Using Visual J++ 6.0--Portability?

[mpedzisai]

Hi All
I would like to find out if there is anyone with experience using MS Visual J++ and other Java platforms. My question is whether or not V J++ is the best platform if you want to write platform independent Java programs for the web and not necessarily for the windows platform. Also are there some differences in syntax and/or new commands / keywords that one would typically not find in a straight J2SE that may prevent the code from being 100% portable?
If V J++ is good, what are some of the best books I can use as a beginner?

[Goodz13]

I may not be the best person to comment here. I don't like Microsoft.

From My understanding, J++ will not work on say a Linux, Unix, Solaris or Mac because MS doesn't make a VM for these systems. A J++ java program will not work on Sun's VM. Simularly if your download a package for Sun's Java, it won't work with J++. I could be rong on this.

If you are going to write Java Programs, why not get Sun Microsystems Java. It's free. Stay clear of MS when ever possible.

I'm not sure if this is a good point or a bad point, but Sun's java has a lot more third party packages. Some of the packages are Exelent, some not so good. Also Sun has a lot more packages that they've developed for java as well.

[dlorde]

Microsoft Visual J++ is not suitable for Java development for platforms other than Microsoft Windows. It is designed to use the WFC (Windows Foundation Classes) which wrap the Windows API and are quite different from Sun's AWT and Swing classes. It is based on the now obsolete Java version 1.1, and although it can be made to work with Sun's JDK, it is not designed to do so. There is also the ongoing support and maintenance issue. When .NET was released, Microsoft indicated they would no longer develop Visual J++, encouraging a move to across to J#. What with the legal wranglings over the Java JVM between Sun and Microsoft, I would rather move to .NET than use Visual J++.

If you want platform-independent Java, go with the non-Microsoft Java Development Kits (i.e. Sun).

If you want to be a Microsoft developer, go with .NET. Forget Visual J++.

Obesity is really widespread... - Joseph O. Kern II

[mpedzisai]

Thanks for the enlightenment both of you who have yet respondend. You both mentioned that using the sun platform will be the best way to go. I was looking more for an IDE which will increase the productivity and ease the development process without intoruducing new proprietary code and it is obvious from what you say that V J++ is not the answer. I am also trying to evaluate Borland JBuilder and would greatly appreciate any help I can get with this and other IDE's that are good for cross platform java delevelopment.
Also Does Sun have an IDE that one can use that is similar to JBuilder or Microsoft's visual studio -- this would be first price if I could get that.

Thank you

Melody

[dlorde]

Sun does have an IDE called 'Sun[tm] ONE Studio 4' (formerly 'Forte for Java').

I didn't like 'Forte for Java' when I tried it some time ago, and it wasn't very popular (to understate it!) in our recent IDE evaluation (http://www.codeguru.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=671429#post671429).

On the Giant's Causeway:
Worth seeing, yes; but not worth going to see...
Samuel Johnson