Java, JavaScript and more Java.

Definitions (que?)

• Java
  Java is Sun Microsystems platform independant programming language. Java source code is portable between platforms and when compiled interfaces with the Java Virtual Machine (VM) that is available with 90% of todays browsers. So in either form (compiled or source code) Java "applets" can be run via any (well most) web browsers. Java source code files are compiled by using the Java Development Kit available (not quite free) from Sun (well JavaSoft). The JDK also contains examples of Java source code, example HTML files, a tutorial as well as all the Java development libaries and tools.

• JavaScript
  JavaScript was developed by Netscape for the Netscape Navigator browser and Microsoft has developed a version of JavaScript for Internet Explorer called JScript. JavaScript is a very lightweight version of Java. The JavaScript code is directly written into .HTML documents and executed by the browser that the .HTML page is loaded into. The version of JavaScript that is implemened in Navigator 3 also includes Java libraries developed by Sun Microsystems.

Development Tools

• The Java Development Kit (JDK)
  This is the "bare bones" for Java development, this is the core package for all the Java libraries and development tools. To create Java applets or applications with this you would edit a .JAVA file with a text editor and compile it with a command line interpreter. This is a 32-bit only application and will only work on Windows NT or Windows '95.

• Visual J++ Beta
  Available (I think) as a download from the Microsoft Site Builder Network. This is the best commercially available Visual Java development tool, even though I find it a little confusing to use. Again this is a 32-bit application.

• Visual Java Script
  Needs Netscape Communicator 4 to run and a high spec PC too. This didn't run too happily on my PC (A lowly P120 with 32mb RAM).

• Netscape
  The Netscape Naviagtor. Available as either the full release of Netscape Navigator 3 or as a beta release of Netscape Communicator. There are a couple of differences between the JavaScript models in Netscape 4 and Netscape 3.

• Microsoft
  Microsoft Internet Explorer, available as Internet Explorer 3.01 (full release) or as Internet Explorer 4 (beta release). There are a number of differences between the JavaScript models implemented in IE3 and IE4.