Google have developed a Javascript based API that allows you to build websites using the Google Maps functionality. In case you don’t want to mess around with Javascript, then here is some info about an open source project providing a library of JSP Custom Tags to offer the same integration with the GoogleMaps API.
Java SE 6.0 beta desktop integration demo
Mustang SE 6.0 currently in beta has a number of desktop integration improvements, most noticably the native platform API calls to leverage native platform UI look and feel. In addition to this, on the Windows platform there is a tighter integration with Windows desktop features, for example, splash screen support, SysTray support and ability to interact with Internet Explorer.
DevX have an article on their site that demonstrates these new features, complete with a downloadable demo to illustrate the new features.
The current Java SE 6 beta can be downloaded from here.
Next-gen web-app frameworks: JBoss Seam and Stripes
Unless you’re a newcomer to the Java world, you already know that nothing stands still with Java technology. There are a number of new web application frameworks coming onto the scene which take advantage of Java SE5.0 and EE5 features.
Stripes is a MVC framework which makes use of SE5.0 annotations – there is an overview here.
Gavin King also has an overview of the JBoss Seam webapp framework, which ties together JSF and EJB3.0. There is an overview on the Hibernate Blog here. Gavin’s example using Seam shows how simple it is to develop a webapp with Seam and implements the same webapp as the Stripes example as a direct comparison. The real benefits and main features offered by Seam however are in it’s ability to manage conversation state and integration with business processes, which are not demonstrated in this example.
Matisse GroupLayout LayoutManager to be added to Java Mustang
News on the JavaLobby site reports that the GroupLayout LayoutManager which is behind the simple drag and drop UI design tool Matisse in Netbeans 5.0 has been adopted and integrated into Java Mustang, which will be released as Java SE 6.0.
This is awesome news – the simplicity of UI development in NetBeans 5.0’s Matisse GUI builder will now be part of the Java SE core APIs – this goes a long way to improving Java Swing GUI development.