Producing web sites using Java technology has been on my mind for a long time. After all, the Java programming language is the language built specifically for the web, and as a longtime independent web developer, the sites I build are increasingly complex, demand tighter security and rely more and more on database connectivity. I need Java technology for those reasons, but I also want to become more efficient, building a library of reusable code so that my current efforts become future assets. But despite the attractions of Java technology's speed, security, portability, and flexibility, I've been putting it off, feeling time-crunched and a bit hesitant to take on the task of learning a new, high-level programming language. So when I found out about the Sun Java Studio Creator IDE, I thought it might be the right tool for learning the Java programming language, while simultaneously building applications quickly and visually. So this journal will track my Java technology learning curve as I build real-world applications using the IDE.

• Why Transition from Macromedia to Java?
• Major Needs from an IDE
• Installing Java Studio Creator
• The Visual Editor
• Next Time
• More Developer Resources

Many years ago, I picked up ColdFusion as my programming language of choice, and I have stuck with it since. But I have also stayed away from visual authoring tools like Dreamweaver MX because I don't want to loose control over my code. I found that authoring tools can take control over programming, making it very difficult to maneuver between the visual design environment and the underlying code they produce.

So now, as I bring Sun Java Studio Creator to life on my desktop, I wonder if my concerns will be answered? For now, I have five major needs:

I need a development environment that I can get up to speed on fast. I like speed, but that's not the reason. I've got deadlines to meet, money to make, and more importantly, a life outside of my office. Java technology hasn't offered that kind of a visual development environment until now. Find our more on their Visual Environment page.

he power of a genuine programming language – one built for the web – is key. Security, for example: many web applications now require that data remain secure, whether it's a credit card transaction, passing a network ID, password or employee's salary. The intrinsic nature of the Java platform is that data remains secure because data itself is not passed—only its variables are. And Java technology runs as fast as technology developed with any other language, including C++. Remember, the Java programming language was developed specifically for a networked environment (for this discussion, meaning the web). We're not talking local apps on CD-ROM or DVD, but ones that can be intercepted at any moment as your apps bounce across the whole globe!

ColdFusion is a hard-enough sell to many clients, and so is Visual Basic (no, I mean ASP? no I mean .NET). Well what about Java technology? Say that to your clients and their eyes immediately brighten, "You develop on the Java platform?" And proudly you declare, "Yes I do." They feel cool getting their app developed for the Java platform, even if it's based on a misconstrued concept of a very good (and often potent) coffee bean. Come on board with Java technology and object-oriented programming, and you've got an edge in the industry.

I'm fortunate enough to run my own hosting environment, and I'm all too aware that the cost of installing a new server has less to do with the cost of hardware or internet connectivity.

The cost of software licensing is my major concern, that is, unless I'd go for "open-source" with Linux, PHP and MySQL. But that isn't my route. My clients would fall off their chairs if I proposed to develop their application using these technologies. Perhaps you disagree, but I've yet to see an Amazon.com, Google, eBay, or LL Bean, use PHP as their technology.

The Java specification code produced using Java Studio Creator, on the other hand, is "open standard." I just discovered what that means: the code it creates conforms to the J2EE standard that allows you to move it from one server (say IBM with AIX) to another (say Sun with Solaris or Windows). To my clients, whether or not I provide them with "open source" code is of much lesser concern. But to them, the "open standard" means everything: their application is not tied to a particular machine software configuration with specific licensing requirements. On top of that, Sun's application server is free on all platforms. Compare that to ColdFusion or the .NET framework, and you've got specific licensing requirements – which also translate to specific hardware requirements – that must ride along with your application.

To give you a sense of this, I once developed a project for one of the largest entertainment companies around using ColdFusion. It worked great, ran wonderfully well, everyone loved it – that is until their IT department got the whole project cancelled mid-stream because they refused to install ColdFusion on their UNIX servers. It was a hard lesson for me because I had staffed up specifically for the project.

With the Java platform, the world of portability opens up. This is something my clients take very seriously. They are paying good money for their applications, and they want to take it with them – that is, really own it. when I've proposed developing applications that require Macromedia and Microsoft licensing, as well as third party add-on licenses.

Plus with Java technology, I provide my clients with compiled code. They probably care less about receiving my source. As long as it is "open standard" – meeting the J2EE standard, which the Java Studio Creator IDE does – they are free to run with it as they see best fit.

Find more details on the technologies behind Java Studio Creator on the Compatible Products & Technologies page.

The Java Studio Creator IDE is really a steal. It is available for free with a membership in the Sun Developer Network (SDN), which also includes access to forums and a long list of tutorials. The SDN provides a lot of good resources and is worth exploring.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with a product that is free , because the price tag on professional-level development environments can be very expensive. However, I must say that I was quickly impressed.

You'll have to watch the messages that go by in the installation window to see all that goes on. Installation includes a copy of the PointBase database server, a Java technology-based database server, and Sun's Application Server, Platform Edition Version 8. To give you an idea of its expansiveness, when all was said and done, installation took over 500MB of space on my hard drive!

A lot of thought seems to have gone into how developers might intuitively use the visual interface. I liked that I could build the desktop the way I wanted, and manage pertinent information using various windows arranged around the main editing area. You get easy tab access to all the documents you want open, and a lot of windows, or pallets, to assist in development, such as Application Outline, Project Navigator, Database and Web Services, Properties, and more. These pallets can be expanded and collapsed as needed. Take a look at it yourself on the SDN: Java Studio Creator Product Tours.

It didn't take long for me to get into some drag-and-drop coding. I was glad to see how easily I could switch to code view to take a look at the code being generated behind the scenes. The editing area provides a nice balance between the visual and coding environments. I've had issues in other visual editors where the generated code is so overly complex that once you get going visually, you're stuck there. Not so with the Java Studio Creator IDE. I had a fun time exploring some solid code – getting familiar with the Java programming language – by looking behind the scenes by switching to code view.

Now that I'm familiar with the IDE, I want to get a little more grounding in Java technology essentials, which will be the topic of my next entry. Then I'll explore Ajax and Web services with Java Studio Creator, and move on to data access and other topics.