JavaWorldBeans.html

Prepared by doug@mscs.mu.edu Douglas Harris

Bean customization
Building a bevy of beans JavaBeans has transformed Java from a simple language to a powerful RAD platform; learn how you can get the most from this new Java paradigm.: By Merlin Hughes
Summary
JavaBeans has ushered Java into a whole new era. Not only does it provide a rapid application development (RAD) environment, but it also offers a general framework for the development of reusable code libraries. And reusability is what it's all about. In this article, the first of two, we will step through the development of two JavaBeans components. We will cover, along the way, general issues of JavaBeans programming, properties, and custom events; beans customizers; and the use of the BeanBox. Next month's installment will conclude this series with a discussion of more beans and more advanced JavaBeans development topics. (August 1997, 6,000 words)

The BeanBox: Sun's JavaBeans test container Learn how to use this valuable testing tool.: By Mark Johnson
Summary
To ease JavaBeans development, Sun has created the BeanBox, a test container for JavaBeans. Although the BeanBox is far from being a full-blown development environment, it's quite adequate for testing your bean code to see if it works when the bean is actually inside a container. In this mini- tutorial, you'll download and install the BeanBox. Then you'll learn how to use the BeanBox to change a bean's properties, produce a report of the a bean's methods, "wire" beans together into small applications, and then save these little applications to disk files. (September 1997, 2,000 words)

A walking tour of JavaBeans What JavaBeans is, how it works, and why you want to use it.: By Mark Johnson
Summary
The success of systems like Borland's Delphi and Microsoft's Visual Basic have brought a great deal of attention to the concept of software components. Java has now entered the ring with its own component software specification, JavaBeans. This article gives a high-level description of JavaBeans, explains why it's useful to developers, and introduces basic JavaBeans concepts. (August 1997, 2,800 words)

Reflections on Java, Beans, and relational databases Here's how to get to your relational database with the new 1.1 APIs.: By Sandor Spruit
Summary
The 1.1 version of the Java Development Kit (JDK) contains new APIs for database access (JDBC) and components (JavaBeans). Together, these two APIs allow for the development of generic database code. A single class to access any JDBC database -- with the code specific to each individual application isolated in separate components. This means you won't have to update any database code with each minor change in a database's structure. (September 1997, 3,200 words)

The BeanBox: Sun's JavaBeans test container Learn how to use this valuable testing tool.: By Mark Johnson
Summary
To ease JavaBeans development, Sun has created the BeanBox, a test container for JavaBeans. Although the BeanBox is far from being a full-blown development environment, it's quite adequate for testing your bean code to see if it works when the bean is actually inside a container. In this mini- tutorial, you'll download and install the BeanBox. Then you'll learn how to use the BeanBox to change a bean's properties, produce a report of the a bean's methods, "wire" beans together into small applications, and then save these little applications to disk files. (September 1997, 2,000 words)

IBM's AppletAuthor grinds JavaBeans First JavaBeans-based authoring tool set provides point-and-click ease of use for enhancing Web pages.: By Kieron Murphy
(January 1997)

A portable hill of beans New Java Beans API brings object-orientation's grail of portability and reuse to the Java industry.: By Rawn Shah
Summary
Java is expanding so fast there's a chance it could run out of control. Javasoft's new Java Beans application programming interface (API) is an attempt to make a uniform interface to applets and Java objects irrespective of the environment they are placed in. The Java Beans API will make Java code written for Netscape, Microsoft, or OpenDoc environments interoperable without the need for any changes. This article previews the highlights of Java Beans. (September 1996, 2,400 words)

Netscape DevCon: Andreessen pushes JavaBean components At recent conference in San Jose, CA, Netscape CTO discusses distributed apps.: By Lynda Radosevich, Jim Balderston
(July 1997, 4,650 words)

"Gang of Four" to extend CORBA to support JavaBeans Together IBM, Netscape, Oracle, and Sun Microsystems publish position paper.: By Ed Scannell
(July 1997, 4,650 words)

