[ 08 Feb ][ News ]: Download NetBeans IDE 4.0 Chinese and Japanese Mul
The Japanese and Simplified Chinese multilingual version of NetBeans IDE 4.0 is now available for download. Use the dropdown box next to Choose Localization Language to select the appropriate version.For more information on the NetBeans 4.0 take a look at the release notes or follow here.Join the existing Japanese and Chinese language community by subscribing to language-specific mailing lists to receive support and hot tips.

The Limits of a Rich Web UI

The Limits of a Rich Web UI
Over the past couple of months, I?ve been working on a project implemented as a rich UI. The user interface is presented with Javascript, with the HTML generated on the fly. The info to present is generated by servlets and SOAP services. When I started, this type of UI was new to me, and I did not know Javascript. Now, I know pretty much enough, and can lookup the manuals for the rest...

I've been ranting on this for years now. One day you have a table of data. The next day someone asks can we interactively sort it. Then it becomes editing ... next thing you know you are trying to write an entire application in DHTML and Javascript and it istoo late to get out.

In the middle
Is "would be nice"a compelling reason for a new language feature?

Sun opens source Swing improvements - so STOP

Sun opens source Swing improvements - so STOP COMPLAINING!!!
There has been a call for Sun to Open Source Java and/or to improve Swing.http://jdnc.dev.java.net/source/browse/jdnc/swingx/src/java/org/jdesktop/swing OK! The license is same as jBoss or Hibernate. So now stop complaining!If you want to contribute - do so, if you want SwingX to be better than Swing, show me!

It isn't quite as simple as that but JDNC is a start. I linked earlier to a post about JDNC evolving into a Swing Labs type project which I think it ultimately will. There are still many parts of the core that could stand to be open sourced or at least have a better bugfix/enhancement path from forces outside of Sun.

[ 18 Jan ][ Article ]: GUI Building in NetBeans IDE 4.0
A short guide to creating a Swing application using the visual designer in NetBeans IDE 4.0. Includes information on selecting a layout manager, adding GUI components, editing your layout with the GridBag Customizer, creating connections between components, and working with event handler code.

JavaServer Faces, Web Applications Made Easier
JavaServer Faces (JSF) attempts to standardize the way we develop Java Web applications and provides a set of rich ready-to-use UI components. In this article, Mike Houghton will discuss the JSF technology, what's right, what's wrong and why it's necessary.

[ 19 Jan ][ Article ]: Transitioning from NetBeans IDE 3.6 to 4.0
This guide is designed to help you transition your applications and IDE settings from NetBeans IDE 3.6 to NetBeans IDE 4.0, and to show you how to be even more productive with the new NetBeans IDE projects system.

Carried from the field
Can you train for unsustainable pace?

The Java Electric CADTool
Sun Microsystems' Distinguished Engineer, Steven M. Rubin, discusses the challenges and rewards of converting his Electric VLSI Design System from C to the Java language.