Java Plug-in Proposed Features for Merlin

By Stanley Man-Kit Ho


Introduction

        Java Plug-in is part of the client-side Java deployment strategy of the Merlin release. To broaden the usage of Java on the client side, several new features are proposed in the Java Plug-in in the Merlin release:

        With the above features, applets and applications on the client-sides will be much more friendly and usable to the users.

       

Open JVM Integration (OJI)

        OJI is a jointed effort between Netscape and Sun Microsystems, Inc. to develop a set of APIs that enables third-party vendors to plug in their JRE as the native Java environment in the upcoming Netscape 6.0 product. OJI will enable the following features:

        OJI will allow Java 2 to be used as Netscape 6.0 native JVM through Java Plug-in, and it will match every features in the existing native JVM in IE 3/4/5 and NS 3/4. Since Netscape 6.0 will be distributed with Java 2 to millions to users, OJI will enable Java 2 to compete head-to-head with native JVM in IE and older version of Navigator. In Merlin, OJI will be supported in Java Plug-in on Win32, Solaris and Linux.

       

Applet Usability Improvement

        Applet usability improvement is a set of enhancement to various features Java Plug-in features. The enhancement will be mainly in the user interface area, including:

        Applet usability improvement will allow Java Plug-in to be more developer and user friendly when deploying applets. In Merlin, applet usability improvement will be supported in Java Plug-in on Win32, Solaris and Linux.

       

Common DOM API

        Common DOM API is a set of new Java APIs for applets to access the browser document object model (DOM) much easier in Internet Explorer 5.0 and Netscape 6.0. The APIs will be based on the W3C DOM Level 1 Specification. While the W3C specification defines interfaces for various DOM objects, it does not define how to obtain the DOM objects in the first place. Therefore, certain Java APIs will be introduced in the com.sun.browser namespaces to expose the DOM objects.

        Full support for W3C DOM Level 1 is expected in Java Plug-in on Win32 (IE & NS) and on Solaris in Merlin.

 

Client-side Java Installation Guideline

        Client-side Java installation guideline is a set of suggestions to various JVM vendors, developers, and installer companies to support an unified client-side Java  experience. The guideline provides suggestions for the following: 

        By following this guideline, JDK/JRE, Java applications and applets would be installed in a deterministic and unified way on each platform, instead of installed randomly . This guideline is not intended to be the same on various platforms; rather, each platform will be treated as unique, and different guidelines will be suggested. In Merlin, we will provide client-side Java installation guideline for Win32, Solaris and Linux.

        Optional: In an ideal situation, this guideline will be adapted by installer companies like InstallShield and ZeroG, so developers using these installers will be able to install Java applications and applets that conform to the guideline. Otherwise, developers will have to take care of a lot of details like generating registry key settings during installation.

        To ease the effort to build the installer that follows this guideline, we will provide a set of client-side Java installation APIs (native/Java) to the installer companies, if necessary. The purpose of these APIs is for allowing Java applications and applets to be installed in its native platform, by following the guideline. These APIs will take care of things like creating icon on the desktop, providing un-installation or others, so developers may call these APIs from their installers to install/uninstall Java applications and applets, without rewriting these logics in their installation scripts every time. All the installation details will be ultimately controlled and encapsulated in these APIs, and we will be sure that all the Java applications and applets will be installed/uninstalled uniformly within the native platform.

       

Conclusion

        OJI, applet usability improvement, Common DOM API, and client-side Java installation guideline are four new features in Java Plug-in in the Merlin release. However, we will continue to enhance existing Java Plug-in features like RSA signed applet support, sticky applet support and others, to make client-side Java much easier to use for end-users in Merlin.


If there is any comment, please send it to stanley.ho@eng.sun.com.


Revision History

Revision Modification Date Author(s)
First Draft 03/03/2000 Stanley Ho
Second Draft 07/05/2000 Stanley Ho