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Business Components for Java provides Linux development options

Oracle's BC4J delivers reusable components to the Linux platform

By Todd Coopee, InfoWorld, 09/08/00

Talk to recycling experts, and they'll speak about the "inherent economy" -- that is, reusing existing materials instead of creating new materials from scratch. The same principle applies to application development. A programming tool that allows you to build reusable modules and business components can dramatically reduce your development times, letting you bring new applications to market faster.

That's the kind of tool Oracle's Business Components for Java (BC4J) is. Recently ported to Linux, BC4J offers a standards-based, server-side Java and XML framework for developers who must build and deploy reusable business components for high-performance Internet applications, such as e-commerce and business-to-business systems. In our tests, BC4J acquitted itself nicely, proving itself a powerful ally to Linux developers who must create n-tier Internet applications and connect them to Oracle databases.

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TEXTBOX_HEAD: The Bottom Line

Business Components for Java (BC4J), Release 3.1.1.1 for Linux

Business Case
Using BC4J to create reusable business components can reduce development time, allowing you to bring applications to market faster. You can also introduce efficiencies to your programming team by creating libraries of objects once other developers can repurpose those objects in similar applications.

Technology Case
A well-integrated part of Oracle's JDeveloper IDE, BC4J brings Linux developers in line with their Solaris and Windows counterparts. Applications can be executed in either the Oracle Application Server or Oracle8i as EJB, CORBA, or JSP components.

Pros

• Built-in wizards
• Wide range of deployment options

Cons

• None

Cost
,245 (part of Oracle's Internet Developer Suite)

Platforms
Development: Linux (also available for Windows NT/2000 and Solaris)
Deployment: Any Java-capable platform

Oracle Corp., Redwood Shores, Calif.;(800) 672-2531

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Applications created using BC4J are comprised of five basic framework components: entity objects, associations, view objects, view links, and application modules. Each component is interrelated, meaning you can establish views into database tables and join, filter, and sort data as needed.

Using the Business Components wizard in JDeveloper, we tested BC4J by automatically generating all the components needed to create a simple order entry system. We could then quickly repurpose several of the entity objects to create a simple RMA (return to manufacturer authorization) system supporting order returns. We were impressed by how quickly we could access backend data stores, as well as BC4J's built-in validation capabilities (which let us establish rules to prevent users from entering invalid values into the database).

Each component we created was represented by an XML file and one or more Java files. As you might expect, the XML files store metadata, while the Java files store the object code that facilitates an application's actions. Java developers will quickly recognize that each BC4J component is organized using familiar directory-based semantics. Ultimately, this type of separation greatly enhances your ability to customize and extend business logic, without forcing you to focus on code changes.

For more enterprise computing news, visit InfoWorld. Story copyright InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.

 

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