Borland Launches Next Generation Java™ Development Environment: Borland® JBuilder® X
New Development Environment Reinforces Borland Java Leadership; Offers Most Significant Product Enhancement in Two Years; Wins Support of Thriving Third Party Ecosystem
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. - October 21, 2003 : Borland Software Corporation (Nasdaq NM: BORL) today announced the launch of Borland® JBuilder® X, the latest version of the company's industry leading cross-platform integrated development environment (IDE) for Java.™ JBuilder X marks the most significant release of the product in over two years and introduces over 100 new and enhanced features targeted to increase the productivity of enterprise teams, corporate developers and code-centric Java developers. The product's new functionality focuses on usability and productivity; Web application, Web services and EJB development as well as J2EE™ deployment.
Notable new feature additions to JBuilder X are designed to reflect current trends in the Java market. The IDE offers advanced Web application development support that includes a standards-based visual designer for the Apache™ Struts framework and first-time comprehensive support for the popular open source application server JBoss.®
"JBuilder X exemplifies the next generation Java IDE. We met with thousands of JBuilder users and surveyed hundreds of enhancement requests to make sure that we could meet the needs of today's Java developers," commented George Paolini vice president and general manager of Java solutions at Borland. "Among the top requests that we have delivered upon is increased customizability. Formerly a best kept secret at Borland, we have extended our OpenTools API, first published in 1998. This allows us to continue to support the ecosystem around JBuilder and offer customers additional functionality from our third-party community."
Importantly, JBuilder X can be extended through the Java Swing-based OpenTools application programming interface (API). As a result, JBuilder X launches with over 80 third-party reusable components and plug-ins offering additional value-add to JBuilder customers. Companies shipping plug-ins with JBuilder X include Altova, Crystal Decisions, Oracle, salesforce.com, Sun and Sybase.
Next Generation Java™ Development Environment
While continuing the trend of simplifying Java development, JBuilder X is designed to take Java programming to the next level for both the seasoned professional Java developer and newer Java developers, helping to ensure a rapid application development approach to Java programming without trade-offs such as scalability encountered by some of the new RAD-style Java development environments aimed at less skilled users.
"The creation of J2EE applications continues to challenge IT organizations many who are still struggling to migrate skilled developers from other technologies," commented Thomas Murphy, META Group. "Too often solutions seem to lock companies into specific J2EE platforms and after the initial code generation and first release is over, leave developers short without the tools required to design, develop, and maintain complex applications."
JBuilder X is designed to help developers write better code with the inclusion of Optimizeit Suite 6.0 for performance profiling and Automatic Quality Analysis. Enhanced integration with Borland Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) solutions and with hundreds of third party tools and components helps ensure that resulting software is aligned with overall business needs.
For enhanced usability, new features include:
A new user interface with multiple, dockable windows for faster editing and easier management of editing sessions
Configurable personalities, to allow the developer to customize the environment so that only features relevant to the task at hand are presented
Code folding that enables developers to simultaneously view multiple sections of code and thus, reduce the complexity of working with large source files
Project wide to-do lists and bookmarks to allow easier management of work in progress
Enhanced refactoring support designed to speed the restructuring of code to improve quality and reuse
For advanced Web development, new features include:
A standards-based Struts designer for rapid, intuitive development of advanced web applications using the familiar drag and drop approach
New TagInsight for JSP™ HTML and XML is designed to speed coding and reduce risk of coding errors
For advanced Web services development, new features include:
A visual Web Services Designer designed to create, validate, import, and export Web Services faster and easier through the familiar drag and drop approach. This helps to simplify the task of consuming, creating and managing multiple Web services.
For advanced J2EE deployment features include:
New support for the JBoss application server. This support allows developers to leverage the cost benefits of JBoss and the productivity benefits of JBuilder
A new, two-way deployment descriptor editor with descriptor element insight that helps to simplify the task of configuring and modifying J2EE deployment descriptors for the leading application servers
Assisted application deployment so that developers can use specific features of different application servers while still maintaining portability. Rapid deployment is facilitated to leading J2EE™ application servers including BEA® WebLogic,® IBM® WebSphere,® Sun™ ONE, Oracle9i,® Sybase® EAServer, JBoss, and the integrated Borland® Enterprise Server
Availability
JBuilder X will ship three editions, JBuilder Enterprise primarily for J2EE and Web services development; JBuilder Developer for on Web application and code-centric development and JBuilder Foundation. JBuilder X introduces a new licensing model that allows for the commercial use and redistribution of JBuilder Foundation.
About Borland
Borland Software Corporation (Nasdaq NM: BORL) is a world leader in platform independent software development and deployment solutions that are designed to accelerate the entire application development lifecycle. By connecting managers, testers, designers, developers, and implementers in real time, Borland enables enterprises worldwide to define and sustain their competitive advantage. For more information, visit: http://www.borland.com or the Borland Developer Network at http://bdn.borland.com.