JavaBeans vs. ActiveX: Strategic analysis The philosophies, marketing strategies, and agendas of Sun and Microsoft. The first in a 3-part series.: By Michael Shoffner
Summary
JavaSoft and Microsoft currently are battling to get you to buy into JavaBeans and ActiveX, their respective component frameworks. At stake for JavaSoft and Microsoft is a large portion of the software infrastructure of the Internet and corporate intranets. At stake for software developers large and small is the future viability of the codebase they develop today. Choosing the correct model now increases value later. Backing the wrong horse could prove disastrous. (February 1997)

JavaBeans and ActiveX go head to head Don't choose until you've considered these 5 issues crucial to developers.

By Merlin Hughes
Summary
On the off chance that you've spent the past several months offline, you may not be aware of the raging battle over component frameworks. As is often the case with such battles, the opponents have a lot at stake, and the information they offer may not be altogether objective. That can be confusing. And that's a shame.

Both ActiveX and JavaBeans (from Microsoft and JavaSoft, respectively) can be used for Internet/intranet development, as we found out in last month's strategic analysis, but these two component frameworks are broadly different in scope. How do you know which is right for you? In this article I answer to the fundamental technical questions crucial to developers -- "How do they work?" "What can they do?" "Which is right for you?" -- so you determine which component object model best suits your needs. To top it off, I include in the In practice section a close look (complete with scores!) at how well each performs in five critical areas: availability, capability, security, interoperability, and cross- platformability.

Are you ready? Let's talk turkey. (March 1997, 4,200 words)

JavaBeans make their debut at JavaOne JavaSoft enters the Bean component to a chorus of vendor support.: By Gregory S. Smith
Summary
By now you've heard about Sun's JavaBeans components. This article describes the current state of JavaBeans, including the possibilities Beans open up for developers and non-developers alike as well as the potential problems Beans introduce. The article ends with a roadmap outlining future Bean developments. (May 1997, 1,250 words)

Java Beans glue applets together JavaSoft announces component architecture initiative.: By George Lawton
(June 1996)

Competing components make for prickly panelists Find out what sparked a debate between proponents of JavaBeans and ActiveX at Web Design & Development '97.: By Jill Steinberg
(March 1997)

JavaBeans: properties, events, and thread safety Find out what measures you can take to ensure your beans survive in the real-life environment of a multithreaded application.: By Laurence Vanhelsuwe
Summary
The JavaBeans standard is a 100% Pure Java creature, which means that the standard exists on top of established Java programming rules and conventions -- not alongside them. One technicality that Java programmers must always take into consideration is code reentrancy, or multithread safety. With bean properties and bean events, the two pillars of the JavaBeans standard, you must be keenly aware of this potential pitfall. The following article shows you why. (September 1997, 3,700 words)

A walking tour of JavaBeans What JavaBeans is, how it works, and why you want to use it.: By Mark Johnson
Summary
The success of systems like Borland's Delphi and Microsoft's Visual Basic have brought a great deal of attention to the concept of software components. Java has now entered the ring with its own component software specification, JavaBeans. This article gives a high-level description of JavaBeans, explains why it's useful to developers, and introduces basic JavaBeans concepts. (August 1997, 2,800 words)

Sun to brew Enterprise JavaBeans "Platform for the Enterprise" to be revealed this summer.: By Niall McKay
(August 1997, 2,700 words)

"Double Shot, Half Decaf, Skinny Latte" -- Customize your Java How to tailor JavaBeans to fit your application.: By Mark Johnson
Summary
Customizable components allow you, as a developer, to "have it your way." Customizable JavaBeans have properties that an application developer can modify -- for example, changing the appearance and/or operation of a particular bean. In this article, you'll read about how JavaBeans customization works. We'll discuss properties, getter and setter methods, bound and constrained properties, and design patterns that make customization a snap. Then, we'll look at property editors and customizers. As we go along, we'll add customization to an existing JavaBean. (September 1997, 4,400 words)

