Top 10 Java SE Destinations at the 2006 JavaOne Conference

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New and exciting ways of working with Java Foundation Classes/Swing (JFC/Swing) technology, deployment strategies for Java platform applications, and exciting new updates from Effective Java author Joshua Bloch -- whether you're an enterprise, desktop, or portable device developer, you don't want to miss all the juicy information that will be available at this year's JavaOne conference. With that in mind, here are 10 of the must-see destinations for developers of the Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE, formerly referred to as J2SE) at the 2006 JavaOne conference.

Note: The schedule of sessions and speakers is subject to change, so be sure to check the catalog of 2006 JavaOne conference sessions for the latest information.

1. The Continuing Adventures of Java Puzzlers: Tiger Traps (TS-1188)
   
   "Yet More Programming Puzzlers" was the top-rated session at the 2005 JavaOne conference. This year, Joshua Bloch and Neal Gafter of Google present eight more programming puzzles for your entertainment and enlightenment. This year's talk focuses on features introduced in the J2SE 5.0 release, code-named Tiger. If you attended the 2005 session, you know that you don't want to miss it. The session description sums it up nicely: "The game show format keeps you on your toes, and the puzzles teach you about the subtleties of the Java programming language and its core libraries."
   
   
2. Filthy Rich Clients: Animated Effects in Swing Applications (TS-1297)
   
   In another sequel to a standing-room-only 2005 JavaOne conference session ("Extreme GUI Makeover: Episode 1: Lookin' Good"), hosts Christopher Campbell, Romain Guy, Chet Haase, and Kenneth Russel from Sun are back to wow you with even more JFC/Swing effects in this technical session. "Animation and whizzy graphics effects can be totally gratuitous, but they can also be used to make applications more effective and users more productive. This session examines techniques for doing cool effects on Swing components as well as techniques for animating entire application states. It also discusses recent advances in combining 2-D and 3-D effects in the Java SE 6 release."
   
   
3. Simpler, Faster, Better: Concurrency Utilities in JDK Software Version 5.0 (TS-4915)
   
   If you're not familiar with the concurrency utilities in JDK 5.0, then this session is a must. Sessions on concurrency were extremely popular at the 2005 JavaOne conference -- and with good reason: The concurrency classes are lifesavers for programmers in both Java SE and Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE). Here is part of the session description: "To help users create robust, scalable, and (most important) correct multithreaded applications, JDK 5.0 includes a rich set of high-level concurrency constructs, such as thread pools, semaphores, mutexes, condition variables, locks, barriers, and high-performance concurrent collection classes. Using these concurrency utilities will make your programs clearer, shorter, faster, easier to write, and more reliable." This presentation is brought to you by the same experts from last year's award-winning session: Brian Goetz of Quiotix Corp and David Holmes, formerly of DLTeCH Pty Ltd. and now of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
   
   
4. Eight Ways to Be More Productive Developing Swing Applications (TS-1913)
   
   If you're working with JFC/Swing, this session is for you. Here is part of the description: "If you could combine Swing's power with the productivity of easier, more restrictive tools, such as Microsoft's Visual Basic, you'd have an incredible tool for application development. This presentation talks about eight techniques you can employ to realize such an environment, such as how you can successfully integrate GUI builders and XUL frameworks into your project, making it much easier to set and retrieve values on Swing components, how to make it trivial to make JTables easy to use, and more. Along with the presentation and slides, attendees will be able to download open-source code they can use in their projects today to implement these ideas." Ben Galbraith, a self-employed technology enthusiast, presents this session.
   
