JavaFX
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
JavaFX is a software platform for creating and delivering rich Internet applications that can run across wide variety of connected devices. The current release (JavaFX 1.1.1, March 2009) enables building applications for desktop, browser and mobile phones. TV set-top boxes, gaming consoles, Blu-ray players and other platforms are planned to be added in the future.
JavaFX is fully integrated with the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) – JavaFX applications will run on any desktop and browser that runs the JRE and on top of mobile phones running Java ME.
To build JavaFX apps developers use a statically typed, declarative language called JavaFX Script.
On desktop, the current release supports Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS operating systems. Sun has also indicated intention to support Linux in the future[1].
On mobile, JavaFX is capable of running on multiple mobile operating systems, including Android, Windows Mobile, and proprietary real-time operating systems.
Current release of JavaFX platform includes the following components:
- The JavaFX SDK: JavaFX compiler and runtime tools. Graphics, media web services, and rich text libraries
- NetBeans IDE for JavaFX: NetBeans with drag-and-drop palette to add objects with transformations, effects and animations plus set of samples and best practices. For Eclipse users there is a community-supported plugin called Project Kenai http://kenai.com/projects/eplugin
- Tools and plugins for creative tools (a.k.a. Production Suite): Plugins for Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator that can export graphics assets to JavaFX Script code, tools to convert SVG graphics into JavaFX Script code and preview assets converted to JavaFX from other tools
Commentators have speculated JavaFX to compete on the desktop with Adobe Flash Player, Adobe AIR, OpenLaszlo, and Microsoft Silverlight.
| “ | Sun's JavaFX, with its Java-like syntax, gives Java developers a tool (and commercial backer) they can easily warm to. Developers with their eye on tomorrow's Web never had it so good.
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[edit] Technical highlights
Common profile. JavaFX is based on the concept of a “Common profile” that is intended to span across all devices supported by JavaFX. This approach makes it possible for developers to use common programming model while building an application targeted for both desktop and mobile devices and to share much of the code, graphics assets and content between desktop and mobile versions. To address the need for tuning applications for the needs of specific class of devices, the JavaFX 1.1 platform includes API's that are desktop or mobile-specific. For example JavaFX Desktop profile includes Swing and advanced visual effects.
Drag-to-Install. From the point of view of the end user “Drag-to-Install” allows them to drag a JavaFX widget or application residing in a website within the browser window and drop it onto their desktop. The application will not lose its state or context even after the browser is closed. Application can also be re-launched by clicking on a shortcut that gets automatically created on the user's desktop. This behavior is enabled out-of-the-box by the Java applet mechanism and is leveraged by JavaFX from the underlaying Java layer. Sun touts “Drag-to-Install” as opening up of a new distribution model and allowing developers to “break away from the browser”.
Integrating graphics created with third-party tools. JavaFX includes a set of plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator that enable advanced graphics to be integrated directly into JavaFX applications. The plug-ins generate JavaFX Script code that preserves layers and structure of the graphics. Developers can then easily add animation or effects to the static graphics imported. There is also an SVG graphics converter tool (a.k.a. Media Factory) that allows for importing graphics and previewing assets after the conversion to JavaFX format.
[edit] History
JavaFX Script, the scripting component of JavaFX, began life as a project by Chris Oliver called F3.[2]
Sun Microsystems first announced JavaFX at the JavaOne Worldwide Java Developer conference on May 2007.
In May 2008 Sun Microsystems announced plans to deliver JavaFX for the browser and desktop by the fall of 2008, and JavaFX for mobile devices in the spring of 2009. Sun also announced a multi-year agreement with On2 Technologies to bring comprehensive video capabilities to the JavaFX product family using the company's TrueMotion Video codec.
Since end of July 2008, developers could download a preview of the JavaFX SDK for Windows and Macintosh, as well as the JavaFX plugin for NetBeans 6.1. On December 4, 2008 Sun released JavaFX 1.0.
As of February 2008, Linux and Solaris are not officially supported yet because implementation of accelerated graphics and animation is not ready yet for these platforms[1], however versions of the NetBeans or Eclipse plugins are available and most JavaFX features work on Linux.
In the M3DD conference (Java Mobile, Media & Embedded Developer Days) in January 2009, Sun Microsystems announced that JavaFX for mobile would be available in February[3][4]. JavaFX Mobile is now publicly available as part of the JavaFX 1.1 release announced officially on February 12th 2009.
[edit] License
There are currently various licenses for the modules that compose the JavaFX runtime:
- The core JavaFX runtime is still proprietary software and its code has not yet been released to the public,[5]
- The JavaFX compiler[6] and 2D Scene graph[7] are released under a GPL v2 license,
- The NetBeans plugin for JavaFX is dual licensed under GPL v2 and CDDL.[5]
During development, Sun explained they will roll out their strategy for the JavaFX licensing model for JavaFX first release[8]. After the release, Jeet Kaul, Sun's Vice president for Client Software, explained that they will soon publish a specification for JavaFX and its associated file formats, and will continue to open source the JavaFX runtime, and decouple this core from the proprietary parts licensed by external parties[9].
[edit] See also
- JavaFX Script
- JavaFX Mobile
- Lobo Web Browser, with JavaFX support
[edit] References
- ^ a b "A Word on Linux and Solaris Support". Sun Microsystems. 2008-12-03. http://blogs.sun.com/javafx/entry/a_word_on_linux_and. Retrieved on 2008-12-05. "In particular video and graphics hardware acceleration have historically been tricky to implement properly on Linux and Solaris, as users of native apps for those operating systems know all too well. But we are working on it and will ship it."
- ^ Project name F3
- ^ Chin, Stephen (2009-01-22). "WidgetFX @ M3DD Conference". http://steveonjava.com/2009/01/22/widgetfx-m3dd-conference/. Retrieved on 2009-01-24.
- ^ "Sooner Than You Think". java.net. 2009-01-23. http://weblogs.java.net/blog/editors/archives/2009/01/sooner_than_you.html. Retrieved on 2009-01-24.
- ^ a b "JavaFX Downloads". https://openjfx.dev.java.net/downloads.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ "OpenJFX Compiler Project". https://openjfx-compiler.dev.java.net/. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ "Project Scene Graph home". https://scenegraph.dev.java.net/. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ "Will JavaFX technology be released in open source?". http://java.sun.com/javafx/faqs.jsp#2. Retrieved on 2008-06-07. "Sun will continue to engage the OpenJFX community as we release JavaFX products. This fall we will be rolling out our open source strategy for JavaFX technology concurrent with the release of version 1 of JavaFX Desktop"
- ^ Kaul, Jeet (2008-12-16). "JavaFX - the road ahead". http://blogs.sun.com/meetjeet/entry/javafx_the_road_ahead. Retrieved on 2009-01-03. "Sun is committed to open standards and open source, and specifications are coming soon(...)There are some dependencies on licensed code that cannot be open sourced. We are working towards decoupling the dependencies so that the non-proprietary portions can be open sourced. Currently the JavaFX compiler, Netbeans JavaFX plugin and Eclipse JavaFX plugin are already being developed in the open source. The scene graph is out in the open. We will put the core runtime out in the open over time."
[edit] External links
- javafx.com Official JavaFX website
- Official JavaFX blog website
- java.sun.com website
- Sun.com - JavaFX
- OpenJFX website
- Sun.com - Learning JavaFX Script: An Introduction for Java Programmers
- Crash Course in Next-Gen RIA: AIR, Silverlight, and JavaFX
- James Weaver's JavaFX blog
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