Frequently Asked Questions About Visual J++ 6.0

Find answers to frequently asked technical questions about Microsoft Visual J++ 6.0.

Q.		What is Microsoft Visual J++ 6.0?

A.		Microsoft Visual J++ 6.0 is the newest release of Visual J++. Visual J++ 6.0 combines the power of the Windows operating system and the productivity of the Java language, offering the fastest way to build and deploy high-performance, data-driven client/server solutions for Windows and the Web. With Visual J++ 6.0, developers can rapidly construct Windows-based applications and components using two-way RAD tools and the Windows Foundation Classes (WFC), an object-oriented framework that encapsulates and simplifies the Win32 API. By providing direct access to the Win32 API, Visual J++ 6.0 makes it possible for developers to produce compelling applications on time and under budget, leverage their existing software investments, and take advantage of the development opportunities, support and resources provided by the Microsoft Windows platform.

Q.		What does Visual J++ 6.0 do?

Key new features include:

ActiveX Creation- Now developers can build reusable visual components for use in the most popular Windows applications, including Microsoft Visual Basic, Microsoft Visual C++, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and more!
More Visual Controls- In addition to the rich palette of visual controls offered in the first preview, Visual J++ now contains a number of additional controls designed to give developers the full look and feel of the Windows platform.
Easy Data Access- New to Visual J++ 6.0, is the WFC Data Grid component. Now developers can drop a full-featured grid directly onto the WFC Designer and visually bind it to a data source. In addition, using the included Visual Data Tools developers can view tables, modify data, and create SQL queries within the development environment for any ODBC or OLE DB compliant database, including Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 and Oracle 7.3.3+.
Simplified Component Management- Developers can also find, track, catalog, and reuse their own components using the included Professional Visual Component Manager (VCM). The Visual Component Manager (VCM) makes it easy for developers to publish a wide range of component types, enabling effective component and code reuse across multiple projects.
Easier to use Wizards- Visual J++ 6.0 also includes a host of wizards designed to jumpstart your development. When it’s time to build a data-aware application, simply launch the Wizard and follow the guided steps. Similarly, developers that need to quickly add properties, events, or methods to a class or component can launch the Class Properties dialog.
More Sample Programs- This release of Visual J++ 6.0 also includes a host of samples designed to illustrate how developers can build high-performance solutions for Windows and the Web.
Improved Documentation- Visual J++ 6.0 includes significantly more documentation, helping developers get a jumpstart on their WFC and Java programming projects.

Q.		What are the Windows Foundation Classes?

A.		WFC is an object-oriented framework that provides a rich encapsulation of the Win32 API, allowing developers to take advantage of the power and functionality of the Windows platform. Built on the J/Direct™ API, WFC provides an architecture and set of prebuilt components that make it possible to rapidly write professional full-featured applications for Windows. WFC offers more than 100 reusable Java classes and components, simplifying construction of user interfaces, database applications, server-side components and complex business logic. WFC also allows developers to build thin-client Web applications using client-or server-based Java classes that generate Dynamic HTML on the fly.

Q.		I created an ActiveX control in Visual J++ 6.0 that doesn't seem to be working right. What gives?

Java classes that derive from wfc.ui.UserControl and wfc.ui.Control and are marked with the @com.register compiler directive are automatically exposed as ActiveX Controls and can be hosted in ActiveX control containers. However in Visual J++ 6.0 there are a number of known issues that will be addressed in a later release. These include:

The generated COM interface does not take advantage of the control ClassInfo to generate property and event information.
WFC events are not exposed on the COM interface.
WFC controls do not implement support IOleObject::GetExtent/IViewObject::GetExtent. This means that in the HTML page designer in Visual Studio the size must be set manually in the HTML source view after the control has been dropped onto the HTML page.
WFC based ActiveX Controls do not repaint correctly in certain control containers.

