JavaFX is now out: Are Applets and Java Desktop officially dead/dying? [closed]

Answer 1

I think this discussion is somewhat misleading. I an no fan of applet technology either (and I have been underwhelmed by JavaFX). But the point that this thread is missing is that, unless I am mistaken, JavaFX is built on top of applet technology. They are not competing or mutually exclusive. See these articles here and here.

It could be that the confusion is somewhat intentional on Sun's part as they do not want JavaFX and applets to be mentioned in the same sentence, since Applets had so many problems.

Answer 2

Though this might eventually be true , currently JavaFX lacks controls , no mobile devices support and other lacunae which makes it 'not there yet'

Answer 3

1. Will this mean that Java Applets that hail from 1990's are dead and not worth going back to?

JavaFX and associated changes are an attempt to revitalize the applet space - applets were always dogged by poor plugin implementations and flakeu`y bridges into the browser. That's been improved - though still needs more work - but at last Sun has recognized it needed work and has done something about it. Applets are better positioned than they have ever been. Of the competition you mention - Flash, Air, and Silverlight - I think you missed out the key competitor - the browser/javascript - the browser makers are also addressing key platform weaknesses - javascript performance, ability to do arbitrary drawing ( ie canvas etc ). For low-end requirements I think a pure play browser approach is going to win out - for higher end graphics - JavaFX has a chance.

2. Same with Java Desktop: What will be compelling for us Java Developers to use it rather than JavaFX?

As a big developer of Java Desktop apps, one of the things that's missing is a decent set of basic widgets and the time to play! It needs a killer table implementation - you can embedded swing but kinda what's the point. Now I could write my own by that's not really where I'm adding value in my kinda of job.

Answer 4

Java Applets died not because of the concept of an applet, but because the JRE plugin for web browsers was abyssmal.

In fact, Flash proved that there is a role for in-line interactive content.

JavaFX is a new way of programming rich internet applications - essentially equivalent to Java applets or Flash content. The new JRE runtime (1.6.0_10, aka "Update 10") includes lots of features that make running Java in the context of a browser much more palatable.

JavaFX != Java Desktop. The two are quite different, and each have a place in a developer's toolbox.