Software Information

Choose your Java Wisely


Java has come along a long way.  Many would agree with this.  I did not until the Java 1.5 "Tiger" hit me.  The tiger had several new features, and more importantly, it has new syntax.  Six major upgrades that the tiger presents are certainly the generics, enhanced for loop, autoboxing (unboxing), improvement on Typesafe enum, Static import and the metadata.  Of course there are many more, which can be found at java's official site.  Out of these six, at least four would be used in my daily "programming" life.  From java 1.1 to 1.4, it seemed more like new frills were simply added.  It felt like earning more brownie points when you downloaded the newer version.  But should I start using 1.5 immediately, maybe not.

The developers and programmers (if you distinguish between them) are left with one great dilemma (me too).  It certainly is as to which version to use when preparing software in java.  This problem hides itself under the carpet when you are programming for a specific client with a specific system where you can get it upgrade on site, but when the app is going to be used by Mr. Williams from South Africa and Ms. Lee from Japan, you really have to give a thought as to whether your app is going to run on both the systems (that is why java was made in the first place, isn't it?).  I've always had the latest version of the sdk, yet I would try and target compiling in a lower possible version, so that even those people would be able to use the apps, who were, well, frozen in time and didn't go up the "version ladder".  For e.g., ordinary applets, by me and my company, in most of the cases would be compiled in java 1.1, so that no user ends up waiting for an hour before the plugin for the latest version is downloaded and installed (get yourself a coffee if your yawning).  For e.g., once on a tour, I happened to visit some site in a cyber café, which said that I needed to install java plugin 1.4 to view the page correctly (apparently, cyber cafes don't bother much about upgrading java), and when I did, it turned out to be a stupid advertisement (Ahhh! What agony!).  Of course, over a period of time, you expect the users to have gone to a level of higher java plugin courtesy other company's applets, but just to be sure?

Well, so this "dilemma" is real and has to be looked after (you don't stand a chance if you don't).  Many a times in java forums, you'll find beginners with the problem of "applet not initializing" and when the compiling is targeted for 1.1, it runs.  Preferably, developers should have the latest version (despite the huge bandwidth it's going to cost you to download it) and they should try and keep their apps designed, if possible, for lower versions for a universal application.   Although, this might not necessarily be imposed for a long time, but certainly try and keep your apps designed by the java 1.4 specifications for a few weeks, till most of the users catch on with the tiger.  This should also give you sufficient time to upgrade your programming ability version also.  A recent survey about java's versions had about 260 respondents out of which about 15% didn't know that java had versions, 8% preferred java as the good old java (can't believe it, me neither), 29% were happy, 32% wanted newer versions but wanted the syntax of older versions to remain and only the bugs being killed and the rest were too confused to have an opinion. 

On this note, its now entirely up to you to decide which is your cup of java.  I've just got a book to learn to tame the tiger and I'll be using java 1.4 till I tame 1.5 good.  So, I think it'll be around October, when I start using 1.5 hoping (with crossed fingers) that most of the users by then would be roaring with it.

I hope that this small article would help you make a decision about which version of java to use.

Shashank is the founder and administrator of the java apps rating site - thejavahub.com.  To know more about this venture with java, please visit his site at http://www.thejavahub.com


MORE RESOURCES:

CNN

Apple unveils software updates, new laptop
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - 9 hours ago
The presentation included updates to the iLife and iWork software suites, a new 17-inch MacBook Pro with an 8-hour battery and a new digital rights ...
Video: Steve Jobs Weight Loss Due to Hormone Imbalance AssociatedPress
Apple's Macworld Surprise Is the Software PC Magazine
Apple updates Mac software in trade show finale The Associated Press
Reuters - Bloomberg
all 2,850 news articles


ABC News

ITunes embraces 3-tier pricing, will remove anti-copy software
Los Angeles Times, CA - 11 hours ago
Apple also updated much of its software. The latest version of iPhoto scans for individual faces so computer users can label photos of friends or family, ...
Macworld goes for the soft sell with budget-minded software USA Today
Apple removes protection software from songs TourDates.Co.Uk
Apple Offers All ITunes Songs Without Copy Protection Bloomberg
Shiny Shiny - MediaPost Publications
all 1,059 news articles


HEB Mexico adds price optimization software
Bizjournals.com, NC - 1 hour ago
HEB’s Mexico subsidiary will begin using a price optimization software program currently in use by its parent company. Supermercados Internacionales HEB ...
Supermercados Internacionales deploys DemandTec's Everyday Price ... RTT News
all 19 news articles


Rediff

Indian Software Giant Admits Financial Wrongdoing
Washington Post, United States - 3 hours ago
The revelation shook India's stock market and sent shock waves across the country's booming software industry, while television commentators quickly dubbed ...
Satyam Chairman Resigns After Falsifying Accounts Bloomberg
Collateral Damage Feared From 'India's Enron' CNNMoney.com
FACTBOX - Five facts about Indian outsourcer Satyam Reuters India
Livemint - Reuters
all 1,282 news articles


Techtree.com

Apple Unveils Software, MacBook At Macworld
CNNMoney.com - 22 hours ago
The first hour of the speech was dominated by updates to Apple's software line, which remains an important element for the company, but more as a driver to ...
Summary: Software, MacBook Pro updates star in final Apple keynote Macworld
Apple rolls out 17-inch MacBook Pro, new software, iTunes Store tweaks DVICE
Apple unveils raft of new Mac software Times Online
CNN International - Apple Insider
all 301 news articles


New York Times

Data Analysts Captivated by R’s Power
New York Times, United States - 2 hours ago
R first appeared in 1996, when the statistics professors Robert Gentleman, left, and Ross Ihaka released the code as a free software package. ...


Save Mart Supermarkets Deploys Integrated Retalix Supply Chain ...
MSNBC - 16 hours ago
That's why we turned to Retalix -- for the experience of their personnel and the rich grocery functionality of the company's software. ...
Save Mart Supermarkets deploys Retalix suite to enhance business ... Trading Markets (press release)
all 8 news articles


Product Reviews

Microsoft's MacBU embraces the "software plus services" mantra
Seattle Post Intelligencer - 22 hours ago
In an interview, Eric Wilfrid, who was appointed general manager of the MacBU in late October, framed both moves as part of Microsoft's shift to a "software ...
Microsoft touts Mac-Windows collaboration at Macworld Computerworld
Macworld.Ars: Microsoft intros 2 new apps for Mac Office users Ars Technica
Is iWork '09 an Office Competitor? PC World
Macworld - Product Reviews
all 53 news articles


Software maker Scientific Learning to cut 14% of work force
Bizjournals.com, NC - 2 hours ago
Scientific Learning, which makes educational software, has made top management changes recently. On Jan. 2 the company named its president and chief ...


CNET.com.au

Phoenix Software Reduces Pain From a PC Boot
U.S. News & World Report, DC - 2 hours ago
HyperSpace is new software that offers a lean, fast and friendly partner to slow-starting Windows. I've been testing it for several days, and HyperSpace has ...
Phoenix Offers Faster Boot Times for Laptops PC World
A peek at Phoenix HyperSpace eWeek
all 43 news articles

Software - Google News

home | site map
© 2006