Sun Tables J2EE 1.4 Source Code

Sun Microsystems Thursday issued source code for its Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) version 1.4, which includes support for the WS-I Basic Profile and the J2EE model for portable Web services applications.

The release may be viewed as a treat for developers hungry to create applications on the heralded next version of J2EE , which promises the ability to create Java-based software for mobile devices such as personal digital assistants, high-end cell phones and other handhelds.

J2EE 1.4 is also anxiously awaited for its intense focus on Web services, , which companies are looking at as the next huge splash for employing software to conduct a number of functions, such as global e-commerce and supply chain operations via the Web.

By combining the clout of Java with the thrill of dynamic Web services, Sun hopes to win over more developers than ever in its quest to permeate an applications market where Microsoft looms large with its .NET platform, which is also Web services intensive.

Published by the Web Services Interoperability group in its entirety last month, WS-I Basic Profile is a set of guidelines on how to use Web services specifications together to develop vendor-agnostic Web services applications that work together.

The profile covers SOAP 1.1 , WSDL 1.1 , UDDI 2.0 , XML 1.0 , and XML Schema , which cover such vital Web services characteristics as messaging, description, discovery and security.

Santa Clara, Calif.'s, Sun, a member of the WS-I board has taken this source code release and offered it to developers to run compatibility tests so that licensees of J2EE 1.4 can get a jump on building applications with it. The news is a follow-up to the company's recent beta release of the J2EE 1.4 Software Developer Kit and Java Web Services Developer Pack 1.2.

WS-I Profile guidelines are included in Java platforms and toolkits such as the Java Web Services Developer Pack so that developers won't have to learn Web services specifications or be an expert on WS-I interoperability expertise.

Sun will release compatibility tests, source code and a software development toolkit (SDK) when J2EE 1.4 is complete.

While clearly a leader in Java development, and with its credibility in Web services growing, Sun isn't the only vendor itching for J2EE 1.4's completion. Oracle, too, has been busy creating development kits for the new language version.

Just last week, the Redwood Shores, Calif.-based outfit released a software preview kit for the latest iteration of Java. Oracle plans to offer interoperability with the Web services developed for WSDL and SOAP standards, including .NET.