Subversion Repositories scarts

#!wml --include=..

#use wml::std::page

#use wml::std::lang

#use wml::fmt::isolatin

#use wml::std::case global=upper

#include 

We are pleased to announce a new developer snapshot release of GNU Classpath.

GNU Classpath, Essential Libraries for Java, is a project to create free

core class libraries for use with runtimes, compilers and tools for the

java programming language.

GNU Classpath 0.11 can be downloaded from

ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/classpath/

or one of the ftp.gnu.org mirrors

http://www.gnu.org/order/ftp.html

File: classpath-0.11.tar.gz

MD5sum: fa0e0f2532b838e67f9d9f93d45556a2

Some highlights of this release (more extensive list below):

Inclusion of full javax.crypto, javax.security, javax.net and

subpackages.  Complete implementation of java.awt.geom. GTK+ 2.4 AWT

peer implementation for AWT FileDialog, better java.awt.image

LookupTable, Kernel and BufferedImage support. AWT 1.0 Event Model

implemented, and new Swing classes (Spring, SpringLayout, JMenu,

JPopupMenu, JColorChooser, JComboBox, JTextField, internal JFrame

support and start of JTable and JTree implementations). The Collection

classes have seen extensive documentation updates. GNU Classpath

Examples have been added - a GPL demo framework for AWT and Swing.

Included, but not activated by default in this release is a Graphics2D

implementation based on the Cairo Graphics framework

(http://www.cairographics.org). Enabling this makes programs like

JFreeChart work on GNU Classpath based runtimes.

[It is recommended that people wanting to experiment with the

Graphics2D implementation follow the instructions for building gcj

with jhbuild which automatically builds the latest CVS version of GCJ

and Cairo at http://people.redhat.com/fitzsim/gcj-and-jhbuild.html]

Not yet included is an implementation of Generic collection classes

and classes for other 1.5 language extensions.  Work on this is being

done on a special development branch that will be included in a future

GNU Classpath release when free runtimes, compilers and tools have all

been upgraded to support these new language features.

GNU Classpath uses the Mauve test suite for Compatibility, Completeness

and Correctness checking.  This release passes 16816 of 17102 mauve tests.

Free Software programs and libraries tested against this release are

Ant, Eclipse 2.1, Eclipse 3.0 (starts up, but does not yet completely

run), JFreeChart (see above), the Nice programming language

environment (which can now be bootstrapped with any GNU Classpath

based runtime and which works out of the box with Kaffe and GCJ for

creating native executables), gcjwebplugin and many other programs,

libraries and applets.

Here are answers to some questions you might have about this project and

this release.

1). Who should use this software?

Although GNU Classpath is already capable of supporting many

applications written in the java programming language, this is a

development release. As such, there are still some unfinished

components, and some problems are to be expected. You should install it

if you are interested in GNU Classpath development or reporting bugs.

We appreciate both.

For end users we recommend to use one of the development environments

based on GNU Classpath which combine the core libraries with compilers

and other tools needed for creating applications and libraries.

    * GCC with GCJ  (http://gcc.gnu.org/java/)

    * Kaffe         (http://www.kaffe.org/)

2). What is required to build/install/run?

GNU Classpath requires a working GNU build environment and a byte code

compiler such as jikes, gcj or kjc. When creating native code you will

also need a working C compiler and up to date Gnome development

libraries (gtk+, libart and gdk-pixbuf). More information on the

precise version numbers for the tools and libraries can be found in

the INSTALL file.

You will also need a runtime environment. The following runtime

environments should work out of the box with GNU Classpath

    * JamVM         (http://jamvm.sourceforge.net/)

    * Jikes RVM     (http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/oss/jikesrvm/)

    * Kissme        (http://kissme.sourceforge.net/)

Note that these are just byte code execution runtimes. For development

of programs written in the java programming language you will also

need compilers and other tools for creating libraries and/or

executables (see question 1).

For other environments that might need modified version of the current

release see the README file.  A complete list of virtual machines and

compilers known to be based on GNU Classpath can be found at our

website: http://www.gnu.org/software/classpath/stories.html

2). What platforms are supported?

GNU/Linux and FreeBSD on x86 and powerpc are regularly tested by the

developers.  We plan to eventually support many others.

5). Where do I go for more information?

The project home page with information on our mailing list can be

found at http://www.gnu.org/software/classpath/

A good overview of the current status can be found on the GNU Classpath

at FOSDEM'04 page which describes the last GNU Classpath hacker meeting.

It includes reports and presentations on the current status and future

plans: http://www.gnu.org/software/classpath/events/fosdem04.html

The following presentation given during the Desktop Developers

Conference shows how to integrate GNU Claspath and GCJ more with the

Free Desktop environments: http://people.redhat.com/fitzsim/ddc2004/

6). How do I extend the functionality of the core classes?

Besides combining GNU Classpath with the runtimes and compilers above

you might want to add support for additional encryption libraries and

algorithms as provided by GNU Crypto

(http://www.gnu.org/software/gnu-crypto/).  And for additional

extension libraries (mail, xml, activation, infobus, servlet) check

out GNU ClasspathX (http://www.gnu.org/software/classpathx).