Building a bevy of beans: Create reusable JavaBeans components With the basics of beans in the bag, you're now ready to see how easy it is to develop more advanced beans.: By Merlin Hughes
Summary
JavaBeans: visual, reusable software components. We can rebuild them. We have the technology. We can make them better than before -- better, stronger, faster. More powerful than any bean alive -- the six-million dollar JavaBean. Well, maybe not six million, but who knows what can happen if you play your cards (I mean your beans) right.
JavaBeans, the important new component software model from Sun, introduces the rapid applications development methodology to Java and presents a standard framework for the development of reusable software components. In this, the conclusion of our two-part mini-series, we finish the development of our suite of beans by looking at constructing beans from other beans. We also examine a simple application written using these components that further demonstrates software use of JavaBeans. Along the way, we'll encounter more beans, observable properties, inner classes, and programmatic access to JavaBeans components. (September 1997, 4,800 words)

JavaSoft cooking up some next-generation JavaBeans With "Glasgow" and "Edinburgh" developers can add component functionality.: By Ed Scannell, Cara Cunningham
(May 1997, 2,800 words)

News and New Product Briefs (7/1/97): By Kane Scarlett
Summary
Netscape spills its Beans strategy; Dell laughes at idea of NC, goes with NetPC; Find out which tool is first to get 100% Pure Java certified; Better give up the search for the JavaStation this summer; Sun claims it has it all over Intel on Java speed; Oracle DB will be Java-less; and more! (July 1997)

Netscape DevCon: a Java programmer's diary Netscape coins "crossware" -- What does it mean for Java?.: By Bret Sommers
Summary
At last week's DevCon (June 11-13 in San Jose, CA), Netscape reinforced its support for Java, adopting JavaBeans as its component model of choice. JavaWorld correspondent Bret Sommers provides observations from the show floor, and puts the announcements into perspective for Java developers. (July 1997, 1,200 words)

Sun to brew Enterprise JavaBeans "Platform for the Enterprise" to be revealed this summer.: By Niall McKay
(August 1997, 2,700 words)

Sun and Apple plan intranet, multimedia alliance Java Beans/OpenDOC interoperability is in the works, and Microsoft is hard pressed to deliver on its multiplatform, open claims for ActiveX.: By Sari Kalin
(October 1996)

JavaSoft cooking up some next-generation JavaBeans With "Glasgow" and "Edinburgh" developers can add component functionality.: By Ed Scannell, Cara Cunningham
(May 1997, 2,800 words)

"Gang of Four" to extend CORBA to support JavaBeans Together IBM, Netscape, Oracle, and Sun Microsystems publish position paper.: By Ed Scannell
(July 1997, 4,650 words)

IBM Technical Interchange: IBM Does Java Jive: By Sari Kalin
(June 1996)

News and New Product Briefs (8/15/97) Education may be a windfall market for NCs.: By Kane Scarlett
Summary
Stay up to date with the latest industry news, new products, and technology announcements! Here you'll find more than 50 items, including: What does the Microsoft/Apple agreement mean for Java?; MKS and Net-It Software join to develop collaborative document management system; Need help with Java? It's CreativeSoft to the rescue!; Integrate your info -- with Active Software tool; Java's put to the test -- by Sun's new division; Want a free NC? Go to Corel, IBM, or Sun! (September 1997)

Comdex: Microsoft sees Windows as `the' Java platform With its Visual J++ development environment and support for Java applets via its own virtual machine, Microsoft seeks to maintain OS dominance.: By Kristi Essick
(December 1996, 2,200 words)

JavaWorld News Briefs (7/03/96) Keeping you abreast of the ever-changing Java world.: By Edited by Max Airborne and Jill Steinberg
(July 1996)

Ellison shows off NCs, Java-powered software suite JavaStation-compatibles & software debut one week after Sun's roll-out.: By Elinor Mills, Niall McKay, Kristi Essick, and Joanne Taaffe
(November 1996, 2,000 words)

JavaWorld News Briefs (9/5/96) Keeping you abreast of the ever-changing Java world. (September 1996)

Novell to launch Java-based initiatives Java paves way to creating extended enterprise network, plus enables new distributed computing architecture.: By Matthew Woollacott
(September 1997)

