At its Tech Ed 2002 Europe developer conference on Monday, Microsoft released the final version of Visual J#.Net, a tool that lets programmers use the Java language to build software that works only with Microsoft's .Net technology. The tool doesn't allow programmers to build standalone Java software.
The .Net plan is a strategy for building software using Web services, an emerging trend that allows companies to interact and conduct business via the Internet. Competitors including Sun Microsystems, IBM, Oracle, BEA Systems support a rival method of building Web services that uses the Java standard.
In March, Sun raised concerns about Visual J#.Net in its private antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft, charging that Microsoft had corrupted Java, undermining its promise of allowing developers to create software that can run on different types of computers or operating systems without having to be rewritten. Microsoft executives, however, believe Visual J#.Net's limited capability allows Microsoft to sidestep licensing issues with Java creator Sun.
"If you write apps using the Java language irrespective of any platform, we will have 15 to 20 percent of the market," said Tony Goodhew, product manager for Microsoft's developer division.
News source: ZDNet
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