Sun Unveils New Java Platform For Rich Internet Applications

Santa Clara, California-based Sun Microsystems Inc has launched a brand new Java platform that promises to provide more power to Web developers and content-authors with features that enrich Internet-specific applications.

Christened JavaFX, version 1 of the software is available for download here: http://www.javafx.com/downloads/windows.jsp. The product is available free of cost.

Claimed as the “next big innovation”, JavaFX is at its core a rich-client platform that developers can use to build cross-device applications and embed immersive media content. JavaFX takes away the headache faced by developers of making sure that apps developed by them fit within the demands and constraints of devices of diverse form factors, and also run smoothly on any standard browser or operating system. This covers the entire range of computing machines, from desktops to the mobiles.

The present release has the following components: an SDK with the tools of developer trade, NetBeans 6.5 which is an IDE, and Production Suite that has tools and plugins which allow designers to export graphical assets to JavaFX applications. Web designers can use the JavaFX Production Suite for integration with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, two of the most popular design applications. Additionally, a “Media Factory” component has an SVG Converter tool to transform SVG graphics into JavaFX format, and a “Viewer” that lets graphical assets to be viewed while the final version is getting ready.

Read more about the new Java Platform launch here.