JavaFX

[carljokl]

The last of the big three fighting it out in the realms of Rich Internet Applications, JavaFX is due to be launched on December the 2nd which is about a week away now. I think I will make cake. Everyone love cake....anyway it will be interesting to see how this pans out. Many would rightly point out that Flash dominates this space and it will be hard for any other technology to displace and already entrenched technology.

JavaFX is going to be open source too though this might be after a little while because I don't think it will be open source right from the initial version. I think the rationale here is to give it a bit of time settle down etc before openeing it up.

From a logical point of view it might not be successfull but I have been following the Podcast "This aint your dads Java" where JavaFX has been talked about a lot. The powers that be seem quietly confident about the success of JavaFX and I got a hint that they know about some things which have not been announced yet to make them confident. JavaFX is certainly comming late and comes after Silverlight 2 and Flash 10 have both been launched but at least it is comming. It will be interesting to see Java make a comback in the browser after it has been almost entirely displaced by flash in this area.

I don't know if anyone else besides me is waiting in anticipation of this launch. If It is then I guess I get to keep all the cake for myself.

[tw.lbean]

The last of the big three fighting it out in the realms of Rich Internet Applications, JavaFX is due to be launched on December the 2nd which is about a week away now. I think I will make cake. Everyone love cake....anyway it will be interesting to see how this pans out. Many would rightly point out that Flash dominates this space and it will be hard for any other technology to displace and already entrenched technology.

JavaFX is going to be open source too though this might be after a little while because I don't think it will be open source right from the initial version. I think the rationale here is to give it a bit of time settle down etc before openeing it up.

From a logical point of view it might not be successfull but I have been following the Podcast "This aint your dads Java" where JavaFX has been talked about a lot. The powers that be seem quietly confident about the success of JavaFX and I got a hint that they know about some things which have not been announced yet to make them confident. JavaFX is certainly comming late and comes after Silverlight 2 and Flash 10 have both been launched but at least it is comming. It will be interesting to see Java make a comback in the browser after it has been almost entirely displaced by flash in this area.

I don't know if anyone else besides me is waiting in anticipation of this launch. If It is then I guess I get to keep all the cake for myself.

As I recall (from a few months ago when I heard about Java FX) one of the cool things being promised with Java FX was the blurring of the line between the browser and the desktop. I personally really like the idea of making the particular platform you prefer (Windows, OS X, ...) simply a conduit to content rather than a gating factor for content access.

[garysturn]

How does this topic relate to the Church? We need to keep discussions on the forums on the topic of Church Technology. So if we are to discuss this technology, lets direct our discussion on how it might affect the Church.

[tw.lbean]

How does this topic relate to the Church? We need to keep discussions on the forums on the topic of Church Technology.

Everything and nothing at the same time.

I see commentary and reasonable exploration of emerging technologies as productive benefit serving to enlighten all of us. I recognize this thread doesn't have that connotation, but it appears to be fairly inactive....

But, for illustration, take http://tech.lds.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2369

EDIT: I also note that I have a vested interest as the Church doesn't maintain equal features and support for WIndows vs. OS X and I use OS X unless I'm forced to use Windows.

Anything that offers potential to make a chosen platform a conduit rather than a gate I see as relevant.

[RossEvans]

But, for illustration, take http://tech.lds.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2369

Gosh, I'm the author of that other thread, and I had no notion that such things would engender controversy. In retrospect, I probably should have posted it in the "Emerging Technologies" section as this one was.

[russellhltn]

Sorry, but this site is dedicated to the topic of using technology in the church. There are many other sites to discuss technology for technology's sake.

Is there anything unique about JavaFX that opens doors to new possibilities in the church?

Please keep in mind that the church is usually a follower of enterprise trends, not the catalyst for change that some would like it to be. The only exceptions are when it's needed to move the work forward such as work for the dead or preaching the gospel.

Typically new technologies are employed only when the developers of new products or new versions see an advantage to switching.

[mkmurray]

tw.lbean,

First of all, GarysTurn is a moderator on these forums; I know you meant no disrespect with your disagreement, but I would ask that you respect his responsibilities on these forums. He takes countless volunteer hours per day to keep these forums a clean and focused discussion on Technology and how it applies to the work of the Church. This is the charge he has been given by employees of the Church as a Moderator on these forums.

Everything and nothing at the same time.

I see commentary and reasonable exploration of emerging technologies as productive benefit serving to enlighten all of us. I recognize this thread doesn't have that connotation, but it appears to be fairly inactive....

