Java: A platform for platforms

Not long ago, JW blogger Josh Fruhlinger began asking the question: What happens to Java without Sun? The general sentiment among commenters has been -- perhaps a bit defensively -- "Nothing happens to Java without Sun! Don't you realize it's open source?"

Read more ...

Sun layoffs signal new direction

Sun Microsystems made headlines last week with the announcement that it would cut up to 18% of its workforce. While much has been said about the layoffs and related departures (such as Rich Green's), there is another story here: Sun is in the midst of a massive, if possibly undirected, redefinition.

Read more ...

App servers rated - developers weigh in

A recently released Evans Data developer survey ranks application servers based on 21 factors, including performance, security, database connectivity, scalability, and cost benefit. Esther Schindler in CIO.com reports that Apache Geronimo, JBoss AS, and WebLogic get high marks from developers surveyed. Glassfish also did well in the Java EE server niche category.

According to Schindler's report, developers are less fervent in support for WebLogic today than in 2006, a decline Evans Data associates with uncertainty about the product's future (in wake of the Oracle acquisition of BEA).

Read more ...

Rumors greatly exaggerated - Java's demise

In a recent article published by IBM developerWorks Ted Neward casts some perspective on the rumors of Java's demise. After a quick survey of the variety of arguments circulating -- some cite numbers that show Java has fallen (marginally) from its top-tier spot, while others decry the lack of features found in alternative environments du jour -- he declares the Java platform "Dead like COBOL."

Read more ...

Welcome to JW Blogs!

Hello, and welcome to the first iteration of the JavaWorld blogs! Launching blogs was one of my priorities when I started editing JavaWorld a little less than a year ago, so I'm thrilled to be up and running with them today.

The goal of JW Blogs is to provide a daily mix of valuable reading from around the Java world. Some of the blogs you'll find here are syndicated and others are exclusive to JavaWorld. Notably, most of them are written by JavaWorld contributors, past or present. We also welcome blogs from JavaWorld community members -- just send us a proposal. One thing I can promise is that all of the blogs you find in the JW blogsphere will have been selected for relevance of content and the technical expertise of the author. No fluff here! (Or, perhaps, only really good fluff need apply.)

Read more ...