JavaFX - Technical highlights and History

[sukishan]

Technical highlights
Common profile. JavaFX is based on the concept of a "Common profile" that is intended to span across all devices supported by JavaFX. This approach makes it possible for developers to use a common programming model while building an application targeted for both desktop and mobile devices and to share much of the code, graphics assets and content between desktop and mobile versions. To address the need for tuning applications for the needs of specific class of devices, the JavaFX 1.1 platform includes APIs that are desktop or mobile-specific. For example JavaFX Desktop profile includes Swing and advanced visual effects.

Drag-to-Install. From the point of view of the end user "Drag-to-Install" allows them to drag a JavaFX widget or application residing in a website within the browser window and drop it onto their desktop. The application will not lose its state or context even after the browser is closed. An application can also be re-launched by clicking on a shortcut that gets automatically created on the user's desktop. This behavior is enabled out-of-the-box by the Java applet mechanism and is leveraged by JavaFX from the underlying Java layer. Sun touts "Drag-to-Install" as opening up of a new distribution model and allowing developers to "break away from the browser".

Integrating graphics created with third-party tools. JavaFX includes a set of plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator that enable advanced graphics to be integrated directly into JavaFX applications. The plug-ins generate JavaFX Script code that preserves layers and structure of the graphics. Developers can then easily add animation or effects to the static graphics imported. There is also an SVG graphics converter tool (a.k.a. Media Factory) that allows for importing graphics and previewing assets after the conversion to JavaFX format.


History
JavaFX Script, the scripting component of JavaFX, began life as a project by Chris Oliver called F3.[2]

Sun Microsystems first announced JavaFX at the JavaOne Worldwide Java Developer conference on May 2007.

In May 2008 Sun Microsystems announced plans to deliver JavaFX for the browser and desktop by the third quarter of 2008, and JavaFX for mobile devices in the second quarter of 2009. Sun also announced a multi-year agreement with On2 Technologies to bring comprehensive video capabilities to the JavaFX product family using the company's TrueMotion Video codec.

Since end of July 2008, developers could download a preview of the JavaFX SDK for Windows and Macintosh, as well as the JavaFX plugin for NetBeans 6.1. On December 4, 2008 Sun released JavaFX 1.0.

JavaFX 1.1
JavaFX for mobile development was finally made available as part of the JavaFX 1.1 release announced officially on February 12 2009.

JavaFX 1.2
JavaFX 1.2 was released at JavaOne on June 2, 2009. This release introduced [3]:

Full support for Linux and Solaris,
Built-in controls and layouts,
Skinnable CSS controls,
Built-in chart widgets,
JavaFX I/O management, masking differences between desktop and mobile devices,
Speed improvements.