The Java SE 6 update 10 is currently available in a beta release. While it will not be a major release, this update is nonetheless deserving of user attention according to Ethan Nicholas, who outlines several important improvements in the upcoming release that will make the solution even more attractive and functional. There are no changes in the public APIs, Nicholas writes, which has made it easier to get the changes that are incorporated in Java 6u 10 released more quickly than will be the case with the future release of Java 7, when that day arrives.

The Java Kernel in Java 6u 10 is not a full Java Run Time Edition (JRE) but rather a small installer that includes the most commonly needed JRE components and enables users to download additional components as necessary. The JRE itself will download the remaining components in the background and then reassemble itself, Nicholas notes.

Java 6u 10 also features a new implementation of the Java Plug-in that runs applets outside of the browser in one or more separate processes. One can now use different JRE versions, command-line arguments and configurations to run different applets. Now applets have the same flexibility and control over JRE configurations typical of other Java software, Nicholas announces. This Java Plug-In supports using Java Network Launching Protocol (JNLP) files to specify applet configuration and startup options, Nicholas continues, which means that, with very little additional work, it is now possible to deploy the same program as both an applet and a Web Start program while continuing to take advantage of such JNLP services as PersistenceService and FileSaveService.

Among the additional new plug-in advantages are:

• Improved reliability
• Improved JavaScript communication
• Per-applet control of JRE command-line arguments
• Per-applet control of JRE memory settings, larger maximum heaps
• JNLP support
• Per-applet JRE version selection
• Improved Vista support

The Java Deployment Toolkit, Nicholas writes, makes deploying Java applets or Java Web Start programs easy as can be. The Deployment Toolkit JavaScript file provides:

• Accurate detection of installed JREs
• Seamless JRE installation
• Complete applet launching (JRE detection and, if necessary, upgrading) in a single line of code
• Complete Web Start program launching in a single line of HTML code

Yet another improvement is the introduction of the Nimbus look and feel, which gives the Swing cross-platform look and feel an update. According to Nicholas, Nimbus provides a polished look to applications which choose to use it. And because Nimbus is drawn entirely using Java 2D vector graphics rather than static bitmaps, it's tiny (56 KB) and can be rendered at arbitrary resolutions. Nimbus, too, requires only a single line of code for its activation.

The introduction of Java Quick Starter can be expected to improve Java cold start time on most systems, Nicholas assures users. Further, a new graphics pipeline that uses Direct3D to accelerate numerous common operations

Sun's JRE has been steadily getting faster over the years, and 6u10 is no exception. Key performance improvements are the introduction of Java Quick Starter, which will substantially improve Java cold start time on most systems, and a new default and robust graphics pipeline on Windows will surely find many appreciative users, in Nicholas' view.

There also improvements to be found in Java 6u 10 that involve patch downloading and installation, though these will not be visible until the advent of 6u 11, Nicholas writes. Users will appreciate the ability of Java 6u 10 to resume interrupted downloads and to significantly reduce the size of future updates. Java 6u 10 can download patches in the background and call for your attention only when it needs permission to install a completed download.

It is also the case that, with downloads, versioning and pack200 support are available without special server support, calling only for the enabling of the feature in the JNLP file or applet ag using a simple line or two of code. [...read more...]

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