25 Mar 96 - OpenDoc is now part of CORBA. OpenDoc-savvy Java clients for CORBA servers will enable solutions to be built from interchangable components in both client and server.
26 Feb 96 - Sun has acknowledged the call for OpenDoc in Java, and created an OpenDoc "Request for Enhancement." Sun reports that OpenDoc is now the most requested feature for Java!
The best way to enable this capability is to make OpenDoc a part of Java's UI class library (the AWT). It would be a shame if Sun decided instead to implement their own component software system, duplicating the huge effort that went into OpenDoc.
I believe Apple and IBM have their hands full with OpenDoc and development
tools for it. But Sun or Netscape may have the resources to port the
OpenDoc API to Java... Rumor has it that Sun is discussing this
possibility with CILabs! If you like the idea, please
Integrated into the Java class library, OpenDoc would allow developers to create applets that:
| * integrate easily and seamlessly with other applets |
| * can be interchanged with other applets |
| * create and edit data in compound documents |
OpenDoc applet users would be able to:
| * use a collection of applets to create a compound document |
| * edit any compound document on any Java-enabled platform |
| * send and retrieve compound documents via the Internet |
| * transparently obtain any applets required for a particular document via the Internet |
Many folks imagine the Java runtime as an OpenDoc part editor. This idea isn't as useful as it sounds. A Java applet running in a JVM part editor would not be able to use OpenDoc services, because they would not be part of the Java "platform." The applet therefore could not edit data in compound documents, embed other applets, send high-level requests to other applets, etc. For applets to have these features, OpenDoc has to be a standard part of Java so that applets can rely on OpenDoc services.
I have been working on the design for a specialized software development toolkit, and I wanted to base the UI aspect on OpenDoc. But its market position forced me to reconsider, and I now feel that it would be a poor market strategy for this project. I still want to use a component software system, and OLE's limited funtionality just isn't worth its complexity, so I'm looking favorably at Java applets. They don't match OpenDoc part editors for flexibility, but they sure look better on a business plan! I hate to see complementary technologies become competing products.
I believe Java is OpenDoc's best potential platform, and OpenDoc would bring a whole new level of capabilities to Java developers and applet users. It would also help in the struggle against so-called standards from market monopolies. So voice your support for this pairing!
| * JavaSoft (Sun) | * Newsgroups: OpenDoc & Java | * Mac Java |
| * CILabs | * Yahoo: OpenDoc & Java | * OpenDoc Revolution |
| * OpenDoc at Apple | * LANL: OpenDoc & Java | * OpenDoc Part Ideas |
| * OpenDoc at IBM | * Gamelan Java Index | * Team Java |
| * JavaWorld Magazine | * Java News | * Java Resources |