Sun debuts broad line of business products Coherent Intranet strategy revolves around Java.: By Kieron Murphy
Summary
Sun Microsystems announced eight products designed to take advantage of Java technology and help Sun grab more ground in the corporate market. (May 1996, 1,000 words)

JavaWorld News Briefs (2/1/96) Keeping you abreast of the ever-changing Java world.: By Kane Scarlett
Summary
Learn how Apple plans to polish its OpenDoc for Java; Do you know how to protect your server and desktop from criminal acts? Join the fun as Java goes on a World Tour! Corel's coming out with some suite stuff -- but can it really rival Microsoft? When it comes to Web browsers, it's time to step outside the sandbox, according to Netscape and Microsoft; Lotus puts some caffeine in Domino and Notes. (February 1997)

Java tools, security solutions highlight Internet Showcase At San Diego conference, vendors large and small demo Java-based products.: By Carolyn A. April
(May 1997, 2,800 words)

Sun, Netscape make Java browser plans No, "Javagator" is not featured in Spielberg's Lost World.: By Dana Gardner
(September 1997)

News and New Product Briefs (7/1/97): By Kane Scarlett
Summary
Netscape spills its Beans strategy; Dell laughes at idea of NC, goes with NetPC; Find out which tool is first to get 100% Pure Java certified; Better give up the search for the JavaStation this summer; Sun claims it has it all over Intel on Java speed; Oracle DB will be Java-less; and more! (July 1997)

Sun and Apple plan intranet, multimedia alliance Java Beans/OpenDOC interoperability is in the works, and Microsoft is hard pressed to deliver on its multiplatform, open claims for ActiveX.: By Sari Kalin
(October 1996)

IBM's AppletAuthor grinds JavaBeans First JavaBeans-based authoring tool set provides point-and-click ease of use for enhancing Web pages.: By Kieron Murphy
(January 1997)

A portable hill of beans New Java Beans API brings object-orientation's grail of portability and reuse to the Java industry.: By Rawn Shah
Summary
Java is expanding so fast there's a chance it could run out of control. Javasoft's new Java Beans application programming interface (API) is an attempt to make a uniform interface to applets and Java objects irrespective of the environment they are placed in. The Java Beans API will make Java code written for Netscape, Microsoft, or OpenDoc environments interoperable without the need for any changes. This article previews the highlights of Java Beans. (September 1996, 2,400 words)

JavaBeans vs. ActiveX: Strategic analysis The philosophies, marketing strategies, and agendas of Sun and Microsoft. The first in a 3-part series.: By Michael Shoffner
Summary
JavaSoft and Microsoft currently are battling to get you to buy into JavaBeans and ActiveX, their respective component frameworks. At stake for JavaSoft and Microsoft is a large portion of the software infrastructure of the Internet and corporate intranets. At stake for software developers large and small is the future viability of the codebase they develop today. Choosing the correct model now increases value later. Backing the wrong horse could prove disastrous. (February 1997)

JavaBeans and ActiveX go head to head Don't choose until you've considered these 5 issues crucial to developers.

Are you ready? Let's talk turkey. (March 1997, 4,200 words)

How Microsoft is broadening Java's scope The "embrace and extend" directive from Redmond has received heaps of criticism -- but a positive spin on the plan is offered here.: By William Blundon
Summary
As predicted, Microsoft's strategy to embrace and extend Java is creating a major commotion in the software industry. The presence of the Microsoft virtual machine, an ActiveX/COM interface, and a series of proprietary APIs pose major questions about the consistent implementation of an industry-wide Java standard. (February 1997, 1,500 words)

Java and ActiveX Java wins on the Internet, but the intranet rules.: By William Blundon
Summary
While Java is the leading candidate for true cross-platform software development, Microsoft's ActiveX and Distributed COM will provide an elegant solution for corporations creating intranet applications. Java has an excellent chance of winning in the Internet, but Microsoft's preeminence on the existing corporate desktop will make it a real player in many enterprise applications. (September 1996, 1,800 words)

