layer, a workflow server engine, a client help-desk, an asset-management, and change-management applications.

The Java browser users access jTicket scripts that reside alongside the Remedy API on a Web server. The scripts use the API to access the corporate database.

The jTicket client lets users access the AR System while maintaining the same views, active links and dynamic menus (from the AR System) to which they’ve become accustomed.

AR System users log onto the AR System through their browsers, then jTicket automatically reads and builds a view of their particular AR System schema, letting users submit, query, or modify their tickets from anywhere in the world.

jTicket features include:

• Cascading menus
• Dynamic query menus
• Macro support for submit/query/modify
• Active link support for preset fields, field changes, message boxes, and SQL statements

jTicket costs ,000 per Web server. It requires version 3.0 of the Remedy AR System; Solaris or Windows NT as the Web server platform; Apache 1.3, MS IIS 3.0, or Netscape Enterprise 3.0 as the Web server; and a Java-enabled browser.

https://www.tek-tools.com/jticket/index.html

Get ready for Java exam with Axtive’s JCertify

Axtive Software debuted JCertify, a training tool designed to help programmers prepare for the Certified Java Programmer for JDK 1.1 Examination.

JCertify lets programmers practice and take simulated exams, as many times as they need, and includes the following features:

• Easy to installation and use (no CLASSPATH or other environment variable modifications are necessary);
• Customizable exam, so programmers can focus on problem areas;
• Detailed explanations of answers; and
• Source code examples on such areas as garbage collection, writing and displaying international text, object-oriented methodologies, and threads.

The JCertify GUI was built using the JForge Swing GUI builder.

JCertify costs 0 and runs on Windows 95/98 and NT 4.0 platforms.

https://www.axtive.com/jcertify

Symposium on smart cards educates industry

The Smart Card Forum recently sponsored its sixth annual conference in San Francisco titled “Accelerating the Marketplace: Competition, Collaboration & Consumer Confidence.”

Designed to provide an in-depth analysis, hands-on investigations of issues, and idea exchanges for newcomers, the symposium also educated the experienced smart-card market professionals.

Offerings included:

• The Smart Card Forum Educational Institute’s all-day introductory course, designed to teach the basics of smart-card technologies and show attendees how to apply those basics to the business environment.

• Addresses from industry luminaries
  • Hatim Tyabji, former CEO of VeriFone, analyzed the smart-card industry
  • HP’s Charlie House commented on technological innovation within a business environment
• Three separate case studies highlighted different industry perspectives: The first compared a closed environment with an open one based on actual pilot programs; the second examined pilot programs from both a consumer and merchant viewpoint, covering the advantages and disadvantages for stakeholders; and the last included a panel of representatives from different industries, talking about their experiences.

The Smart Card Forum is a multi-industry organization of 200 members, Its goal is to speed and spread the acceptance of multiple application smart card technology, both in the public and private sectors.

https://www.smartcardforum.org/meetings/1998/annual/am6.htm

Java game launcher springs free Jazz Jackrabbit 2 game

The World Opponent Network (WON) announced that Epic Megagames’ new Jazz Jackrabbit 2 will be distributed by a new Java-based game launcher, which requires only the game install download.

Jazz Jackrabbit is a multilevel challenge populated by Jazz, a green rabbit, his brother Spaz, assorted danger characters, and in this version, other online opponents.

WON is a free online gaming site started by Cendant Corp.

https://www.won.net/gamerooms/arcade/jazz

Microware sports DAVID 2.2 digi-A/V decoder system

Microware Systems Corp. announced that version 2.2 of DAVID, its interactive digital audio/visual decoder, is available.

DAVID 2.2, based on Microware’s OS-9 real-time operating system, has been licensed by more than 20 companies to implement in DTV set-top decoders. It supports the company’s PersonalJava for OS-9, so developers can build Java applications for the set-tops.

