Java EE 5 and SOA: Sun's Schmidt answers the critics

Sun ’simplifies’ Java EE, but are its glory days at an end?
Sun says it has 'simplified' Java EE, but are its glory days at an end?

Last May, Sun released Java Enterprise Edition 5 (Java EE, known in previous editions as J2EE), the latest version of the standards platform that underpins many commercial and open-source application servers. more>>>

Invoking Web Services using Apache Axis2

Apache Axis2 is the successor to the renowned Apache Axis SOAP project. Axis2 is a major improvement of the web services core engine and aims to be the platform to build applications based on service oriented architecture (SOA). It is blazing the trail by being a clean and extensible open source web services platform. The architecture of Axis2 is highly flexible and supports additional functionalities, features and enhancements such as:

AXIOM (AXIs2 Object Model), a new XML infoset representation with streaming support
An improved client with both synchronous and asynchronous support
Native support for MTOM (Message Transmission Optimization Mechanism)
Full support for WSDL 2.0 defined MEPs (Message Exchange Patterns) >>>more

FREE: Sun Certified Business Component Developer 5.0 Beta Exam

Are you a developer who is responsible for designing and implementing applications using Enterprise JavaBeans(TM) 3.0? If so, this is your opportunity to get involved in the creation of the Business Component Developer 5.0 exam!!!!!

As a beta tester, you officially test the test and will be able to provide Sun with valuable comments and technical feedback about the Business Component Developer questions. The Sun beta exam counts towards official SCBCD Certification!
more>>>

Linux Security: A Big Edge Over Windows

Linux is better at locking down a computer than Windows. The Linux OS uses configuration settings and user permissions to a much more efficient degree than the Windows administrator account. To do this, non-enterprise users should seek help from third-party security suites that serve as configuration managers, James Bottomley, chief technology officer of SteelEye Technology said.more>>>

Forget iPhone, Think Google Phone

The Observer of London is reporting2 that Google3 might be working with HTC and mobile/telecom giant Orange to build a Google Mobile Phone, which could possibly have Google software inside the device, and would be able to do many of the web tasks smartly. The device, article speculates, could go on sale in 2008. (Of course, we would all have forgotten by then… if it doesn’t happen.) Orange and Google, both declined to comment.more>>>

Struts Validations Framework Using AJAX

Real-time data validation is one of the advantages of AJAX technology. By applying this technology, the struts validation framework will enrich the struts MVC and move the Web application closer to the desktop application.more>>>

Will Scholarpedia Pass or Fail?

Have we reached another milestone in the evolution of academic publishing? Scholarpedia is the first "free peer-reviewed encyclopedia," a kind of morphing of open access publishing with wiki technology. Initial reaction may be, not another Wikipedia wannabe!, especially as the ink is barely dry on Larry Sanger's Citizendium manifesto, which he describes as a "progressive fork" of Wikipedia. Scholarpedia could be very different, however. more>>>

The Great IRQ Debate in the Linux kernel

We interrupt our normal kernel hacking in order to bring you this special report on an outbreak of IRQ warfare. OK, wait. I just made that up as an example of what happens when a device on your PC wants the processor, in hardware terms, or the kernel, from a software point of view, to do something. To signal the processor that it needs something done, the device turns on the appropriate IRQ, short for Interrupt ReQuest. The kernel takes care of business by satisfying the request, then turns the IRQ off again. more>>>

Google to offer domain registration

Not its domain names, of course, but ones that people may want to register while signing up for Google Apps for Your Domain services. It could be an indication of Google's future intentions for the Apps services too.

Come for the applications, stay for the domain. That's Google's approach to enhancing the Google Apps for Your Domain service. The company has partnered with a pair of registration services, eNom and GoDaddy, to offer .com, .net,.org, .biz, and .info domains for $10 per year.

Google engineer Costin Manolache also noted the offer includes private registration. This keeps personal information out of view of whois lookups.

Google Apps for Your Domain offers five services that can be private-labeled by the organization. It's a quick and currently free way to offer members of an organization email, IM, and calendar services branded with the organization's name and logo.

