Re: Java! hooah! What is is good for...?
Daz wrote:
On Apr 19, 2:01 am, Arne Vajh?j <a...@vajhoej.dk> wrote:
Daz wrote:
I've done some C++ programming in the past, but I couldn't get into
it. This was back in my Windows days, and I started getting fed up
with how Windows worked, or rather didn't work, so I gave up.
I'd like to know just how useful Java will be to me. Can I make games
with it? By that, I mean just like you'd make using Flash, but
hopefully more secure. Can I use Ajax over multiple domains freely, or
are there restrictions? I am heavily into web development at the
moment, and I have seen lots of Java applets about, but they are quite
self contained and standalone. Can Java interact with a browser? I
like the thought of being able to integrate Java into my Web site.
There are lots of Ajax Web sites popping up all over the place these
days, and I'd like to use Java in the mix if it's possible to do so.
Is this possible, or am I expecting too much?
To answer your questions about the capabilities of Java:
(A note before I answer: I haven't written much in the way of applets or
written anything in Flash, so I could easily be wrong)
a) You can easily make a game using Java (easier than Flash, IMHO)
b) Unsigned applets cannot make connections with servers outside of the
applet's home server, although anything goes for signed applets.
c) Java can somewhat interact with a browser, although what you are
really looking for is the JavaScript/Java interaction.
d) Java is probably more secure than Flash.
e) It might take as long as a year to be able to write complex Java
server-side/client-side interactions, although programming Java in
general should only take a few months.
What's the learning curve likely to be for someone who did some basic C
++ a few years back, and has spent the last 2 years dealing with
JavaScript and PHP (which of course are both quite low level
languages).
JavaScript a low-level language? It is true that JavaScript is quite
library-deficient, but it is at least a high level language as FORTRAN.
The Java applet security model is probbaly even more restrictive
than the JavaScript one.
Hmm. I'm not sure about that. JavaScript is mainly limited to within
the browser, for obvious reasons. Any file writing/reading you can do,
is seriously limited. In order to acheive that for Firefox, you need
to script a JavaScript XPI, which has to be installed by the user, and
it uses Firefox's internal API. Other than that, nothing downloaded
from the web can write access external files on the OS. I am not 100%
sure about IE, however, as it breaks all the rules.
AFAIK, IE is as restrictive as Firefox except for stuff like ActiveX and
whatnot.
Does this sounds like Java to you, in the sense that if it's a web
app, you can't read/write files?
You can read/write at least temporary files for unsigned applets,
although signed applets are less restricted in their file usage.
The biggest problem with Java applets is users that either does
not have Java or have a very old version of Java.
I was under the impression that Java apps automatically check to see
if the correct version is installed, and if it's not, it's
automatically updated. Is this wrong, or does it only apply to the
newer versions of Java?
Using "normal" Java applets, Java will not automatically update
(although Java Web Start does, I think), although it is not too
difficult to at least prompt the user to update Java using either
System.getProperty("java.version") or fiddling with advanced VM errors.
If you know C++, JavaScript and PHP then I think you can
learn Java well enough to do some actual work within a few
months.
That's a releif to know. I don't expect to be a guru overnight, but I
was hoping that I might progress quite quickly. With JavaScript, and C+
+, just about everything is platform specific in some way or another.
This is why I am looking forward to using Java. :)
Thanks for your input.
Daz
You're welcome.