A Technology Preview of BBj 2.0
By Kevin King

ur next revision of BBj®, 2.0, adds a wealth of exciting new features based on Sun Microsystem's Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.4 as well as other great enhancements. Sun plans release of the much anticipated JRE 1.4 sometime in the first quarter of 2002. So, as BASIS plans our beta testing of BBj 2.0, here is a quick advance look at the some of these new features.

BBj 2.0 will feature a new integrated development environment (IDE). Using the popular open-source Framework of NetBeans, BBj will have a comprehensive and sophisticated development environment that allows the concurrent development of BBj, Java, C/C++, Python and HTML. The BBjIDE will come with HTTP and FTP servers and a concurrent versions system (CVS) interface for easy source-code management. The popularity of the NetBeans framework has led other developers to create numerous plug-ins for the NetBeans user community, which our Customers will be able to leverage with BBj 2.0. Also, the BBjIDE will sport a custom BBj "skin" that uses the power of Java to simply and dramatically change the look and feel of all BBj applications.

Language enhancements in BBj 2.0 will include a new journaled file type and the ability for Java programs to call BBj programs. The new journaled file type contains its own backup and recovery capability that enhances the highly recoverable file type that has been available in Visual PRO/5® and PRO/5®. And while BBj 1.xx allows embedded Java code within the BBj program, BBj 2.0 will allow Java programs to call BBj programs, giving developers the ability to easily integrate their BBj programs with other systems in the enterprise. In addition to these exciting new features, BBj 2.0 will provide a cornucopia of bug fixes and performance enhancements.

Although BBj 1.xx versions will not run in the new JRE 1.4 because of Sun's changes to the JRE, the upgrade from BBj 1.xx to BBj 2.0 will be free because of the BASIS Software Asset Management (SAM) Plan. Both in the engineering of the software and with the SAM sales model, BASIS will make it easy for Customers to take advantage of the latest Sun JRE features as well as BBj 2.0 features.

If you would like to participate in the beta or release candidate testing, check our Web site for details.