The Java Programming Language

by Peter Scannell
axsWave Software, Inc.™

This is an edited version of a presentation I gave at the American Society for Information Science Annual Conference (October, 1996). The presentation was in two parts. The first part talks about using VRML on the Web..

VRML - Virtual Reality Modeling Language

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Java

Java is the name of a programming language that has been adapted for use over the World Wide Web and that is projected to be the language for Web development in the future. General characteristics of Java are:

• a true development language
• developed for small appliance programming
• small
• fast
• easy to maintain

As a programming language, Java has the following features that make it very suitable for programming Web applications:

• interpreted language - intermediate code is generated that is then interpreted and run on the user's machine.
• platform independent - no machine specific code is generated, and since interpretation is done on the user's machine, all that is necessary is for the user's machine to contain the appropriate Java interpreter, and the code can be run correctly.
• small - generated code is small and well-suited for downloading over the Web.
• simple - from a programming/programmer's point of view, Java is a relatively clean, simple language to program in. This makes it easier to create bug-free code.
• safe - Java applets have severe restrictions on what they can and cannot do. This provides a level of protection for the user since the programs are not allowed to do anything to files on the user's machine. Java programs can modify files on the user's machine, so the user needs to be a little more careful about Java programs.
• secure - The Java interpreter is written in such a way that it is difficult to write virus programs, or other programs that will damage the user's machine.

As with any new technology, there is a lot of exaggeration about Java can do. For example the following quotes were taken from a popular Network magazine:

• "enables the rapid creation of sophisticated net-based applications that will revolutionize the way business teams share information."
• "by using Java, intranet-based business applications can easily be created that innovate how geographically dispersed business teams collaborate and ramain in sync with each other."

Java may or may not live up to all the hype or to its full potential, since it is relatively new and still under development. At the present time, the following better summarizes the state of Jave today:

• not fully defined
• development tools are still being developed
• anything beyond simple applets will require O-O developers
• "Java is a way for programmers to regain control of the Internet"
• downloading Java programs and applets still takes a considerable amount of time

This is a small sample of where you can find some Java programs and information. Use these sites as a jumping off point for further exploration.

Note: You will need either a Java browser or a Java enabled Web browser (such as Netscape Navigator for Macintosh PowerPC or Win95 and WinNT or Microsoft Internet Explorer for Win95 and WinNT) to make full use of these sites.

• Links and Explanations
• Java's Home
• The Official Java Directory
• Java Frequently Asked Questions
• Simple Java Demos
• A Few Java Samples
• Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center Java-enabled Home Page
• MapQuest - Java and ActiveX enabled maps
• WallStreetWeb by BulletProof
• Word Perfect by Corel

Feel free to contact me with questions or to talk about how the axsWave Software team can help you with your Web site:

Janette B. Bradley (janette@metronet.com)