Java Coffee Break Newsletter Volume 4, Issue 1
                http://www.javacoffeebreak.com/
                         ISSN 1442-3790

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In this issue

 *  Featured Java Websites
 *  Welcome back to our regular readers
 *  Q&A : My instructor says that Visual J++ is more popular than
          Java, and that Java is only a subset of J++. Is this
          true?
 
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                      Featured Java Websites

Each month, we feature a selection of premium websites devoted
to the Java programming language, and software development in
general. Here are a selection of websites that may be of interest
to readers.

A simple introduction to CORBA

  Trying to get your head around distributed objects and
  CORBA? It can be a tricky topic, but don't worry; this
  simple tutorial takes you through the steps involved in
  writing CORBA clients and servers, using VisiBroker and
  Java. The well-organized and explanatory approach
  facilitates digestibility and therefore speeds your
  progress. While there is certainly more to know beyond
  this source, it is a good place to start by learning
  about the theory involved with CORBA, along with some
  practical code.

  http://www.javacommerce.com/CorbaNotes/index.htm



A simple guide to software agents

  Ever wondered about the power of intelligent, thinking,
  software agents that roam around the Internet, performing
  tasks and doing their master's bidding? While a little of
  this is hype, there's no doubt that this new software is a
  big field of research for computer scientists, and a lucrative
  one for computer programmers. This tutorial offers "a 
  gentle introduction to agents," focusing on their practical 
  applications. As many Java programmers are interested in
  software agents, and ask as repeatedly for more information
  on this subject, this should suit your tastes :)

  http://www.magma.ca/~mrw/agents/

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           *  Welcome back to our regular readers *

The newsletter has been on hiatus, while we've all taken a well
deserved break. We look forward to continuing to provide you
with the latest Java news, tips'n'tricks, and information.

-- David Reilly, Editor.

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    Q&A : My instructor says that Visual J++ is more popular
 than Java, and that Java is only a subset of J++. Is this true?


Your instructor is incorrect, and as a commercial Java developer
I'm shocked that an instructor would be so ill-informed. We
need competent instructors teaching software development skills,
and, without knowing your instructor, I'm shocked that you would
be told this. Here's why.

Visual J++ is not part of the upcoming Visual Studio .NET package,
and is likely to be dropped by Microsoft. The initial version
supported only JDK 1.02 (Java in its infancy). Later versions
support JDK1.1, but did not support Java 2.

The Java 2 Platform, v 1.3, has a hugely expanded API and is a much
more mature product. Due to Microsoft's ongoing litigation with Sun
over Java, it looks like the only safe bet is Java, and not J++.

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