James Gosling on Open Sourcing Sun's Java Platform Implementations, Part 2

James Gosling, widely regarded as the father of Java technology, has been hard at work helping Sun Microsystems with its efforts to open source Sun's Java SE (JDK) and Java ME implementations. The Java EE implementation has been open sourced for over a year as Project GlassFish. Part 1 of the interview took place shortly before Sun's official announcement, and we spoke again just afterward. >>>more

James Gosling's Letter to the Java Community

Dear Java Community,

As you can see, we're making progress with our plans to open source Sun's implementations of the Java platform. I'm happy to see Java technology embarking on a new journey with this official open-source licensing announcement. >>>more

Top Ten Free Linux Games

If you think that there are no great games for Linux, think again! We are taking a look at 10 of some of the most popular Linux games... that just so happen to be completely free! >>>more

Easy Shell Scripting

Shell scripting can be defined as a group of commands executed in sequence. Let's start by describing the steps needed to write and execute a shell script >>>more

Java SE 6 Key Features

Java SE 6 is the current major release of the Java SE platform. Sun endeavors to foster the highest level of transparency and collaboration on the platform with the Java community through Project JDK 6, resulting in the following key features.
New Security Features and Enhancements , Integrated Web Services , Scripting Language Support (JSR 223) , Enhanced Management and Serviceability , Increased Developer Productivity (JDBC 4.0), Improved User Experience >>>more

3000+ Unix/Linux Programming Texts and Tutorials

3000+ Unix/Linux Programming Texts and Tutorials

All free, of course. Includes the typical roundup of Linux/Unix languages, also includes things like cron, openGL, networking, GTK, Gimp, iptables, regex, Grub/LILO, booting between multiple kernels and a plethora of others. >>>more

The Best (and Worst) Leaders of 2006

The Best (and Worst) Leaders of 2006
The best took their companies to new heights and made investors proud. The worst? Well, check out our rogues' gallery
By Susan Berfield

The best leaders of the year showed us how to build great companies while treating employees well, how to improve dysfunctional corporate cultures, reinvigorate tired brands, and develop new strategic plans. They surprised us with bold decisions and acquisitions. The worst leaders proved themselves difficult to work for, stubborn, out-of-touch, and sometimes in over their heads. Some were rewarded handsomely, even though shareholders weren't. Others were fired; a few were jailed. Here are the leaders of 2006 with all their successes and failures. >>>more

Spring in 2006: A year in review

At the Spring Experience last night Spring founder Rod Johnson declared that Spring became ubiquitous in 2006, and that it had become a defacto standard. Rod did a review of what happened in 2006 to drive such strong growth for Spring:

Februrary.
- Arjen Poustma joins Interface21, focused on Spring Web Services.
May
- Spring gets a gold award for innovation at the JAX conference in Germany.
- Pitchfork released in cooperation with BEA who is using Spring inside WebLogic.
- Oracle also announces Spring integration, and that Oracle Developer Depot runs Spring
- Acegi Security goes 1.0
June
- French online tax portal based on Spring goes into production - handles taxation for 34 million users
- Spring One held in Antwerp, belgium
July
- Voca payment engine goes live in the UK, coinciding with Rod's birthday. Voca has handled 80M transactions since. Voca processses direct debits, credits, and money orders between banks.
August
- Spring LDAP joins the Spring portfolio
- Interface21 trains its 1000th developer on Spring, they have a huge list of upcoming trainings
September
- Spring gets it's 1 millionth download
October
- Spring 2 final releases. 12,000 downloads in the fist 24 hours
- Spring Web Flow goes 1.0 final.
- Former Solarmetric co-founder Neelan Choksi joins I21 from BEA, where he managed the open sourcing of Kodo as the OpenJPA project. Adrian Colyer and Ramniavs Laddadd also joined I21 last year.

2007 will be an even more exciting year, according to Rod. Upcoming are releases of Spring OSGi, Spring Web Services, and further improvements to Spring Web Flow.

Red Hat Fake Ad

Red Hat Fake Ad
Red Hat making fun of Microsoft... If this is real, it should totally be on TV...