   
5. Developing With Java Technology on Mac OS X (BOF-0631)
   
   Addicted to your Mac? Then you won't want to miss this Birds-of-a-Feather (BOF) session. Here's part of the session description: "Mac OS X, with its UNIX system-based, open-source core, has emerged as one of the best places to develop and deploy applications based on Java technology. In this session, Alan Samuel of Apple will help you gain an understanding of the current state and future directions of Mac OS X's Java technology implementation and the techniques required to quickly develop full-featured, scalable, Java technology-based solutions to deploy in any Java platform-enabled environment. The session includes a close look at key development tools available on Mac OS X, including Xcode, Apple's integrated development environment; how Java technology takes advantage of Quartz, Cocoa, and other Mac OS X frameworks; and user interface issues, file I/O, drag and drop, and image performance and enhancements."
   
   
6. Best Practices for Java Web Start Application and Plug-in Applet Deployment (TS-1319)
   
   You probably know that Java Web Start software is a quick and easy way to deploy your Java technology applications. Even if you've never used this software, be sure to attend this session. Java Web Start software is also maturing into an administrator's dream. "How can you deliver a smooth yet simple application deployment experience to your client? How can you make sure the Java software version required is available? Even more important, how can you make sure Java software is present on the client computer? Deployment is an unavoidable step in application development, and there are many issues you will run into while deploying your application/applet. This session looks at a few of the common Java application/applet deployment problems and the best practices for solving them." William Harnois, Andy Herrick, and Thomas Ng of Sun are this session's hosts.
   
   
7. Effective Java Reloaded (TS-1512)
   
   In the five years since the release of the best-selling book Effective Java, "The Java platform has evolved, and we've learned more about how to use it to best effect. This session, presented by the book's author, Joshua Bloch, covers new material that will be added to the second edition." You likely already have this book, but don't miss this session if you're a serious Java technology programmer.
   
   
8. Making Java Technology-Based/.NET Web Services Interoperability Real (TS-5540)
   
   Java and .NET working together? Kirill Gavrylyuk from Microsoft and Arun Gupta from Sun are hosting this session, which is sure to be popular. Here's part of the session description: "Although basic interoperability between different platforms is becoming widely accepted, real enterprise distributed systems are setting a higher bar. This session covers secure, reliable, and binary web services interoperability between Java technology and Windows Communication Foundation. Come see how WCF interoperability helps solve real-world problems. If you deal with distributed systems in heterogeneous environments, you won't want to miss this real-life, demo-driven session."
   
   
9. It's Not Over Until the Fat Client Sings (TS-4317)
   
   Catchy title, don't you think? The contents, courtesy of Joe Winchester of IBM UK, sound even better: "Where the browser was once hailed as the ubiquitous client platform that would deliver computing power across the Internet and also replace corporate systems with intranets, the truth is that it has failed to deliver anywhere near the usability that traditional client applications do.... Numerous offerings are now available [that] range from thinlets to rich lightweight clients, to Asynchronous JavaScript and XML ((Ajax)) technology, to the Swing and Eclipse Rich Client Platform running over Java technology Network Launch Protocol. This session discusses the various technologies that allow Java technology programmers to deliver a rich HTTP-based client to their users. It also covers the various pieces of market research that show how the browser is stagnating and developers and users are turning to richer and more functional offerings, and it discusses how Java technology can position itself to recapture the space it initially filled with applets and subsequently lost. The presentation also covers Ajax and whether or not it is good enough to fill the usability void left by browsers."
   
   
10. Mastering Java SE 6 and Developing Dolphin (TS-3439)
    
    Here's one for you bleeding-edge programmers who are not only curious about Java SE 6 but also want to know the latest details on the platform's next version. Mark Reinhold of Sun says that this session provides "an overview of the key Java SE 6 features, illustrated with working code. Looking ahead to the Java SE 7 release, code-named 'Dolphin,' the presentation surveys the features being proposed for that release and explains how anyone in the wider community can get involved in its development."
    
    

Of course, there are many other excellent sessions as well. So what are you waiting for? Get to the 2006 JavaOne conference in May, attend these sessions, find out if the fat client is singing, and meet the people behind the Java programming language. See you there!

2006 JavaOne Conference Home Page
2006 JavaOne Conference Sessions
2006 JavaOne Conference Registration