What’s all the hype about JavaFX during the last few days? Andy Patrizio over at InternetNews.com seems to think its the end-all beat-all, death-to-JavaScript-and-AJAX panacea for Web 2.0.

MmmmmmIthinknot.

My initial experience with JavaFX’s demos were, shall we say, less than glamorous. Andy doesn’t seem to think so, however.

The language offers interactivity, animation and programming consistent with AJAX, Adobe’s Flash and Microsoft’s new Silverlight technology, but employs the Java runtimes installed on your local client instead of clumsy JavaScript.

Take a look at some of the JavaFX demos to see the magic in action. How is this less “clumsy” than JavaScript or Flash?

1. Like any bleeding edge technology, Macs are potentially left out. The Java folks post a disclaimer above the demos, warning Mac users that they might have an install ahead of them. I didn’t have to make an install, but I wonder if many do.
2. So I have to download something to view it? Okay…
3. Whoa - my computer wants me to pledge my allegiance to Sun Microsystems in order to view the demo? So now were up to two dialog boxes before I’ve seen any magic. Yes, I want to download, yes, I trust this source. Great.

Once you actually get into the demo, they look pretty good (the Motorola example seems pretty cool), but less clumsy than JavaScript? C’mon Andy.

The article also contains a few gems from James Gosling, one of the Java language developers:

“Most scripting languages are oriented at banging out Web pages. This is oriented around interfaces that are highly animated.”

Check out the JavaFX demos for some high-ridin’ animation, baby. Somehow I doubt that a JavaFX app could even come close to the latest installment of Homestar Runner.

And do you notice the respect and admiration James gives to developers who use scripting languages? Excuse the noise whilst I wield my crude stone keyboard to bang-bang-bang out another web home page, Jim.

AJAX programming inevitably requires programming by content creators. Another problem with writing AJAX applications is it inevitably forces manual code creation, a skill Web content creators typically do not have.

An apt reminder for us all: Friends don’t let non-coding friends create AJAX applications. Stop the madness.

I can’t imagine how this technology will take hold for anyone other than people already up to their ears in Java. I think “write once, run anywhere” may end up being the mantra for the same developers who only have a Java hammer in their toolbox.

---

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 9th, 2007 at 7:31 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.