Gigline Blog

JavaFX made its big debut this past week, and I was very happy to see what it seemed to offer. Although I haven't done much more than a few tutorials, it seems like they are taking a very good first step: Lots of samples and documentation. They come across as the next biggest thing in the RIA world, and it very well could be, given the power of the Java language underneath. Ajax is a pain given the browser differences, and Flex starts to break down when the data sets get too big. So will JavaFX be able to make good on its promises without going the way of the Dodo... ehem... Applets? Truth be told, I've always been one of those strange people who actually like Applets. I was always bummed when my bosses forbade using them in our apps, and I usually conceded their points. However, it was always a shame to see the bad reputation they had. After all, any time you have doubts on the power Applets can offer, take a look at ThinkFree, a free office suite that blows the snot out of Google Docs. With the number of developers available for Java, hopefully JavaFX will be quickly embraced. However, I'm afraid the same developers who screwed the pooch on Applets will do the same with JavaFX. After all, Java can be the best language in the world or the worst nightmare. For JavaFX to to succeed, the leaders must be very aggressive with best practices, techniques, etc. Thus far there is an abundance of documentation at javafx.com and other sites.