"Gang of Four" to extend CORBA to support JavaBeans Together IBM, Netscape, Oracle, and Sun Microsystems publish position paper.: By Ed Scannell
(July 1997, 4,650 words)

JavaBeans make their debut at JavaOne JavaSoft enters the Bean component to a chorus of vendor support.: By Gregory S. Smith
Summary
By now you've heard about Sun's JavaBeans components. This article describes the current state of JavaBeans, including the possibilities Beans open up for developers and non-developers alike as well as the potential problems Beans introduce. The article ends with a roadmap outlining future Bean developments. (May 1997, 1,250 words)

Netscape DevCon: a Java programmer's diary Netscape coins "crossware" -- What does it mean for Java?.: By Bret Sommers
Summary
At last week's DevCon (June 11-13 in San Jose, CA), Netscape reinforced its support for Java, adopting JavaBeans as its component model of choice. JavaWorld correspondent Bret Sommers provides observations from the show floor, and puts the announcements into perspective for Java developers. (July 1997, 1,200 words)

Competing components make for prickly panelists Find out what sparked a debate between proponents of JavaBeans and ActiveX at Web Design & Development '97.: By Jill Steinberg
(March 1997)

Letters to the Editor This Month: Readers dig into JavaWorld's archives for some old-school Q&A; the Microsoft security debates continue; Java Tipster Thomas Wisniewski further demonstrates last month's Tip ("The trick to using Java networking applets behind firewalls"); and Eric Armstrong explains his state-dependent strategy. Plus: Kudos -- and a couple of questions -- for JavaWorld's newest columnist: JavaBeans expert Mark Johnson. (September 1997)

The pros and cons of JDK 1.1 JavaSoft, Java developers describe the key benefits and shortcomings of the long-awaited Java software toolkit -- and discuss the pain of moving from 1.02.: By Kieron Murphy
Summary
The newest release from Sun offers significant security, structural, and performance enhancements, as well as JavaBeans support. As developers ease into the transition from 1.02, the lack of immediate browser support hits the forefront. Plus an exclusive interview with JDK product manager Eric Chu. (April 1997, 3,500 words)

Reflections on Java, Beans, and relational databases Here's how to get to your relational database with the new 1.1 APIs.: By Sandor Spruit
Summary
The 1.1 version of the Java Development Kit (JDK) contains new APIs for database access (JDBC) and components (JavaBeans). Together, these two APIs allow for the development of generic database code. A single class to access any JDBC database -- with the code specific to each individual application isolated in separate components. This means you won't have to update any database code with each minor change in a database's structure. (September 1997, 3,200 words)

The pros and cons of JDK 1.1 JavaSoft, Java developers describe the key benefits and shortcomings of the long-awaited Java software toolkit -- and discuss the pain of moving from 1.02.: By Kieron Murphy
Summary
The newest release from Sun offers significant security, structural, and performance enhancements, as well as JavaBeans support. As developers ease into the transition from 1.02, the lack of immediate browser support hits the forefront. Plus an exclusive interview with JDK product manager Eric Chu. (April 1997, 3,500 words)

JavaBeans make their debut at JavaOne JavaSoft enters the Bean component to a chorus of vendor support.: By Gregory S. Smith
Summary
By now you've heard about Sun's JavaBeans components. This article describes the current state of JavaBeans, including the possibilities Beans open up for developers and non-developers alike as well as the potential problems Beans introduce. The article ends with a roadmap outlining future Bean developments. (May 1997, 1,250 words)

JavaBeans: properties, events, and thread safety Find out what measures you can take to ensure your beans survive in the real-life environment of a multithreaded application.: By Laurence Vanhelsuwe
Summary
The JavaBeans standard is a 100% Pure Java creature, which means that the standard exists on top of established Java programming rules and conventions -- not alongside them. One technicality that Java programmers must always take into consideration is code reentrancy, or multithread safety. With bean properties and bean events, the two pillars of the JavaBeans standard, you must be keenly aware of this potential pitfall. The following article shows you why. (September 1997, 3,700 words)

Created October 20, 1997