http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/ en-us 2008-04-17T18:42:26-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2008/04/antisocial_netw.html We all have light bulb moments from time to time, ideas for new software which scream "code me". Google's new App Engine promises to get your ideas up and running without the traditional hassle, leaving you to focus on your code... but are there consequences further down the line? Web Applications javakiddy 2008-04-17T18:42:26-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2008/03/occams_razor_an.html Suddenly every handheld device wants to be prodded, stroked, wiggled, jiggled or waved. But to what end? Is all this 'innovation' really helpful, or just gimmickry to help sell lackluster products? Community: JavaDesktop javakiddy 2008-03-12T17:15:32-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2008/02/evolution_vs_in.html Do programming languages have a shelf life, beyond which they cannot survive? Does adding complexity to a language shorten its life? When is it time to stop evolving, and start re-designing? Programming javakiddy 2008-02-13T16:12:22-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2008/01/to_the_top_of_t.html "Gee, wouldn't it be great to see the revival of Java applets?!?!!" NO, IT WOULD NOT!! We need to think bigger than that. Java is at the epicentre of what may be the next big revolution on the Internet and the desktop. The days of playing second fiddle to other technologies should be over. It's about time Java became the hunter, rather than the hunted...! Community: JavaDesktop javakiddy 2008-01-15T15:44:02-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2007/12/your_plastic_pa.html Like many people I've been spending some of my free time over the last couple of weeks playing with Android. Google's departure from traditional mobile Java has caused a flurry of comment, but politics aside what is the new platform like to develop for? Community: Mobile & Embedded javakiddy 2007-12-10T16:40:55-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2007/11/card_sharp.html Applications are now running on a wide variety of screen resolutions, and as mobile devices get smarter the range of potential screen sizes increases even further. So in this blog I ask a simple question: what are the issues surrounding Java apps which can scale their graphics from large widescreen to tiny hand-held? (Oh, and why you should never play casino Poker machines!) Swing javakiddy 2007-11-21T02:38:50-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2007/10/java_me_is_dead.html It seems Java ME is not dead after all. Thank goodness, because Swing's desktop components are no substitute for widgets designed specifically for the mobile market! JavaFX on its own will not answer the need, so let's start getting inventive with 'Swing Mobile'. J2ME javakiddy 2007-10-29T08:05:06-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2007/09/why_rich_intern.html If I'm judging the current mood of the industry right, the future will bring a massive increase in mobility. Applications and data will follow the user around, from office to home and from PC to PDA, thanks to the much hyped RIA. But what issues may need addressing before we cast off the ball-n-chain of the locally installed application? Community: JavaDesktop javakiddy 2007-09-27T06:36:38-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2007/08/the_lost_genera.html A generation of application developers now feel more at home with HTML and JavaScript than desktop UI layout managers and event callbacks. If the future of the internet lies in 'neo-desktop' style Rich Internet Apps, how will they adapt to the likes of Swing, and how will their web experience shape the future of the desktop application? Community: JavaDesktop javakiddy 2007-08-28T09:25:47-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2007/07/web_of_confusio.html The problem with the 'white heat of technology' is that everything happens at such a pace, before the dust settles the World and his dog has concocted their own private definition of the jargon. Community: JavaDesktop javakiddy 2007-07-19T02:12:30-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2007/06/a_rose_by_any_o.html What's in a name? The term 'Rich Internet Application' is rapidly becoming as meaningless as '.NET' (or indeed 'Java'). In this semi-serious (and occasionally even lucid) blog entry I want to break down the possible meanings to their underlying religions... and then have a jolly good rant. Community: JavaDesktop javakiddy 2007-06-12T06:40:28-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2007/05/making_javafx_s.html The goal was simple: develop from scratch a JavaFX based MP3 player. Along the way learn something of this much hyped technology. Is it really the future of the RIA? Can it really compete with Adobe and Microsoft? My initial conclusions are somewhat mixed. Community: JavaDesktop javakiddy 2007-05-23T09:02:08-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2007/05/swing_and_that.html Is there any point to flashy GUI effects? Clearly, given they're all the rage at the moment, they must fulfill some need, but what? (Includes gratuitous Amiga-inspired drop shadow example.) Swing javakiddy 2007-05-01T04:12:58-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2007/04/march_of_the_an.html Ever looked at an API and thought "well that's an interesting feature, but why would I ever need it?" However, really useful effects can sometimes be had from even the most arcane bits of functionality. Swing javakiddy 2007-04-11T07:03:50-08:00 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/javakiddy/archive/2007/03/getting_animate_1.html The adventure continues, as I explore further ways to make Swing 'sing' without resorting to low level OpenGL trickery. What Swing lacks is a way to manage animations and transitions, so let me toss my hat into the ring with a fledgling (experimental) mini-API, which tries to maximise flexibility, minimise hassle, while not chewing up too much CPU each frame. Swing javakiddy 2007-03-08T07:13:13-08:00