Summary of QuickTime for Java

Since its introduction in 1991, QuickTime has evolved into the equivalent of five large multimedia toolkits, with an extensive API in the C language. It is designed to produce full-length movies, music, animated sprites, virtual reality, and 3D modeling. Besides its widespread use for delivering high-quality digital content over the Internet, QuickTime has become the core multimedia technology used in over 11,500 CD-ROM titles and hundreds of new DVD titles.

QuickTime for Java came about to meet developers' need for a way to get at QuickTime besides using C calls. The idea was to integrate the write-once, run-everywhere capabilities of Java with QuickTime's robust media architecture.

An early version of the QuickTime for Java technology was first demonstrated at the JavaOne conference in 1998. The current version is now available free to the Java community and other QuickTime developers at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtjava .

This document summarizes the highlights of QuickTime for Java under the following headings:

"The QuickTime for Java API" summarizes the principal programming elements of the Java API for QuickTime
"Using QuickTime in Multimedia Production" presents several scenarios for using QuickTime for Java in the multimedia production space.
"An Overview of QuickTime for Java" gives you basic facts about this software.
"Integrating QuickTime with Java" discusses how the QuickTime for Java Application Framework works.
"The QuickTime for Java Package Structure" describes the packages that make up QuickTime for Java.
"Comparing QuickTime C and Java Code" discusses how you relate Java code to QuickTime's native C code.
"QuickTime for Java Classes and Interfaces" describes the QTCanvas and QTFactory classes and the QTDrawable interface.
"Displaying and Streaming Movies" summarizes the ways you can stream multimedia content using QuickTime for Java.
"Media and Presenters" discusses how your Java code can present QuickTime media.
"Imaging and Effects" summarizes the ways you can use Java to image QuickTime media and apply QuickTime effects.
"Animation and Compositing" introduces some of the techniques you use to animate and composite images in QuickTime for Java programs.

For full technical details see the book QuickTime for Java, being introduced at JavaOne in June, 1999.