Sun Releases JavaFX
After years of planning, developing, tweaking, and talking about it, Sun finally released JavaFX, the newest platform on the block for developing rich client applications for desktop, mobile phones, TV, and other consumer devices.
Like Java, JavaFX is both a platform and a language (actually, the language is called JavaFX Script), but unlike Java, JavaFX promises to greatly simplify the process of building network-enabled client apps with sophisticated user interfaces. Of course, for serious applications JavaFX integrates with Java and can serve as the presentation layer to an enterprise Java app so that you get the best of both worlds. Given that it targets all popular end-user platforms, it will be exciting to see how the Java community welcomes this newcomer. Since Java rules on the server-side, I am hoping JavaFX will finally deliver on the original promise of Java and complete the end-to-end picture. Check out some really cool-looking demos.
Needless to say, JavaFX has to prove itself against well-established technologies, from Adobe's Flash and AIR to Microsoft's Silverlight, and even the true-and-tested JavaScript/AJAX frameworks. It may take some time, but I think that JavaFX is the logical choice for the millions of Java programmers who are looking for an easier and more integrated platform for the client-side development.
