Java FX 2.0 - The Installation, Doc and Launch Experience - A Smoke Test

The installation of Java FX 2.0 is as simple as it can get - unzip of the Early Access was sufficient.

First observations:
  1. Startup of the provided examples is extremely fast < 1 sec and orders of magnitude faster than previous Java FX 1.3 samples
  2. A double click on a Jar-file is sufficient to launch a Java FX app - no further configuration was necessary
  3. The doc comes in fresh design and is compelling
  4. Java FX 2.0 is extremely easy to integrate with Java projects - the inclusion of a single Jar is sufficient
  5. The runtime is far smaller, than expected

The first impression of the Java FX 2.0 Early Access is far better, than expected so far...

Comments:

This is great!. One of the main hurdles of JFX apps was that everyone linked to a dozen files and the "progress dialog" went like mad from 0 to 100% a few dozen times... packaging into a SINGLE JAR should be mandatory not only for Java FX apps but ALL java apps.

Second comment: the biggest conspirator against double-clicking .JAR files to run Java apps is... believe it or not, WINRAR, on every system where Winrar is installed, it automagicall associates itself with .JAR files. Winrar must be one of the most pirated apps on Windows, it´s everywhere (at least down here). And once Winrar is installed you can be assured that .JAR double clicking no longer works.

I think a deal should be cut between Winrar and Oracle, so that it de-associates itself with .JAR files. Either that or buy and bury the program. (7Zip is good enough for me ;-).

FC

Posted by Fernando Cassia on February 04, 2011 at 06:23 PM CET #

@Adam: From where did you the early access? I can't find it?

To Fernando: I agree, Zip-Utilites are a big mess for java executables. And it's not only WinRar. Another option would be to find another extension for executable jar files (esj?) and java.exe would register for them as well as for .jar.

Posted by Jean-Marc on February 04, 2011 at 08:25 PM CET #

Yes, can we download the early access, even if its not widely available?
We have a client application that heavily uses JavaFX (in it's original script form) and are investigating other technologies because of the scripts deprecation. Being able to test the porting at this time could be the test whether we stay with FX or not.

Posted by Adam D on February 04, 2011 at 09:04 PM CET #

Excellent. I was waiting for this version :D

Posted by Pablo Alcaraz on February 04, 2011 at 09:16 PM CET #

Yes please... How to get the early access. Have a Swing app that I'm looking forward to integrating with JavaFX 2 and replacing in long term.

Posted by Aloleary on February 04, 2011 at 09:31 PM CET #

@Hi All,

public beta should be available soon. I used Java FX 1.3 a lot - but Java FX 2.0 exceeded my expectations.

Stay tuned!,

adam

Posted by adam-bien.com on February 04, 2011 at 11:27 PM CET #

Early Access is available to Java FX Partners, JUG Leaders, and Java Champions. We'll have contact information on next weeks Java Spotlight Podcast

Posted by Roger Brinkley on February 05, 2011 at 07:11 PM CET #

Hi,

Nice to hear that JavaFX is so simple to integrate :)

Does Oracle plan to make it open source ?

The way they are realising it (closed early access to limited partners) suggests an closed source model.

Posted by Adam Walczak on February 05, 2011 at 08:00 PM CET #

will javafx run on android, iphone and win7?

Posted by horst on February 05, 2011 at 10:29 PM CET #

Hi,

I'm JavaFX partner but cannot find the 2.0 early access download. Could you send me the download URL?

Thanks, David.

Posted by David Rizo on February 06, 2011 at 06:35 PM CET #

Great news, but one question, which I find vital: Does Java FX 2.0 support a proper integration with Swing? With the 1.x Versions I didn't like the fact that I could not simply take my Java-Application and add some FX-Content to a JPanel and migrate slowly and step by step from there. So far it seemed like FX was originally designed to be the center or the starting point of the application, capable of using Swing components, but not the other way round.

Posted by Wanja on February 08, 2011 at 09:43 PM CET #

I'm a little (read as lot) confused. I'm really new to JavaFX, should I bother learning 1.3.1 with JavaFX Script (as it's dead) - but if I look for what's in 2.0 - well I have no idea where to start as there is no doco.

Posted by geoff on February 11, 2011 at 11:43 AM CET #

@Geoff,

Java FX 1.3.1 Script is no more supported by Oracle. Java FX 2 is a back port with enhancements. Its "Back to Java". Java FX 2 should be available in few month -> see roadmap.

adam

Posted by adam-bien.com on February 12, 2011 at 12:48 AM CET #

@Adam,
Just a comment about FX1.3.1.
Pls take a look at the Visage project, which is the Open Source initiative for taking the JavaFX Script Languange further. This project is going very well ... See http://javafx.steveonjava.com/accouncing-visage/
HHS

Posted by HHS on February 14, 2011 at 12:16 PM CET #

Does JAVA FX runs on Symbian Series 40 and Series 60 mobile also ?

Posted by Javin Paul on February 15, 2011 at 06:05 PM CET #

I am absolutely certain that this closed source technology will fail, unfortunately . . . as no-one of any consequence will use it. If Sun didn't open source it then Oracle won't. Sad really.

Ian.

Posted by Ian Smith on February 22, 2011 at 06:48 PM CET #

I agree with the issues with WinRAR. Whenever Java is run it should simply check whether '.jar' extension is pointing to java and if not, just make it point to java.

Posted by bob on March 09, 2011 at 06:32 AM CET #

JavaFX is not cross-platform, no support of Linux & Mac will be in the final release. Therefore, it is completely useless.

Posted by Julien Gouesse on June 10, 2011 at 04:13 PM CEST #

Post a Comment:
  • HTML Syntax: NOT allowed
...the last 150 posts
...the last 10 comments
License