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by Mike Yawn
Overview
MPE/iX 6.0 is the first MPE release to provide a bundled version of Java. Java
is a platform-independent language and runtime environment with a wealth of
information available. Prospective users of Java are encouraged to observe the
caveats regarding this initial release of Java/iX described in the detailed
technical article found in Chapter 10. Java sources include on-line reference
materials, books and magazines devoted to Java, and widely available classes
and instructional materials.
The Java programming language is an object-oriented language based on C. It
first gained wide acceptance as an internet programming language because of
its built-in support for handling distribution of code over the Internet, as
well as prepackaged class libraries to handle sockets, URLs, and graphical
content. In the few years since its introduction, it has grown beyond the
internet market to become a popular language for the development of many kinds
of programs, including traditional applications, especially when client/server
or web-based access is required.
Programmers will find that Java facilitates the rapid development of
error-free code, allowing programmers to be more productive than when writing
in most other languages. The object-oriented nature of Java and the large
number of readily available classes in the standard Java packages allow a high
degree of code reuse.
Java includes the following major components:
- Java Virtual Machine, for running java applications
- Java compiler (javac), for compiling Java programs
- Java Packages, or Class Libraries, providing Application Programming
Interfaces (APIs) that cover a large number of functional areas,
including I/O, networking, and user interface.
Detailed instructions on installing and using Java can be found in the article,
"Developer's Kit for Java/iX" in Chapter 10, "Technical Articles."
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NOTE: In late breaking news, Sun has announced their intention to
deliver a 'Server only' Java platform in 1999. Because the Java Server
platform is a better fit for the needs of MPE/iX users, we expect to use it
as the basis for future ports of Java to MPE/iX. Accordingly, we discourage
the use of the Abstract Windowing Toolkit (AWT) that is included with this
version of Java/iX The AWT comprises the Java packages in the java.awt
hierarchy. These interfaces are unsupported on the current release and will
likely not be a part of future Java/iX releases.
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