>>>more

Google joins Eclipse Foundation

Ending months of speculation, Google has officially joined the Eclipse Foundation as an add-in provider, according to officials at both organizations. In an interview with ZDNet, Eclipse Director Mike Milinkovich said:
We are, of course, thrilled that Google decided to join the Eclipse Foundation. It was a nice gesture of support for the Eclipse community and it is appreciated. But what I am really excited about is the way that Google is using Eclipse as the development tools platform for the Google Web Toolkit. It is yet another demonstration of how Eclipse can be used as the tools platform for so many different languages and environments.
The move was announced at this week's members teleconference. Google's Scott Blum gave a presentation on the Google Web Toolkit (GWT), which is built on Eclipse RCP and JDT technology. Scott also showed off the GWT Designer, a commercial WYSIWYG editor for GWT applications created by Instantiations, the makers of WindowBuilder Pro. Milinkovich:
The intersection between GWT and Instantiations WindowBuilder is also very interesting. Ajax developers are looking for ways to become more productive, and that seems like a winning combination.
[According to Instantiation's Brian MacDonald, a package that includes a year's subscription to GWT Designer plus the 70-page GWT e-book (written by yours truly) is available through the end of the year at a discounted price.]
Google's Open Source Program Office (including Greg Stein, Chris DiBona, and Zaheda Bhorat) pulled the deal together between Google and the Eclipse Foundation in October. Although there was no official word on whether or not Google's endorsement of Eclipse will mean the company would devote any additional resources towards the popular open source community, Milinkovich was hopeful:
It will be interesting to see if Google gets involved in some of the Eclipse projects related to Ajax such as ATF and RAP.

Sun Open Sources Java Platform Implementations

Open-Source Java Project Overview
The Java community comprises many communities that have, for over 10 years now, built a large and vibrant market around the Java platform, innovating with Java technology through both closed and open source development models.
Sun is now seeding open-source communities around its implementations of the Java platform. The company is releasing the code under an open-source license, and putting in place the infrastructure for a community to collaborate on a source-code commons.
Sun believes that open source developers gain greater freedom and customers gain more control over the rapidly developing technology they use. Sun recognizes that open source requires freedom for developers, and recognizes that the strength of Java technology is its promise of compatibility.
Code
The Java platform consists of three flavors: Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE); Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME); and Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE).
The components of the Java SE implementation that Sun is releasing initially are the Java programming-language compiler (javac) and the Java HotSpot virtual machine. In 2007, Sun will release all unencumbered source-code modules of JDK 6 and JDK 7, along with full build scripts; a few encumbered modules will be released as binary plugins. The code will be available under the GPL v2 license plus the ClassPath Exception.
The Java ME platform components for release in the Mobile & Embedded community include the Java ME implementations, as well as compatibility and quality-testing tool frameworks. The initial release features a buildable phone implementation targeting mass-market handsets and the Java ME Technology Compatibility Kit (TCK) framework, the foundation to build Java ME compatibility tests. Later releases will include the advanced OS handset implementation and the Java Device Test (JDT) Framework, the foundation for quality and functional tests. Sun will make its Java ME implementations and frameworks available to the community; the source code will be available under the GPL v2 license.
The Java EE platform components were open sourced in June 2005 and since then have been under development in the GlassFish community with contributions from Sun, Oracle, TmaxSoft, and others. The community delivered the final implementation of the Java EE 5 platform in May 2006 and is working on the second release. The production-quality implementations are used in many products. The code is available today under the Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL); it will soon also be available under the GPL v2 license plus the ClassPath Exception.

Community
Open Source Java technology also has meeting places for a community development efforts, where developers can collaborate on developing and improving the technology. The collaboration infrastructure will be hosted on java.net. Sun expects to help provide community-enabling tools and to document processes to facilitate open collaboration.
The role of the Java Community Process (JCP) will not change. It will continue to govern specifications, from Java Specification Request (JSR) submissions to public reviews to final approvals.
Looking Forward
Over time, as Sun works through the required diligence, it will make all of its implementations of the Java platform available through this project, and it will further develop the community infrastructure, including project governance.