Java/J++/J#

Java was developed by Sun Microsystems in the early 1990's. It evolved from a language called Oak, created by Sun's James Gosling to write programs for interactive television. Though the television project was something of a flop, the rise of the internet prompted Sun to integrate Java support into a web browser, thereby pioneering dynamic web page content. When, in 1995, Netscape adopted the technology into their (then) market-leading Navigator web browser, it was the catalyst for the huge rise in the popularity of Java. Compiled Java programs that are linked to HTML pages are known as "applets". Java can also be used to generate dynamic web page content via Java Server Pages (JSP), which are HTML pages containing embedded Java code that runs on the server. Java was developed with connectivity in mind, making it an ideal programming tool in a networked environment, but it is a full featured programming language that can also be used to develop standalone applications.

Microsoft's J++ was an implementation of Java technology, which Sun had designed to be platform independent, for use as a programming tool for the Windows operating system. Many people in the computer industry viewed this as an attempt by Microsoft to wrest control of Java from Sun by making J++ the de-facto standard. Eventually, the two companies ended up in court and Microsoft has now been given a date by which it must stop using Sun's software. J++ may, however, be given new life in the form of J#, a Java inspired language that is available as an add-on to Microsoft's .NET programming suite.

Related links on the internet

java.sun.com

The home of the Java programming language. The definitive Java tutorial is here, along with the Java Development Kit - the reference implementation of Java from the company that invented the Java language.

JavaBoutique tutorials

Tutorials section from JavaBoutique.com. From getting started in Java through to in depth analysis of the mechanics of RMI.

JGuru FAQ

The FAQ section of JGuru.com, which, as you might expect, deals with all things Java.

Java World

Quality site with tutorials, articles and discussions on Java, XML, SOAP, Visual J++, J# and many other topics relating to Java.

Java lobby

Java articles and discussions in this newsgroup style forum covering Java development tools, Java performance and the Java versus .NET debate.

Script Search

A large collection of applets, code snippets and assorted widgets written in languages such as Java, JavaScript, Perl, Python, VB, XML, PHP and others. Each item is rated.

C# Corner

Good .NET information site with articles and tutorials covering mainly the C# language, but also touching on VB.NET, J# and aspects of ASP.NET.

MSDN Online

Microsoft's repository of development knowledge. A vast library coupled with a large downloads section featuring many free products.

The Free Country

A great resource for developers, produced by Christopher S L Heng. Contains links to freeware tools for developing in C/C++, Basic, Pascal, Fortran, Perl and several other languages, and tools for web development. In addition, there are several articles by the site's author, in which he shares his experiences of, and opinions on, the choices facing web developers.