Additional network protocol support is provided by a sub-project

called GNU Classpath Inetlib, an extension library to provide extra

network protocol support (ftp, finger, gopher) for GNU Classpath, but

it can also standalone to ease adding http, imap, pop3 and smtp client

support to applictions. Also distributed from

The following projects extend the functionality of GNU Classpath

with additional algorithms, new core packages and tools.

All are released under GPL compatible licenses:

* Jessie: A free implementation of the JSSE. Secure Sockets Extension.

  http://www.nongnu.org/jessie/

* Tritonus: A implementation of the javax.sound API.

  http://www.tritonus.org/

* gcjwebplugin: A plugin for the execution of applets in web browsers.

  http://www.nongnu.org/gcjwebplugin/

Note that the above libraries might already have been included in the

various platforms that also integrate GNU Classpath like done by the

Kaffe project.

6). What is new in this release?

New in release 0.11 (Sep 13, 2004)

(See the ChangeLog file for a full list of changes.)

* javax.swing.Spring and SpringLayout support.

* Added pluggable look and feel support for BasicTextFieldUI and

  BasicToolBarSeparatorUI.

* java.swing.text support for (Default and Layered) Highlighter, FieldView,

  PlainView, TabExpander and TabableView added.

* Start of JTable and JTree implementation.

* Internal Swing frames work.

* JMenu and JPopupMenu work.

* New gtk+ AWT FileDialog peer now based on gtk+2.4 or higher.

* java.awt.image LookupTables and kernel support.

* Improved java.awt.image.BufferedImage support.

* AWT 1.0 event model support.

* GNU Classpath now comes with some example programs (see examples/README).

* New javax.crypto, javax.crypto.interfaces, javax.crypto.spec, javax.net,

  javax.net.ssl, javax.security.auth, javax.security.auth.callback,

  javax.security.auth.login, javax.security.auth.x500, javax.security.sasl

  and org.ietf.jgss packages are now officially part of GNU Classpath.

  Extra crypto algorithms can be obtained from the GNU Crypto project,

  a full TLS implementation is provided by the Jessie project.

  http://www.gnu.org/software/gnu-crypto/

  http://www.nongnu.org/jessie/

* Frame.setIconImage() support.

* AWT GDKGraphics scaling.

* New configure flag --enable-gtk-cairo to build Graphics2D implementation

  build on cairo and pangoft2.  Enabled at runtime by defining the system

  property gnu.java.awt.peer.gtk.Graphics=Graphics2D.

* javax.swing.JSpinner implemented.

* Extensive documentation update for java.util collection classes.

* java.awt.geom completed. Area, Arc2D, Ellipse2D and Line2D implemented.

* GNU JAXP is no longer included with GNU Classpath. Runtime, compiler and

  tool integrators are encouraged to directly integrate GNU JAXP.

  This release has been tested against GNU JAXP 1.1.

  http://www.gnu.org/software/classpathx/jaxp/jaxp.html

* JColorChooser, JComboBox and JTextField implemented, including example

  uses in GNU Classpath Examples swing Demo.

Runtime interface Changes:

* java.lang.Compiler now uses the new java.lang.VMCompiler; there is

  a reference implementation that most VMs can use.

* java.lang.VMSystem has a new getenv(String) method and a reference C/JNI

  implementation that should work on most Posix like systems.

* java.util.TimeZone has been split into a platform independent class and

  a platform dependent class VMTimeZone.  GNU Classpath comes with a generic

  way to get at the default time zone for Posix/GNU-like platforms.

* [VM]AccessController improvements.  In particular it handles

  `doPrivileged' calls better, and allows for recursive `doPrivileged'

  calls in the same Thread. (see vm/reference/java/security/)

The following people helped with this release:

Andreas Tobler (libgcj merging), Andrew Haley (object streams), Andrew

John Hughes (documentation, swing and acessibility), Archie Cobbs

(freebsd testing and bugfixing), Bryce McKinlay (libgcj merging, image

producers, access controller actions), Casey Marshall (crypto,

security and access controller implementation), Craig Black (image

scaling, round rect support, awt tear-off menus), Dalibor Topic (kaffe

merging), David Gilbert (documentation updates, mauve tests, awt and

geom bug fixes), David Jee (awt gtk+ image and choice fixes, frame

icon support, focus manger), Florian Weimer (bug reporting), Graydon

Hoare (lots of Swing and Graphics2D implementation and fixes), Guilhem

Lavaux (java.text bug fixing), Jerry Quinn (java.awt.image lookup

table and kernel implemented), Jeroen Frijters (Runtime loadlibrary,

encoding manager, file and classloader fixes), Ka-Hing Cheung

(jspinner implementation), Kim Ho (jcolorchooser, jtooltip, internal

jfram implementations, event and repaint manager fixes), Mark Wielaard

(packaging and coordination), Michael Koch (javax.swing.text

implementation, build environment, embedded window support, libgcj

merging, bug fixes), Olga Rodimina (swing combobox, jmenu and popup

menu support), Patrik Reali (web master, nio vm class restructuring),

Roman Kennke (boxlayout, spring and springlayout), Sven de Marothy

(java.awt.geom), Thomas Fitzsimmons (lots of gtk+ peers work, awt 1.0

event model), Tom Tromey (bug fixing, libgcj merging, vmcompiler).