A thread cannot be inactive the same day it started. Also, the way this thread started off is not quite in-line with the purpose of this site. A casual conversation about a new technology does not belong on these forums (unless it relates directly to the Church); blog posts or discussion in other communities designed for such discussion are a better place for such casual conversation.

But, for illustration, take http://tech.lds.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2369

The thread you link to is quite similar in many respects; however, this thread we are in now did not start off with the same intention of discussing how the new technology could benefit some aspect of the work of the Church. That is why GarysTurn posted his comments. We as moderators discussed this thread for much of today. We did not feel the thread shout be removed, but that it should be pushed towards a discussion that is more in-line with the purpose of this site and forums.

EDIT: I also note that I have a vested interest as the Church doesn't maintain equal features and support for WIndows vs. OS X and I use OS X unless I'm forced to use Windows.

Anything that offers potential to make a chosen platform a conduit rather than a gate I see as relevant.

I think it's terrific we have some OS X people on these forums helping the Church reach out to more people through the means of a variety of platforms and technologies. Those discussions about the benefits of using currently unused technologies are most certainly welcome here. I trust we can all remain civil and respectful in our discussions, as there will most certainly be disagreements and obviously each of us have differing preferences within technologies.

[carljokl]

Ok fine..how does it relate to the Church.

The Church already employs many people with Java skills. As such is wouldn't be so hard to make those skills transferable to JavaFX. Flash is not neccecarily bad but it requires an expensive development studio to work with and a separate skill set to develop. Given that the Church Website is Java Powered then it might not be too big of a leap to use JavaFX within the range of LDS websites to deliver rich content.

The one thing being used to distinguish JavaFX from other technologies is that it has been designed from the outset to run across not just multiple platforms but multiple devices too i.e. next year the Mobile Phone version of JavaFX will be launched as well as a version to run on digital tv equipment including things like Blu-Ray.

I must admit I get a bit annoyed by how just a little post can spark loads of controversy. Isn't a site like this as well as using technology to futher the work of the church also about building communities? If posting about a new technology sparks controversy and suggestion of just posting on another site maybe I will do that to the detrement of this site. I swear any other technology forum wouldn't be as picky and exacting about everything is this forum seems to be.

[Mikerowaved]

The last thing we want is to run someone off, but please understand this forum was put here for a special purpose. I think Jamie Childs put it much better then I possibly could in this blog he wrote a couple of weeks ago called How LDS Tech is Helping to Support the Local Unit. Like Brother Childs, I feel our purpose here is an important extension of the help and training found in the Serving in the Church --> Melchizedek Priesthood webpages for those perhaps new to their callings, or just curious how the Church uses technology to move the Lord's work forward.

Unfortunately, there are SO many new areas of technological growth in the world that we could easily dilute these forum topics with just a small portion of them, hindering the process of providing support to those that are searching for it. As such, our forum administrators have chosen to support discussing technologies the Church is directly involved in using, but have to draw the line if it's a technology we simply wish the Church would someday utilize.

As with most everything there are occasional exceptions, but I sincerely hope you can understand the reasoning behind why those in charge have asked that the forum be run this way.

Mike

[carljokl]

I Believe that JavaFX holds potential to be used in projects relating to the Church however at this point it has not been released yet. Even if it is only a week away until it is formerly released work on making use of the technology in the church cannot begin in earnest. One key thing about JavaFX vs Flash which could open the scope of people using it is that Flash Studio is expensive. Major design houses and development studio's have deep pockets to afford it but many in the open source community especially if they are doing volunteer development projects could find JavaFX attractive because there isn't a cost barrier in using it. Even in the case of Silverlight Microsoft offers express versions of Visual Studio these days aknowleging that paying large up front costs to be able to use a technology can lock certain people out of using it.

If we don't discuss JavaFX then people here may well not be aware of what it is and what potential benefits it could have. One thing which could be of interest is that it will have flash like cross platform support for playing video. This could make it easier to stream things like General Conference and broadcasts to users of many different operating systems. In fairness Flash has allowed this too but with JavaFX there should not be a cost to developing it. Also JavaFX editing will be supported by the free Netbeans IDE and a pluggin for Eclipse is being developed by Sun. Many in the Adobe flash/flex community are more likely to be using Eclipse as their IDE of choice.

Increacing awareness I think is important because no-one is going to be using a technology which they have never heard of or for which they just are not aware of the capabilities.