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More IDEs than Ever in the Swing

By Mark Andrews
About The Great
IDE Roundup

In this section, The Swing Connection brings you reports on tools for Swing developers -- including integrated development environments, source-code editors, and Swing component builders. The articles in this section are not conventional reviews; The Great IDE Roundup doesn't make comparitive judgments award ratings. Rather, we report our general impressions of the products we try out, and let you hand out the awards.

As autumn begins, there are so many new IDEs (integrated development environments) that we're now preparing to update every IDE review in this section.

Borland, Oracle, Sybase, IBM, Symantec, Visaj, and many smaller software manufacturers premiered new or updated Swing-ready development tools at the JavaOne '99 conference in San Franciso.

This article lists and describes a number new or recently updated Swing-friendly development tools that have recently burst on the scene. Here's a summary of some of the most exciting new products introduced at (or at about the same time as) Java One::

  • Oracle has unvieled JDeveloper Suite 2.0, a giant software package that provides a complete Java development environment for developing and deploying applications ranging from Java and HTML clients to server-based business components for the Internet computing platform. The JDeveloper Suite 2.0 includes JDeveloper 2.0, Oracle8i, Oracle Application Server 4.0, Oracle Procedure Builder 6.0, Oracle Lite 3.6, and an online book, Thinking In Java, by Bruce Eckels.

  • Sybase has released PowerJ™ 3.0, a key part of the new Sybase Enterprise Application Studio™ 3.0. EAStudio 3.0 is an integrated set of application development and deployment product sthat also includes Enterprise Application Server™ 3.0 and PowerBuilder® 7.0. A key component in the EAStudio package is the Web DataWindow™, designed to help developers create ultra-thin-client Internet applications with point-and-click simplicity.

  • Symantec has announced the release of its VisualCafé Enterprise Suite, a Java programming language IDE designed for "the heterogeneous enterprise." Enterprise Suite features powerful database functionality, new productivity features, new support for server-side development, and distributed debugging capabilities to simplify enterprise application development using Java technology. Symantic says that "VisualCafé Enterprise Suite is the most mature and open Java development environment backed by extensive industry-wide support."

  • IBM has premiered VisualAge for Java Version 3.0, an integrated development environment for writing, compiling and testing 100% Pure Java applets, servlets, Java stored procedures and JavaBeans for enterprise e-business applications. New features in VisualAge for Java include improved integration with IBM DB2 Universal Database and with IBM's WebSphere family of application-development tools. IBM sys the debut of VisualAge for Java 3.0, will "make it easier than ever to quickly and securely develop e-business applications and extend existing data to the Web."

  • Borland has introduced JBuilder 3, a major new version of the Borland family of visual development tools for creating platform independent Java business and database applications. JBuilder 3 offers added support for the JavaTM 2 platform and simplifies the creation of platform-independent business and database applications, distributed enterprise applications, and JavaBeansTM components.

  • Tek-tools has introduced Kawa 3.22, a maintenance release of its popular Kawa source-code editor, JForge 2.61, a Swing-based component builder. Together, Kawa and JForge provide what Tek-Tools bills as a "simple, yet powerful" GUI toolkit for Swing programmers. You can download free evaluation copies of both tools from the Tek-tools Internet site.

  • NetBeans has released DeveloperX2 for Java 2, which it calls "the first Java IDE to fully support Java 2 and Swing 1.1, DeveloperX2 is the latest addition to the NetBeans Developer family of IDEs. Developer 2X, which was created and built using Swing, comes with an integrated text editor, a debugger, and a compiler. It features pluggable look-and-feel compatibility, a dedicated form editor with support for various layout managers, components from the KLGroup, and more. You can download a free trial version of DeveloperX2 from the NetBeans Web site.

  • Metrowerks has announced Release 4 of CodeWarrior for Java, described as "the only multi-platform Java development tool set for the serious Java programmer." In releasing Version 4, the company declared: "CodeWarrior has everything you need for real cross platform Java development. The CodeWarrior Integrated Development Environment includes all of the foundation components for Java development including a project manager, editor, browser, compiler, and debugger. It offers full support for JDK 1.2, JDK 1.1.6, and JFC (including Swing)."

  • Omnicore has premiered a beta version of CodeGuide, a new code editor built using JFC. For a free download, visit the company's Web site. Omnicore says that CodeGuide, written in 100% Pure Java, is "an intelligent editor which analyzes your Java source code as you type. CodeGuide is able to find program errors during the creation time of your programs." A free download is available from the company's Web site.

  • JEdit, an open-source code editor that available from the Giant Java Tree under the GNU general public license, will soon be released in a new JFC 1.2-compatitble version to be known as Version 1.6. JEdit is written completely in Java using the Swing component set. You can download an early-access version of Release 1.6 -- or -- from the Release 1.5.1, which is the current version -- from the www.git.org Web site.

  • BlueJ: Synkronix has announced the release of BlueJTM, a new graphical application development tool. BlueJ is written entirely in the JavaTM programming language, so it runs on any graphics-capable platform. BlueJ generates programs using AWT components, JFC components, Synkronix-tailored components, and with JavaBeansTM components. A full review will appear soon in this section. Meanwhile, you can obtain more information about BlueJ at the company's Web site, http://www.synkronix.com/bluej.html.

Watch upcoming issues of The Swing Connection for new articles about all these new and updated Swing-ready development products.


Articles in This Section

JBuilder 2 Is Built for Swing: The Swing Connection tries out JBuilder 2, a popular IDE from Inprise.
PowerJ Is Ready for Swing: A report on a leader in database connectivity, PowerJ from Sybase.
Visual Cafe 3.0 Features Swing: TSC examines a perennial favorite, Symantec's Visual Cafe.
VisualAge Sets Sights on Swing: We take IBM's popular VisualAge IDE out for a test drive.
Visaj Teams Up with Swing: TSC tries out Visage, a rather unconventional Swing component builder.
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