Java is an exciting new programming language designed by Sun Microsystems for the development of cross-platform applets and applications for the world-wide web. Simply put, Java applets can provide interactive and dynamic behavior not currently found in HTML-based web pages today. Java can make web pages come alive and make them significantly more compelling.
Java can be described as a simple version of C++ without its complicated constructs and features. It provides strong features in the area of object-orientation and code reuse. In addition, Java implements many compile-time and runtime safety features to ensure the safety of the running application. The complete definition of the Java language, as well as the programmer's guide can be downloaded from the Internet at http://java.sun.com.
Overview of Symantec Caffeine
Symantec Caffeine is the first Macintosh development environment that uses the standard Sun Java virtual machine and compiler to let you quickly produce Java. Caffeine is a free update patch for all owners of Symantec C++ for Power Macintosh (version 8.0 or later) which is available for download via ftp from Symantec╒s Java Central web site and other ftp sites. Caffeine gives customers who own Symantec C++ for Power Macintosh a graphical, easy to use Java development environment. Caffeine integrates Sun's Java Development Kit (JDK 1.0) into Symantec's award-winning development environment for the Power Macintosh so you get the easy to use Java language in a highly productive development environment.
The Caffeine patch creates a separate version of the Symantec Project manager on your hard drive that is designed specifically for Java development. Thus you can quickly begin working with Java without having to know anything about C++. In fact, because Symantec CafÄ uses a proven, highly productive, easy-to-use development environment, Java development becomes even simpler.
Symantec Caffeine provides a fully featured project management system and flexible editing tools for dramatically increasing the productivity of Internet developers. Applets built with Symantec Caffeine can then be embedded into HTML documents to provide dynamic functionality on multiple platforms (Macintosh, Windows, Unix) when using a HotJava enabled web browser such as Netscape's Navigator 2.1 for Macintosh (not yet released).
Some of the main features of the Symantec Caffeine include:
╖ Support for development of Java applets on the Power Macintosh (68k version coming soon!)
╖ An easy to use graphical interface to the Java compiler via a full-featured powerful project management system. Integrated source control and sub-folders help you organize your code
╖ A professional programmer's editor for Java development with full color syntax and keyword highlighting. Full support for Apple's Drag & Drop.
╖ Error reporting capabilities integrated into the environment enabling you to quickly track down problems in your code
╖ Automatic launching of the Java applet viewer from within Symantec's environment once applets have been compiled
╖ Full AppleScript scriptability and recordability make the environment easy to customize. Nearly twenty scripts are included to automate routine tasks.
╖ Sample applets to help you get started
╖ Full integration of Sun's Macintosh JDK into Symantec's graphical development environment
╖ Java documentation in Postscript format
Coming soon, Symantec Cafe...
Caffeine is just one of a series of Java development tool releases from Symantec. On the Macintosh it is the first set of tools we are making available, and will be followed later by the previously announced Symantec Cafe Java development environment. On the Windows side we have already made several releases of our Java tools available, including Symantec Espresso last December (the Windows equivalent of Caffeine), and several updates since then. Over time we╒ll be delivering Cafe for both Macintosh and Windows. Our goal is to provide the easiest to use yet most powerful Java tools on both Macintosh and Windows. We are the only company working on Java tools for both platforms, and we intend to deliver the best Java tools in the industry, whether you are using the MacOS or Windows.
Symantec Cafe for Macintosh will be provided free to all of Symantec C++ subscription customers (anyone who purchased and registered C++ for Power Macintosh). We will provide a host of features in Symantec Cafe for both Macintosh and Windows, including a powerful and flexible project management environment, a professional Java source code editor, source-level debugging, and a fully integrated class browser. If you want to find out more about Cafe for Macintosh check out the Cafe for Macintosh press release at Symantec Java Central.
How to get started
Your next step is to read the document entitled ╥Your First Applet.pdf╙. From there you can use the other sample applets provided with Caffeine to get an idea of how to create basic applets. There are also a number of Java programming books available on the market to help you quickly get up to speed on the Java language.
How to contact us...
Make sure that you check out the Symantec Java Central web site at http://www.symantec.com/lit/dev/javaindex.html for updates and information about Caffeine and Cafe for Macintosh when it becomes available (targeted for the end of Q1). We╒ll also be posting additional Java resources and goodies in Java Central, so make sure you create a bookmark for it and visit often.
If you have any problems or find bugs, send email to...
support@devtools.symantec.com
Have fun and let us know what kinds of great applets you have created with Symantec Caffeine and Symantec Cafe!
- Symantec Macintosh Development Tools Team
Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc., and refers to Sun's Java programming language.
Copyright ⌐1996 Symantec Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
