Latest News from Scott Clark

From Your Editor: Why YOUR Applet?

Fri, 01 Mar 1996 00:00:00 EST

The Java Developer's Journal is moving in big ways. Change is constant, and the JDJ is no exception. Andrew Zolli has moved on, and for now, I am the Editor of the Java Developer's Journal. I look forward to seeing Java shape the Internet, and the world. We, the Java developers, will not only affect the Web, but the real world we live in as well.

Backstage Designer Desktop Studio

Fri, 01 Mar 1996 00:00:00 EST

On today's Internet, a Web site cannot afford to be old fashioned. An antique Web site is a dusty, unvisited vestige of yesteryear. Today's sites have to be interactive, multimedia experiences that create a lasting impression...sites that will get revisited often. The software industry has been bursting with new Web design tools, but it's still hard to find a WYSIWYG tool which can be used to design HTML pages that include the latest browser tags and plug-ins, let alone one that can be used to create dynamically produced documents. This type of program would create a unique experience for each viewer. Macromedia is well known for its animation and Web graphics tools. Now Macromedia has gone even farther into multimedia Web development with Backstage Designer Desktop Studio. In this issue, you'll learn about Backstage Designer Desktop Studio, and find out how it can make your site a unique experience for everyone who wanders onto it.

Netscape Navigator

Fri, 01 Mar 1996 00:00:00 EST

Web browsers are a way of life for many of us. For some, a day without using a browser would be a day off. Others may use the Web for entertainment, research, homework, or just a break from the routine. Regardless of how often you use a browser, at one point you had to make a decision about which browser to use. And it came down to the big two, Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Of course, some of you checked out the other browsers, but according to statistics, the majority of you ended up using Netscape Navigator to cruise around the Internet.

Mojo from Penumbra

Fri, 01 Mar 1996 00:00:00 EST

While a lot of Java development has been happening in the last few months, Java's learning curve has still put many a company's project on hold while developers learn to master the language. By the time the developers have caught up, new techniques and products come along. Now, we have a product that is supposed to eliminate the learning curve, and enables the developer to start producing useful applets (using drag and drop components with "actions") that can be used as is or improved on with code that you integrate into the applet. Penumbra Software's Mojo includes built-in components for drawing, rich-text editing, email, buttons and panels, calendar, clock, and animation. In this issue, the Java Developer's Journal takes a look at Mojo and lets you know if it's just the tool to put some magic on your site.

Product Reviews: Websuite 1.1

Thu, 01 Feb 1996 00:00:00 EST

"Well, Jim, the Web pages look pretty good, but they remind me of a food line at a delicatessen. Lots of food, but nothing looks like it belongs with anything else." "But boss, I put in all the information that you wanted!" "Yes, but I want our pages to have a style that's recognizable throughout the whole site."

Jet Connect

Thu, 01 Feb 1996 00:00:00 EST

In early March of this year, Sun Microsystems' software company, JavaSoft, specified a standard SQL database access interface, the JDBC API. Java developers everywhere were finally given a tool to connect their applets and applications to databases, via the JDBC API. The API provided Java programmers with a uniform interface to a wide range of relational databases. Developers used the API as a common base on which to build higher level tools and interfaces. The JDBC API defined Java classes to represent database connections, SQL statements, result sets, database metadata, and allowed a programmer to issue SQL statements and process the results in their applets and applications.

Product Review: Krakatoa

Thu, 01 Feb 1996 00:00:00 EST

Most of us have seen a standalone Java application of one sort or another. But few of us have seen any commercial applications of serious merit yet... until now, that is. CADIS has just released Krakatoa, the object-oriented client/server search and retrieval development program. Krakatoa is delivered to the client via either a java applet that is downloaded, or a combination of javascript and HTML frames, and allows Web users to search through structured content by refining their search criteria with finer and finer details of interest. By clicking on their selection with the mouse, the count of qualifying items is instantly updated, allowing users to find the products or documents they are looking for. URL's, product information or sales contacts are requested at that point, again via the mouse, enabling users to find exactly the information they are looking for with a minimum amount of effort. Krakatoa was named after a volcano. We'll take a look and see if it lives up to its namesake.

Symantic's Café

Mon, 01 Jan 1996 00:00:00 EST

Since the release of Sun's Java Development Kit last year, developers have been limited to using the command line interface to develop Java applets and applications. There have been a few Integrated Development Environments available from independent developers, but until now no major software company has released any. Symantec released Café at the beginning of March, pushed ahead of schedule by developers that wanted an IDE here and now. Café is now available for download from Symantec's Web site, and at the major software stores. I had the opportunity to check it out in all its glory for your approval.