best resources for programming in Java on OSX?
in my company we work with Java, XML, MPEG4, etc etc etc. I've been pushing for a MacOSX version of the controlling software we make available on PC. The engineer in charge is very open to doing this, but I want to make sure that he has all the resources he needs and reference to websites, files, etc so as to make his life easier.
The first thing I suggested was to go to developer.apple.com and sign up. I've already downloaded the latest Developer tools and updates. Are there specific Java tools? He currently uses Java 1.3 since 1.4 is too full of bugs according to him and his experience.
What else can I suggest? What sites? The application is basically a controller incoming video streams, has a download manager, etc. The video is actually handled by Windows Media Player, and not built in to the Java app. He would need to know how to make an installer that would add components to the startup process, etc.
Any suggestions or need for clarifications welcome!
The first thing I suggested was to go to developer.apple.com and sign up. I've already downloaded the latest Developer tools and updates. Are there specific Java tools? He currently uses Java 1.3 since 1.4 is too full of bugs according to him and his experience.
What else can I suggest? What sites? The application is basically a controller incoming video streams, has a download manager, etc. The video is actually handled by Windows Media Player, and not built in to the Java app. He would need to know how to make an installer that would add components to the startup process, etc.
Any suggestions or need for clarifications welcome!
Comments
Originally posted by ZO
What else can I suggest? What sites? The application is basically a controller incoming video streams, has a download manager, etc. The video is actually handled by Windows Media Player, and not built in to the Java app. He would need to know how to make an installer that would add components to the startup process, etc.
how about giving Quicktime for java a try? well, if you dont need microsoft specific video support. If you browse the Apple dev-site you will find a lot of quicktime for java code.
I´ve discovered a few critical bugs in 1.3, so Im using 1.4, and the only editor I use is pico
It has to do download managing and also internet Proxy setting...
anyway, advice for where to get more resources or good community where my friend can eventually shoot some questions would be much obliged.
Java is cross-platform, the vast majority of the Java tools are written in Java and will also be cross platform. If he's using Netbeans, Eclipse, Intellij or whatever then he can download and install them and they will just (mostly) work.
The Project Builder app that Apple ships with the developer tools will also create Java apps but he is unlikely to use that for a cross platform GUI tool of any complexity, though I think it's nice and apparently Apple use it for everything from the kernel up. This is the tool of choice if you want to make a Mac application programmed with Java rather than a Java application for the Mac.
Other stuff like Ant, JUnit, code libraries, open source tools etc. will similarly work out of the box with only the occasional problem. Basically the closer you get to the GUI the more problems you'll find, the command line stuff is pretty solid.
BAD NEWS
The cross-platform nature of Java mean that most Java programmers on the Mac don't need to hang out with other Mac developers, so the community is scattered. You do see Mac developers pop-up on lists specific to certain apps or tools so it's probably best to ask wherever you would have asked for non-Mac help.
The main focus of the Mac-Java community is GUI app builders and others trying to take advantage of Mac specific features.
These peole have had a hard time as Java on Mac OS X has always been a moving target. 1.4.1 is out and many bugs and/or missing features in 1.3 have been hanging in limbo since the move to 1.4 was a bit of a re-think rather than a simple version change.
So the workarounds, kludges and hacks to make GUI apps run as natively as possible on the Mac have all just been replaced completely with (hopefully) a smaller and less annoying set.
ADVICE
Tell him to download 1.4.1, it is the new default and he should be developing for it. What he thinks about the Windows or Solaris implementations basically doesn't apply to the Apple stuff.
Apple has made it so that the two coexist and if he really feels the need he can develop his app for 1.3 and it will run even if the user has upgraded. He almost certainly wants to run his Java GUI tools under 1.4.1 though, or will once they get tweaked for the final release.
Apple has a Java on Mac OS X mailing list that is a direct line to the developers at Apple and other helpful types.
Sorry for the ramble.
while I'm not the programmer/engineer, what can I tell him to use to compile the source? Just dump the source into Project Builder and build?Is there anything he should be aware of? I just want him to start off well and not get frustrated right off the bat as he starts with a new platform and make sure he gets a good first impression of OSX.
thanx
If there is anything else you can suggest, by all means. I think that joining the Apple Java dev list will probably be the best move.