Java 2 poised to take over the desktop
J2SE 1.3 shows its maturity with performance gains, enhanced security, and strong Web features
SIDEBAR_HEAD: The various flavors of Java 2
Anything good always seems to come in various flavors, and Java is no exception. But with three different editions of the Java 2 platform, it’s not always easy to decide which is the best fit for your company. Just remember that, regardless of your choice or need, what’s written in one edition can scale to another — as can your developers’ skills.
J2SE: Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition, a development and deployment platform, provides all the necessary functionality for programming desktop/workstation applications. The latest version provides substantial performance gains and improved Web deployment for enterprise, client-side Java applets and applications. Also new are strong interoperability support and enhanced security features.
J2ME: The Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition was created to address the needs of consumer devices — from smart cards to telephones. As an underlying technology, J2ME provides a complete, end-to-end solution for creating state-of-the-art networked consumer products and embedded applications. Its small footprint is perfect for resource-constrained devices, and it can also distribute functionality between the client and server.
J2EE: If you’re dealing with heavy-duty server systems or enterprise-available applications, Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition is your best bet. The Enterprise Edition takes advantage of the many features of J2SE, such as the Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) API for database access and CORBA support, but it also adds full support for Enterprise JavaBeans, Java Servlets, and JavaServer Pages technologies.
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