Sun and Innaworks have been collaborating on bringing Java applications to Apple's iPhone, even with the Cupertino, Calif.-based corporation's reluctance to publicly support the programming language on its popular mobile phone device.

alcheMo for iPhone is the Innaworks product that can be used to port Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME) mobile games to iPhone and iPod touch without the need for further manual adjustments. Currently in beta release, alcheMo for iPhone features an optimizing translator to convert Java ME application source code to equivalent source code for iPhone.

Commenting on the Innaworks project, Sun VP for Java Marketing Eric Klein said, "They're actually working on a solution that allows developers to compile (Java ME) applications into native iPhone applications," reported InfoWorld's Paul Krill.

Sun also has not given up its pursuit of having a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) placed on the iPhone through the iPhone SDK. "We've expressed our intent to do this and our desire, really, to work with Apple to build a JVM for the iPhone and we're sort of moving forward with that," Klein said. "[Apple is] well aware of what we're doing, and we're in discussions."

The issue in going forward with the JVM lies in whether Apple's iPhone SDK license agreement limits third-party application distribution, which could mean a JVM for the iPhone would be prohibited. The JVM potentially could sidestep Apple's App Store program for dispensing iPhone applications.

"If you go by the agreement that you agree to in order to get the SDK and to be able to put (an application) on the iPhone, you're not allowed to have downloadable executables," consultant Christopher Allen, founder of iPhoneWebDev, an online resource for iPhone application developers, explained to InfoWorld. "Basically, they don't want people to go around their process of vetting code in applications by allowing something else to load code in."

Klein indicated that word of Sun's plans has been met with much excitement in the community. Java applications that could add to iPhone's repertoire include the mobile versions of Google Maps and Google Mail as well as the RIM application suite.

"There's no question one of our goals from the Java platform perspective is to allow our developers to get to as many phones as possible, and obviously, the iPhone has turned out to be a very successful platform," he said, "and we want to be on it." [...read more...]

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