New and Noteworthy

New and Noteworthy

This chapter lists high-profile features in these releases.

Java Deprecation

As of the release of Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 3, the Java runtime ported by Apple and that ships with Mac OS X is deprecated. Developers should not rely on the Apple-supplied Java runtime being present in future versions of Mac OS X.

The Java runtime shipping in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, and Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, will continue to be supported and maintained through the standard support cycles of those products.

Third Party JVM Support and Locations

Java Preferences now shows all discovered JVMs in a single list in the General tab. This list shows the name, vendor, architecture, and full version of each JVM (8146434). It also coalesces multiple versions of the same major platform version from the same vendor and architecture into the same line. Clicking on the version at the end of the line shows a popup menu which chooses between these multiple versions.

Java SE 6 Locations

The location of the Java SE 6 runtime home has changed to/System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home. JDK bundles provided via the Developer package, developer previews, and 3rd party JVMs should be installed in/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines or ~/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines. Developer previews of Java can now be installed and uninstalled without affecting the system JVM(s).

Java IDEs

In testing, some Java IDEs have shown problems navigating into the new JDK bundle structure, and persisting the location of the new JDK bundles. Some IDEs may have to change how they prompt users to locate a JVM on Mac OS X, and should ideally present a list of JVMs generated from /usr/libexec/java_home --xml, which outputs each discovered JVM, and orders them according to the user's order in Java Preferences.

Developer Package

The Java Developer package now supersedes the Java Documentation package (3672275). The developer package contains a copy of the Java SE 6 JDK bundle with all JavaDoc and source jars included inside of it. The Java Developer package also contains documentation for the Java tools in /usr/share/java, such as Ant, Maven, JUnit, and Derby. If you do JNI development, you must install the Java Developer package, since it contains updated headers for the native JavaVM.framework and its sub-frameworks (8421130). The Java Developer package is available from http://connect.apple.com.

Redesigned eAWT

The com.apple.eawt.Application class has undergone a significant redesign of basic Mac event handling (4083709, 4623624, 4714211, 5445495, et al.). Most of the operations handled by ApplicationListeners are now processed by a single delegate handler:

• setAboutHandler(AboutHandler)
• setPreferencesHandler(PreferencesHandler)
• setQuitHandler(QuitHandler)
• setOpenFileHandler(OpenFilesHandler)
• setOpenURIHandler(OpenURIHandler)
• setPrintFileHandler(PrintFilesHandler)

You can also register multiple listeners for each of these listeners with theaddAppEventListener(AppEventListener) method:

• AppForegroundListener
• AppHiddenListener
• AppReOpenedListener
• ScreenSleepListener
• SystemSleepListener
• UserSessionListener

The JavaDoc for all of the Apple Java extensions (including the eAWT) is present in the appledocs.jar file of the Developer .jdk bundle in /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines.

Sudden Termination

Java applications on Mac OS X 10.6 can now opt-in to being suddenly terminated by the OS to speed log-out and shut down. Apps can raise and lower their sudden termination count with the enableSuddenTermination() anddisableSuddenTermination() methods on the com.apple.eawt.Application class. More information on Sudden Termination is available in NSProcessInfo Class Reference. (5756768)

Default Quit Action

Applications can now request that the eAWT send WindowClosing events to all open windows instead of callingSystem.exit(0) when the user choose Quit from the application menu. By setting the apple.eawt.quitStrategysystem property to CLOSE_ALL_WINDOWS, the eAWT will send a close event to every window in back-to-front order (3198576).

Improved Garbage Collection vs. Virtual Memory Paging BehaviorIn Java SE 6 on Mac OS X 10.6, a new optimization has been enabled that prevents garbage-only heap pages from paging out to disk when the system is under memory pressure. It should improve overall system responsiveness when switching between apps, because Java will not be spending time paging heap pages with only garbage to disk (2830171).

RIM Releases New BlackBerry Java SDK

RIM Releases New BlackBerry Java SDK  Research in Motion (RIM) recently released the beta version of BlackBerry Java SDK v7.0 for public consumption.  The release follows the company's announcement of BlackBerry 7 at last month's BlackBerry World 2011 Conference in Orlando.  As expected, the beta version comes packed with plenty of new features for developers looking to fine tune their applications.  As the news was leaked of upcoming RIM releases in the form of the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and the Bold 9930, the timing of Java SDK v7.0 beta could not be better.  Developers eager to create apps for the two new mobile platforms will be able to do so, as the new version of the SDK comes equipped with testing simulators for both phones.  In addition to the testing capabilities of the SDK, there's more good news for app developers with the Bold 9900 and 9930 on their mind, as the BlackBerry App World is accepting new application submissions for both smartphones.   Beyond the features centering on development for the Bold 9900 and 9930, BlackBerry Java SDK v7.0 has much more to offer its users when it comes to new features and upgrades.  As far as user interface enhancements are concerned, the Send Menu API can now be used to add a Send menu item to your app's menu, which allows users to content from the application they are using to another person using a different application on a BlackBerry device.  Other user interface upgrades include certain command framework enhancements, the ability to layer UI elements and  scan images for barcode data, 32-bit color bitmap creation, and more. The area of application integration has received plenty of attention with the beta release as well, with magnetometer APIs being just one of the highlights.  The Compass application has been added to give users the ability to specify destinations through Magnetometer APIs and BlackBerry Maps.  The Unified Search API has been improved, and search results can now be categorized.  Media file identification has also been added. Utilities enhancements include the addition of the Multi Service Platform API, which supports BlackBerry Enterprise Server's BlackBerry Balance feature.  Enterprise Server admins have been given the power to control the access to work data and more, thanks to capabilities that allow them to set IT policy rules that distinguish between work and personal data. BlackBerry Java SDK v7.0 beta also offers plenty of improvements regarding location-based services.  The Dynamic Mappable framework is one dynamic mapping enhancement that allows users to create locations on a map and specify if they need to be updated.  Styles for mappable items can be defined, and custom shape creation has been integrated too.  Departure time estimation, MapField and MapAction enhancements, and the compass overlay integration are also worth mentioning. Last, but not least, are the beta version's Near field communication (NFC) features that help with the creation of mobile payment and e-commerce solutions.  Users can read and write data on smart tags, emulate them, access a Secure Element on a BlackBerry device or SIM card, connect with smart accessories such as a smart dock or wireless headset, and more.