DAVID 2.2 complies both with the U.S.-based ATSC and Europe-based DVB standards. It is referenced to the Motorola Hellcat platform, and lets manufacturers design devices that don’t require extensive porting.

The company also announced MHEG-5 Content Decoder, its interactive digital video decoder from specifications drawn by the Multimedia Hypermedia Expert Group.

The MHEG-5 Content Decoder, a digital multimedia system product based on core technology from CCETT, provides specific control of the programming that viewers receive, while using up only minimal processor and memory power. It is destined for next-generation set-top boxes in Europe and will be a requirement for future European video deployment.

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

PE GenScope app uses EJBs to profile genetic code

PE GenScope announced that it is porting a distributed gene-expression profiling application from a C++ server to an EJB version, PowerTier for EJB, from Persistence Software.

The PE GenScope app crunches the data from tests that determine the number of genes that are active in a given cell. Doing that encompasses comparing between 50,000 and 100,000 (the number of genes in a single cell) data objects with an even larger number of sample data objects (genes from diseased and control samples) on the fly.

By porting the three-tier distributed PE GenScope app to a Java-based server, users can now access the app via a Java client.

By rewriting the core code in Java to be able to use EJB services in the middle tier of the app, PE GenScope’s principal software engineer George Morris foresees better developer productivity, safer memory management, and enhanced application performance.

“It [Java] gives you great productivity gains, especially in a distributed environment,” Morris said. “In C++, if you pass a pointer to an [object request broker] or library of code, you could have dangling pointers or a memory leak. With C++, there’s lots of memory-management problems. Java relieves all that.”

Morris also said that EJBs will allow the developers to focus on writing server logic, since the EJB container can handle such transactions as multiple-client requests, in-memory object caching, object-to-relational mapping, and load monitoring.

PowerTier for EJB: https://www.persistence.com/EJB.html PE GenScope: https://www.perkin-elmer.com/press/prc5309.html Original article: https://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19980902S0006

Systembureau chooses Objectivity/DB for Java

Objectivity announced that Systembureau has selected its Objectivity/DB for Java to use in Systembureau’s new Java-based intranet editing system code-named ‘Amsterdam.’

Amsterdam is designed as a Java-based solution to organize the building, management, and presentation of extensive sets of documents and programs typically found on an organization’s intranet.

With Objectivity/DB, Amsterdam delivers figures, text, and graphics components into the database instead of using them to build completed HTML pages; the objects are then quickly accessible for document pages from the database.

And modifying and accessing them becomes easier, since on the database, they are stored as Java objects — which also gives developers features that HTML doesn’t have, namely indexing, object maps, arrays, and multithreading.

https://www.objectivity.com/Products/Java/Objy5JAVA.htm

ProSyst trumpets Champion EJB server

ProSyst introduced its upcoming, middle-tier Enterprise JavaBeans server, code-named ‘Champion,’ which is designed as a development tool to build, manage, and deploy distributed component-based applications.

Champion will support interoperable distributed applications through RMI, CORBA, and messaging calls. Both the client and the server side of this software is Java based.

Champion is compatible:

• With such IDEs as Inprise JBuilder, Symantec Visual Cafe, IBM VisualAge for Java, NetDynamics, and Sybase PowerJ;
• Over JDBC with such DBMS as Oracle, Informix, SQL Server, Sybase, DB2, Ingres, Adabas D, and SQLBase;
• With such Java platforms as those from Sun, Microsoft, IBM, Digital, HP, Netscape, and Novell.

The server delivers secure communications, including SSL support. It also offers remote component and object invocation from client-to-server, server-to-client, server-to-server, and client-to-client over ORB and RMI.

https://www.prosyst.com/prosyst/champion.htm

idetix debuts Revize distributed-content manager

idetix announced Revize, a Java-based client/server application designed to manage a distributed-system and allow updates to that content through a Web browser.

Revize comes in handy for updating Web-based content on various sites without needing to use HTML. A central administrator decides who can access and modify content.

