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Sun's latest Java development wins big

Java Web Start could jump-start client-side Java

By Tim Fielden, InfoWorld, 11/03/00

Page 2 of 3

The only negative aspect we found with the technology was the potentially heavy load a company's network might have to undertake in deploying the technology to hundreds or thousands of users. But because it's deployed only once, we felt it a small price to pay.

As the product is Java-based, the only requirement is that the platform supports the Java 2 specification. In fact, one of the biggest benefits we found was that JWS required virtually no rewrites to our application to enable it. The only caveat was that the application and its resources -- such as images -- and resource bundles had to be in the form of a Java Archive (jar) file.

Robustness made easy

Sun's JWS technology gives users, regardless of location, the ability to offer and use full-featured Java applications just as they did with applets in the past. Applications can now be launched and deployed via standard Web browsers by simply clicking on a link, which initiates a download of the application prior to executing it. JWS technology is expected to support all major browsers, including all versions of Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator, when it ships in December.

The technology's real value-add is that a full application is downloaded, cached, and ultimately made executable without the limitations of a specific browser. Moreover, JWS goes one step further in that it also maintains version information; so, unless a change is made, a download is not required again. Along those same lines, should an update need to be made, IT departments no longer need to worry themselves about visiting desktops for the installation; rather, they need only place the new application on the Web server.

New ball game for Java

Once we began testing our early access version of JWS, we found the technology to be far more intuitive than using applets, which on the surface offer similar functions. The main difference is that, whereas JWS requires the use of a browser only when the application is first downloaded, applets maintain functionality only as long as the page is being displayed, requiring a user to download the application each time it is needed. Thus, using applets is more labor-intensive and inefficient.

Figure 1. Web Start at a glance

The benefits of using JWS technology are many, including the ability to offer single-click deployment, better desktop-integration opportunities, and a platform-neutral launch. Not only does JWS enable developers to create and deploy elaborate and highly complex applications via a standard Web browser, it ensures that users get the most up-to-date application.

From an end user perspective, accessing the applications requires nothing more than simply selecting a link on a Web page. There are no complicated installations and no site visits. Applications deployed this way will also have shortcuts created on the desktop automatically after the first use, making it even simpler for the end users.

Users who are concerned with security will find there is no need to worry when using Web Start. JWS users are by default launched into the secure Java sandbox, which prevents or limits access to system resources such as the disk and the network. We were also pleased to find that, should users require unrestricted access, a digital signature could be added, requiring the user to accept or deny the access each time the application is launched.

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

 

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