Most IT shops recognize the need for applying Java technology. So what keeps Java from becoming even more prevalent than it is today?
Some shops are hampered by a lack of in-house Java development skills or the perception that Java is difficult to learn. Others are attracted to the multiplatform benefits of Java but are daunted by the complexities of accessing and deploying to heterogeneous systems. Fortunately, the latest advances in Java technology have significantly reduced the complexity in developing Java applications and making them accessible across the enterprise.
IBM Rational has incorporated many of these advances into its latest product offerings, opening the Java door to many more development professionals. This month we highlight IBM Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software and how it makes Java and J2EE development easier. (Rational Application Developer is the latest version of WebSphere Studio Application Developer, renamed as part of IBM's ongoing consolidation of development products and resources into the Rational brand.)
Taming Java Application Development Challenges
The majority of developers considering or actively using Java today fall into three basic sets: novice Java developers, legacy procedural developers, and experienced Java and J2EE developers. This section describes these users in detail and the challenges that each user set faces when developing Java applications.
Novice Java developers. Many companies today are experiencing a shortage of skilled Java and J2EE developers. Because these professionals are high-priced, most companies need their existing employees to learn Java skills quickly. Developers trained in client/server programming technologies such as Microsoft Visual Basic are scrambling to get up to speed on the Java language, especially J2EE technology.
Visual Basic was quickly adopted by masses of developers because of the simplicity and ease of use offered by these development tools based on intuitive point-and-click visual composition and object instantiation. Traditionally, Java technology has not offered an equivalent development approach, making the transition to the Java language difficult for Visual Basic developers.
Rational Application Developer provides the ideal environment for novice Java developers, especially those developers familiar with Visual Basic. The new JavaServer Faces (JSF) technology in Rational Application Developer, coupled with its visual and diagram editors, and a data access framework based on Service Data Objects (SDOs), make it easy to develop Web applications without writing code.
Rational Application Developer provides the ideal environment for novice Java developers, especially those developers familiar with Visual Basic. The new JavaServer Faces (JSF) technology in Rational Application Developer, coupled with its visual and diagram editors, and a data access framework based on Service Data Objects (SDOs), make it easy to develop Web applications without writing code.