It comes with its own default database, but it can also use any ODBC- or JDBC-compliant database. Successfully tested databases include Microsoft Access (through ODBC), Sybase SQL Server (through ODBC and JDBC), and Oracle7 and 8 (through ODBC and JDBC).

The Revize client is a Java 1.02-enabled (or higher) browser, which can also be used as a standalone client.

Revize requires:

• TCP/IP connectivity with a fixed IP server address
• 15MB of disk space for install (not including growing databases)
• 10MB RAM (32 recommended)
• JVM 1.02 or better (it ships with a JVM for Solaris and Windows)
• A Web server

Revize costs 95 and has been successfully tested on Windows 95/98 and NT 4.0, Solaris 2.5 (min.), IRIX 5.3, and HP-UX 11. There is a 30-day trial version available.

https://www.revize.com/

alphaWorks debuts Install Toolkit for Java

IBM’s alphaWorks announced Install Toolkit for Java, a Java product that lets developers write install programs for Java and non-Java programs.

Install Toolkit for Java lets developers craft Java or non-Java (AIX, Linux, OS/2, Solaris, Windows NT/95) install software.

Program features/functions include:

• Files: copy, read, create, modify, versions, batch
• Directories: create, delete
• Registry: read, create, modify, delete, enumerate
• Folders, shortcuts, and icons
• Environment variables: read, create, modify, delete
• Dependency checking of prerequisite programs
• Log: install, uninstall
• Installation to multiple destination directories from multiple source directories
• Recovery of previous version when uninstalling latest version (backup of files replaced)
• Customizable GUI panels: AskText, AskText2, AttentionDialog, Dest, Folder, Info, Information, License, OkCancel, Options, Select1, Select2, Select3, SelectFile, SetupComplete, Welcome, YesNo, YesNoCopy
• Java as the scripting base
• Multiple language support (NLS)
• Simple install wizard

The next version should add such features as installation from Web browsers, management of AUTOEXEC and CONFIG.SYS, and registry-equivalent functionality on non-Windows platforms.

Installing the software only requires the install.class file. It runs on AIX, Linux, OS/2, Solaris, and Windows 95/NT systems.

https://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/formula/

Sun and Picis co-create medical infosystem

Sun and Picis, a manufacturer of perioperative and critical-care information solutions, announced plans to collaborate on a Java-based clinical information systems solution for Solaris environments.

The system, developed in a Java, Domino, and Lotus Devpak environment, is designed to share point-of-care data from operating rooms, intensive care units, and other critical-care situations either over the Internet or corporate intranets.

Features of the Picis system include:

• Email utilities
• A search engine
• On-the-fly language-selection abilities
• Real-time Webcam feeds (and Webcam units)
• Server-based productivity software, including a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation programs

“In the past, we have been tied to NT servers,” according to Picis founder/CTO, Dr. Leo Montejo. “Now, we are truly multiplatform.”

He added that the company discovered that current Solaris servers deliver “superior price/performance compared to NT servers when deploying our new Internet and intranet applications.”

The system is scheduled for delivery early next year.

O’Reilly’s latest giant lets you “Swing” to Java

O’Reilly and Associates announced Java Swing (ISBN: 1-56592-455-X), its latest offering to inform developers how to get the most out of Swing and the Java Foundation Classes.

The book also bears the distinction of being the largest book O’Reilly has ever published at 1256 pages and three-and-a-third pounds.

Co-authors Bob Eckstein, Marc Loy, and Dave Wood wrote Java Swing to help bridge the gap between AWT and the more-complicated Swing, to explain its new components and containers, and the changes to the existing ones.

For more information, check out the interview with the authors.

Incidentally, co-author Marc Loy is currently writing an article for JavaWorld that will demonstrate how to fix a simple but critical hole in the Swing HTMLEditorKit.

https://java.oreilly.com/news/swing_0998.html