Q.		What is J/Direct?

A.		J/Direct is an easy way to access Windows dynamic link libraries (DLLs) from within Java code. WFC is an object-oriented set of class libraries written in Java using J/Direct that gives Java developers a familiar way to develop applications for the Windows platform. The high-performance J/Direct architecture is more than twice as fast as competing native access methods. J/Direct is available via the Microsoft SDK for Java 2.01.

Q.		What class libraries does Visual J++ 6.0 support?

A.		This new version of Visual J++ supports the Windows Foundation Classes and the Microsoft Application Foundation Classes (AFC). Developers are also able to import any other Java class library and still take advantage of IntelliSense and statement completion technology.

Q.		What component support does Visual J++ 6.0 provide?

A.		Visual J++6.0 supports the Microsoft Component Object Model. The Windows Foundation Classes were designed to operate within the framework of the existing ActiveX and COM development model for the Windows platform. This means developers can reuse all of their current work from within WFC applications. Moreover, developers who need to combine WFC code with older applications written in other languages can do so easily, allowing them to readily take advantage of past software investments.

Q.		Does Visual J++ 6.0 support cross-platform development?

A.		For solutions that must span platforms, developers can take advantage of client- or server-side Dynamic HTML generation through the WFC Dynamic HTML classes. Developers can also use Visual J++ to create standard Java applets that are as portable as those created with other Java tools.

Q.		How does Visual J++ compare to other Java tools on the market today?

A.		Visual J++ 6.0 is the first Java development tool focused on providing easier access to the underlying platform, and it is leading the way in providing end-to-end solutions for developers looking to build powerful, full-featured Windows-based applications. Other tools will soon follow, as several top Java tool vendors are planning to incorporate WFC into their offerings, providing developers with even more choice and flexibility for their development efforts. On other platforms, vendors will continue to expose more native functionality to Java. All of this is good news for Java developers and end users alike. As the market for native Java tools grows, so too will the opportunities to build commercial-quality applications in the Java language, creating a wealth of new applications choices for businesses and consumers.

Q.		How do components created with WFC compare to JavaBeans and ActiveX Controls? How do they interoperate?

A.		The WFC Designer included with Visual J++ 6.0 supports the live hosting and creation of ActiveX Controls. With thousands of controls to choose from, developers can be assured they have the widest selection when they need to incorporate pre-existing business logic and components. By creating ActiveX Controls, developers can reuse their Java code in the most popular Windows-based applications, including Visual Basic, the Visual C++ development system and Delphi. If developers need to use JavaBeans components, they can do so by running a simple conversion tool that turns a JavaBean component into an ActiveX control. At that point, the WFC Designer is able to host the component and treat it like any other ActiveX Control.

Q.		How do applications built with Visual J++ integrate with other Windows-based applications and other Java applications?

A.		Because Visual J++ 6.0 is capable of creating COM objects, any class created within Visual J++ can be reused in other Windows-based applications. Moreover, this new version of Visual J++ can import any COM object and use it directly from the Java language. This opens up a wealth of opportunities for Java developers who want to integrate with existing Windows-based applications.

Q.		What kind of security exists for my applications built with Visual J++ 6.0?

A.		Developers can be assured that applications written with WFC and downloaded to a local client machine will have only the access to the system that is explicitly declared by the end user. The WFC security restrictions prevent end users from unknowingly downloading and executing local code that could be potentially malicious.

Q.		Will Visual J++ continue to be a part of the Visual Studio™ development system?

A.		Yes. Visual J++ is a key component of Microsoft’s development tool suite. Microsoft Visual Studio is a complete development tools suite that provides corporations with easy-to-use tools for building business applications for the Windows DNA, a framework for building scalable enterprise applications. Visual Studio includes Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual J++, the Visual InterDev™ Web development system and Visual FoxPro database.

Q.		Why is Visual J++ moving from version 1.1 to version 6.0?

A.		To reflect the maturity of individual products, as well as synchronize product version numbers, the version scheme for each of the products and the Visual Studio suite of tools overall is now version 6.0.