Sun has released the newest version of "desktop" Java 2, designed to run faster and use less memory than its predecessor.
Java 2 Standard Edition is a Java implementation intended for client computers. The newest release is Version 1.3. The performance improvements, mainly through use of Sun's Java HotSpot Client Virtual Machine, are vital if Java is to be more viable on client computers.
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According to Sun, the new version is 40% faster at start-up compared to the prior release, and uses 25% less memory.
Also new are several security features: RSA-based electronic signing, X.509 certificates and verification of Netscape-signed files.
Sun also added the RMI/IIOP protocol (for communications with back-end systems using the Common Object Request Broker Architecture, and the Java Naming and Directory Interface, for access to enterprise directors that use the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol.
J2SE source code is available free from www.sun.com/communitysource. The software runs on Windows 95/98, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000. Beta test versions for Linux and Sun Solaris are planned for June.
The Java 2 Software Development Kit binary download is at java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/download-windows.html. It also can be downloaded as a bundle with Sun's Forte for Java, Community Edition, which is a development tool set.
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