Tips & techniques for Users of Sunsoft Solaris
In the simplest of terms, the Internet is a collection of worldwide computer systems that share information. The way this information is shared can take many forms. Within the last two years, the World-Wide Web, a portion of the Internet using graphical interfaces and protocols, has captured the imagination of the computer industry as well as the general public.
Utilizing the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), the Web gives users a new way to view data-through a graphical user interface called a Web browser. Through your browser, you can view pictures in several formats (JPEG, GIF, and so forth), as well as download everything from movie clips to audio files of your favorite quotes from television and cinema.
The ease of gathering information from the Web with the click of a mouse button revolutionized the Internet. The only complaint from users was: "So, all you can do on the Web is browse and download files?" With the alpha release of the HotJava Web browser for SPARC Solaris systems, Sun Microsystems answers that question with a resounding NO!
HotJava, shown in Figure A, is the Web browser that makes the Internet come alive. By expanding the browsing techniques introduced by other browsers, HotJava provides the capability to add arbitrary behavior. This transforms flat information into dynamic applications.
Unlike other browsers, HotJava can add applications ranging from interactive science lessons for educational purposes to games and specialized shopping applications. The possibilities for these implementations are endless.
In addition to these dynamic applications, HotJava creates a new way for users to access them. Software migrates across the network transparently, relieving you of installing additional software. When you request a new program, HotJava gets it and runs it. How does HotJava accomplish this? It uses a new language called Java.
The Java programming language allows for HotJava's dynamic capabilities. In the shortest terms, Java is a safe, portable and simplified version of C++.
Because Java code is neutral to architectural concerns, it will run on any computing platform.
Does this sound too good to be true? When the folks at Sun Microsystems sat down to create new software for consumer electronics, they found that the C++ language didn't meet their programming needs. Java evolved as the suitable alternative.
Using buzz words to describe Java's features, Sun describes the Java language as "a simple, object-oriented, distributed, interpreted, robust, secure, architecture-neutral, portable, high-performance, multithreaded, and dynamic language."
Each word in the description emphasizes a specific goal that the language achieves. The Java language provides a powerful addition to the tools available to programmers.
Once you've seen Java in action, you'll be looking forward to downloading your own copy of the HotJava Web browser. Included on the HotJava home page is a small collection of Java applications or applets, as shown in Figure B. Until you've played hangman using HotJava, you may think the Web is just another pretty place to visit.
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