Qoppa Software's New Release of Java PDF Components and Libraries Adds Annotation Groups and Viewing of Any Size PDF File

Qoppa Software's latest Java PDF components and libraries include annotation groups and unlimited file size access across all major operating environments, including Windows, Mac, Linux, and web-based.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) April 27, 2011

Atlanta, GA April 22 2011 - Qoppa Software, a leading provider of PDF solutions, announces the general release of their new PDF libraries and components. The new version of Qoppa’s developer products continues the decade long tradition of Qoppa Software delivering tools for integration within web-based and java applications to quickly and reliably add PDF document capabilities such as viewing, printing, signing, form filling, markup and manipulation.

jPDFViewer, Qoppa’s Java component to display PDF documents, as well as jPDFPrint, Qoppa’s Java library to print PDF documents, now offer support for unlimited PDF file sizes as well as a faster document loading time.

“These improvements are possible thanks to the implementation of a new PDF source which accesses the PDF content directly from the files instead of having to load the contents into memory.” explains Gerald Holmann, Qoppa Software CEO

jPDFNotes, Qoppa’s Java component to display, mark up and sign PDF documents, now offers full support for group annotations. Grouped annotations can be copied, moved, deleted, reviewed or flattened at once.

Performance has also been improved in Qoppa’s PDF engine, especially when rendering graphical documents with transparency. Users in the graphics and pre-press industry may enjoy faster processing times, in some cases up to 5 times faster, when printing and displaying such documents.

ABOUT QOPPA SOFTWARE

Qoppa Software specializes in the development of high-end libraries and applications to work with PDF documents. Qoppa Software offers a suite of products that cover every aspect of PDF processes and integrate seamlessly into document work flows, including end-user, server, and PDF library products. Qoppa’s products are carefully designed and developed to provide the highest level of performance and reliability

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New Red Programming Language Gets Syllable Backend

 New Red Programming Language Gets Syllable Backend


There's a new REBOL like programming language in town. It's called Red, it's BSD licensedand contrary to REBOL and Boron, Red is a compiled language. The Syllable project is proud to announce that Red programs now run on Syllable Desktop. Here is a screenshotfrom a demo program. Syllable is the third Red target platform, after Windows and Linux.
Red was introduced at the REBOL & Boron conference in the Netherlands in February by its creator Nenad Rakocevic from Paris, previously of Cheyenne fame. The project is less than half a year old and has been public for a mere three months, but the first phase of the language, the design and implementation of the Red/System dialect is already nearing completion. It will be presented at theCht'i RUG 2011 in Lille, France. If you are in time for the conference, you can follow it live on Twitter.
Red's name hints at its goal to offer a reduced REBOL dialect that is suitable for compilation, while still being as much like REBOL as possible. The new language is currently being bootstrapped in an ingenious way. The demo program is not written in Red yet, but in Red/System, yet another REBOL like dialect. Red/System is a low level language comparable to C, with similar capabilities. It will be used in the next phase to implement the higher level Red language.
Red was ported to Syllable in a collaboration with the REBOL community. Syllable Desktop has its own in-kernel ELF loader. Red has its own ELF executable format emitter. At first they didn't match, because both try to be lean and don't implement the full ELF specification. Syllable always generates its own program executables as Position Independent Code, as if they were shared libraries. As such, Syllable expects all binaries to have section headers. Red's backend doesn't support PIC yet and didn't strictly need section headers. Andreas Bolka implemented them for Syllable and for the coming PIC implementation in Red. He also implemented proper address alignment, which Syllable requires more strictly than the GNU loader on Linux. Finally, the starting address of the generated binaries was moved to Syllable's user address space, and an embedded kernel syscall was adapted.
Red/System already has several interesting properties. It is a complete compiler toolchain, including a native code generator and a static linker. It is tiny and does not need the huge GCC or even the GNU linker. The LLVM JIT compiler infrastructure was considered, but also deemed unsuitable due to its bloat. The compiler is currently written in REBOL 2, which means it must be run on one of theREBOL 2 platforms: Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Mac or Windows. However, Red/System can trivially be used as a cross-compiler, so Syllable programs can now be cross-developed from those platforms. Once the Red language is implemented, the compiler will be ported from REBOL to Red. It will then also run on Syllable itself, and it will be possible to use Syllable to cross-develop for other Red platforms. Eventually, a JIT compiler will be added, opening even more possibilities with dynamic compilation.
The goal of the compiler is to reach performance on par with the best JavaScript JIT compilers. Currently, only an x86 code generator is implemented, but the design is prepared for multiple backends. Many different ones are possible. ARM and x64 are the primary bare metal targets. Further, it is a specific goal to be able to target Red at embedded platforms and virtual machine platforms such as the JVM, Dalvik and .Net.