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Business Applications of Java
Business Information Systems > Business Applications of Java
Abstract
This article examines the growing use of Java technology in
business applications. The history of Java is briey reviewed
along with the impact of open standards on the growth of the
World Wide Web. Key components and concepts of the Java
programming language are explained including the Java Virtual
Machine. Examples of how Java is being used by e-commerce
leaders is provided along with an explanation of how Java is used
to develop data warehousing, data mining, and industrial auto-
mation applications. The concept of metadata modeling and the
use of Extendable Markup Language (XML) are also explained.
Overview
Open standards have driven the e-business revolution. Network-
ing protocol standards, such as Transmission Control Protocol/
Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP),
and the HyperText Markup Language (HTML) Web standards
have enabled universal communication via the Internet and the
World Wide Web. As e-business continues to develop, various
computing technologies help to drive its evolution.
The Java programming language and platform have emerged as
major technologies for performing e-business functions. Java
programming standards have enabled portability of applications
and the reuse of application components across computing plat-
forms. Sun Microsystems’ Java Community Process continues
to be a strong base for the growth of the Java infrastructure and
language standards. This growth of open standards creates new
opportunities for designers and developers of applications and
services (Smith, 2001).
Creation of Java Technology
Java technology was created as a computer programming tool in
a small, secret effort called “the Green Project” at Sun Micro-
systems in 1991. The Green Team, fully staffed at 13 people and
led by James Gosling, locked themselves away in an anonymous
ofce on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, cut off from all regular
communications with Sun, and worked around the clock for 18
months. Their initial conclusion was that at least one signicant
trend would be the convergence of digitally controlled consumer
devices and computers. A device-independent programming lan-
guage code-named “Oak” was the result.
To demonstrate how this new language could power the future of
digital devices, the Green Team developed an interactive, hand-
held home-entertainment device controller targeted at the digital
cable television industry. But the idea was too far ahead of its
time, and the digital cable television industry wasn’t ready for
the leap forward that Java technology offered them. As it turns
out, the Internet was ready for Java technology, and just in time
for its initial public introduction in 1995, the team was able to
announce that the Netscape Navigator Internet browser would
incorporate Java technology (“Learn about Java,” 2007).
Applications of Java
Java uses many familiar programming concepts and constructs
and allows portability by providing a common interface through
an external Java Virtual Machine (JVM). A virtual machine is
a self-contained operating environment, created by a software
Abstract
Keywords
Overview
Application
Issue
Conclusion
Terms & Concepts
Bibliography
Suggested Reading
Table of Contents