Continue report from the NetBeans Software and JavaOne2006 conference in San Francisco

I join the NetBeans Software Day at the 2006 JavaOne Conference and JavaOne conference.

Some more interesting things from those events:

- The JavaOne conference of course had lot of session about Java EE 5.0 that was finishing some days before the conference. It is funny it was not a big happing during JavaOne that they released this huge improved version of Java EE. I think it was because developers have waiting so long for this release and most of us know a lot about this release already. Anyway I went for some EJB 3 sessions and I must say it look really nice, include in EJB 3.0 is also a new Java Persistence API (JPA). There was not so much talk about Hibernate, look to me EJB 3.0 have been accepted as a good alternative instead of using Hibernate.
- Java ME/CDC1.1 is now really hot, must of us developer working in the Java Mobility area has waiting for that a long time. At JavaOne it was showed clearly with:
1) This the first release of a SavaJe based phone called Jasper S20, the first commercial handset to run all applications in Java technology
2) Netbeans support Java ME/CDC with this new NetBeans Mobility Pack 5.5 for CDC Preview
3) Sun released the Sun Java Wireless toolkit is for CLDC
4) Company like Nokia and Motorala will soon release more devices supporting the Java ME/CDC platform. I believe there will come many Java ME/CDC devices during 2007.
- Interesting is also there will soon come some new GUI toolkit, that will replace AWT for the Java ME/CDC platform: AGUI toolkit (JSR-209) and eswt (Nokia and IBM promote it a lot). Nokia talk about eSWT for Next Generation Java in Nokia platforms, but eSWT is not a JCP standard.
- Sun promoted the Netbeans platform very hard during JavaOne, in keynotes and in technical session and in the JavaOne Pavilion. Sun strategy is to move all there products into the Netbeans platform and I think they will have success with this.
- I became interested in the Open Source database Apache Derby after I went to a technical session about Derby. I realize Derby also supports the Java ME/CDC platform and for me it is really interesting. Later I got information from a developer that have using Derby with J9 on a Pocket PC 2003, he told me:
“I have really given up on Derby as the memory footprint is just too big. You need to 8-16 Mb to really operate properly. Derby will not load a 20,000 row table with one index in 8 meg including your app, that's just doing the inserts, never mind starting to do queries!.
However, I have just the other day discovered db4o... wow this is something else! the best bit of software I have seen since google earth.
It's not an SQL database it's an Object database. Rather than me harping on about it here, take a look for yourself, it's simply amazing.
I now have my application working great, it's faster, easier and handles even bigger tables... and currently all in under 3 meg. It does take a bit of getting used to, as they is no joins. But once you do, there is no going back!
- They talked about Project Tango, SUN engineers have working with Microsoft (WCF) engineers to ensure interoperability of enterprise features in Webservices. They have now Open Source the work they have done in Tango and they called it WSIT.
- I went to a technical session about Mobile Operational Management (JSR-232), just to JavaOne they released a Public Review about it. I think this JSR will be very important for us developer in the future.
- I also went to technical session about Java Card Next generation, it was really interesting, they plan to have a webserver on the JavaCard and support access to the JavaCard with normal IP, to simplify it for developer. Really cool but this JSR will come out during 2007 and products 2008, with normal delays….2009
- AJAX was hot during JavaOne, but not for me!!I think it is time for SWING applications, with Matisse it has really get easier to develop GUI application both for Java SE and Java ME/CDC1.1 platforms.
- It look like companies supporting Open Source have easier to get attention in the JavaOne pavilion, lots of people visit sun and Jboss’s booths, but not so many people in BEA, Borland booths. Of course these company will say they support Open Source, but the main different is that they sell there products.

to be continued …..