Max Katz

In looking back at my JavaFX… does it have a future? posting, my views have been changed by some of the comments made (here and here), in particular about JavaFX vs. Flash/Flex and Java Web Start.

JavaFX and applets

I agree that comparing JavaFX applets vs Flash/Flex is not something we should be doing. Flash applications (deployed inside the browser in a Flash virtual machine) are years ahead of Java applets. It will take years, if at all, for applets to match Flash-like deployment. According to Adobe, Flash is already installed on 99% of Internet-enabled desktops. In case it’s not available, installing Flash is a breeze (plus Google Chrome now ships with Flash player). Flash applications are installed very quickly, work, run smoothly inside the browser, and users are comfortable using such applications.

JavaFX and Java Web Start

On the other hand, deploying JavaFX applications via Java Web Start is an area where JavaFX could be successful and find a niche market.

A JavaFX application started via Java Web Starts runs in its own “Java window” outside the browser. This way the application is still running inside the powerful Java virtual machine, so you get a rich and responsive user interface that is also now browser-independent.

Launching via Java Web Start can be easily done by placing a link to a .jnlp file inside a Web page or even creating an icon on a desktop. Now we get the power of Java but outside the browser. However, the application still acts like a “Web application” since Java Web Start will check for any updates in the application and download them if necessary (like Adobe AIR). This way the user is always be running the latest version of the application.

For example, click here to launch JavaFX Seam Booking application via Java Web Start (note: the .jnlp file is generated in this case). Or click on this nice button:

It launched pretty fast, has its own window, no browser freezing, pretty nice.

Although I don’t see many consumers-facing applications deployed using Java Web Start (even thought it’s possible and some might), the target market is enterprise applications (or Internet business applications) such as customer support applications, rich interactive dashboards, scientific applications, educational applications, and other Intranet-based applications. For example, just replacing all Swing deployments in the enterprise would give JavaFX a huge potential market opportunity.

JavaFX and enterprise

Connecting JavaFX Web Start applications to a server is easily done with the Exadel Flamingo framework. This framework was designed from the ground up to make it simpler to attach rich UIs like JavaFX to back ends like Seam.

Furthermore, a growing requirement is to make Web applications available offline or when there is no Internet connection available. As the platform for JavaFX is the Java virtual machine, the offline feature can be more easily implemented than if the browser were the platform. And, if using the Flamingo framework, it already includes offline features that enable the application to run without an Internet connection and synchronize with the server once the connection is reestablished.

Future?

I always believed before that running JavaFX applications inside the browser was the way to go. While it’s still possible (and easily done), I don’t believe that’s the way to go anymore. The browser is a platform; the Java virtual machine is another platform. There is no need to combine the two.