Java Foundation Classes
By Godfrey Nolan
When the initial hype about Java first blew over, it became obvious that Java wasn't cut out for serious applications. The original Abstract Windowing Toolkit (AWT) just didn't lend itself to professional-looking GUIs. The Java Development Kit (JDK) 1.0 and 1.02 had a poor event model, and it lacked a decent set of visual components, as well as the ability to print and render. It was a huge step up from vanilla HTML pages, but to break out into real-world applications, Java needed a more mature set of features.
To fill this need, Netscape released the Internet Foundation Classes (IFC) last December. Based on NextSTEP's AppKit, IFC is a significant improvement upon the original AWT and can be used to create superior Java applications. IFCs are 100 percent Java, so they can be downloaded and used with any browser; they're also bundled with Navigator 4.0.
Marimba, the KL Group, and many other software companies have released components to supplement or extend existing AWT components. Also, RAD tools such as Symantec's Visual Cafı have their own classes that need to be packaged with the resulting classes. This wasn't a problem for Java applications because, like Visual Basic or Delphi, these new components can just be bundled with the other Java classes. However, for applets, the download time increases with the number of required components.
One solution is to ship third-party classes with the leading browsers to save download time -- a sure recipe for software bloat. A better solution, and one in keeping with Java's methodology, is for everyone to develop software using the same improved component set.
