Sun plays to its forte with Java tools update

Sun Microsystems will take the wraps off the next generation of its Java development tools next week.

The product, known as Release 2, Internet Edition of the Forte for Java tools suite, is a web-based integrated development environment (IDE). Sun claims it will enable developers to update tools dynamically, downloading plug-ins as they are needed to speed the development of enterprise, server-side Java applications. The plug-in modules feature integrated support for the development and debugging of database and Java Server Pages. The Internet Edition has a single environment for creating, deploying and debugging J2EE applications. The product is due to be generally available in mid-January, but developers can download the plug-ins from Sun's website now. There are currently three available: one for Java Server pages for editing and debugging; another to simplify the mapping of Java objects to a database; the third allows for collaborative development and source code management. Being able to download plug-ins means developers will no longer have to rely on Sun or others to provide the necessary software, therefore speeding up development time.