As the demand for platform-independent, network-centric, image-processing systems increases, the need for developers to understand the Java programming language increases accordingly. Because of this, Sun Microsystems is offering Java 2 software-development toolkits and application programming interfaces for developers writing, deploying, and running Java applets and applications. In this month's column, we take a look at the best of the Java Web sites and how they can help programmers more rapidly develop their image-processing systems.
Hot Java
www.java.sun.com/index.html
At the Sun Microsystems (Palo Alto, CA) site, you'll find the most comprehensive list of applications articles, tutorials, software-development packages, and links to Java-development sites anywhere on the Internet. This site is replete with developer tools, Java Beans information, Java's 2-D graphics API tools, and a question-and-answer session.
Java repository
java.wiwi.uni-frankfurt.de:8080/
With the widespread use of Java, the Internet has become a worldwide database for Java programs and classes, which allows reuse of existing solutions and therefore higher productivity. To give Java developers and users an easy reuse of classes and sources, the Java Repository collects and presents such documented Java resources on-line. This site lists new programs as they become available and other Internet Java sites and has a search engine that helps you to quickly find application, documentation, and program information.
Java links
www.ultranet.com/~jaz/jazjava.htm
John Zukowski's Web site provides an easy-to-read listing of worldwide Java sites. Included on Zukowski's home page are links to books, CASE tools, Java certification, chat centers, discussion forums, frequently asked questions, and more. By logging on here, you'll be transferred to About.com's Focus on Java site, where the site is now being updated.
Reporting on-line
www.javareport.com/
Java Report on-line is an electronic magazine devoted to news, product information, and program code that appeared in the print version of the magazine during the past year. In addition, listings of special interest groups are provided, which include JOOP, C++ Report, and the application-development advisor.
In the works
www.alphaworks.ibm.com/
The IBM alphaWorks site provides tools that offer early adopters direct access to IBM's emerging "alpha-code" technologies. These include an Extensible Markup Language (XML) Viewer that has been updated to use the IBM Install Toolkit for Java 1.60, Xplorer (a Java application that can be used to search XML files), and a Bean Markup Language that includes a free commercial license. There's also an Extensible Markup Interface (XMI) Toolkit that provides conversions between Java, Rational Rose, and UML models.
Sharing the wealth
www.javashare.com/home.html
Dubbed the Java resources site for professional developers, the aim of this site is to become a centralized location to find, download, try, and buy hundreds of Java components that can be licensed for commercial use. This site also allows Java software authors to publish their work on the Internet without worrying about promoting their own e-commerce-enabled Web site.
Java beans
www.javabeans-zone.com/
This Web site lists more than 660 Java products, including authoring and deployment tools, graphics and charting, libraries, and a section on training and tutorials. In addition to an embedded search engine, there are easy to understand "zones" that include references, resources, books, magazines, and downloadable code.
