Borland Heats Up New, Upgraded Java Tools

Borland Software Corp. this week will release new tools and other technologies that reinforce the companys independent position among development platforms.

The Scotts Valley, Calif., software developer will ship the latest version of its Java development tool, JBuilder 9, and Janeva, a new solution for integrating .Net-based applications with J2EE- (Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition) and CORBA-based back-end systems. In addition, Borland will release C#Builder, an IDE (integrated development environment) for the C# language.

JBuilder 9 has Web services support enhancements and a new integrated solution for developing mobile and wireless applications to run on many devices, said Bill Pataky, JBuilder product manager. The platform aids the application development life cycle and is the linchpin of Borlands upcoming suite that will address each life-cycle phase. JBuilder 9 supports design, modeling and team development via integration of the Together and StarTeam software Borland gained in buying TogetherSoft Corp. and Starbase Corp.

In addition, Borland has debuted a new version of the tool—JBuilder 9 Developer—aimed at expert developers who want more control of the code. Other new features include two-way modeling; graphical debugger improvements; and automatic deployment for BEA Systems Inc.s WebLogic 8.1, IBMs WebSphere 5, Borlands Enterprise Server 5.2 and Sybase Inc.s EAServer 4.2, among others.

Janeva supports .Net Framework languages and Visual Studio .Net, said Boz Elloy, Borlands vice president and general manager of enterprise solutions. "Janeva enables .Net clients and servers to connect with J2EE and CORBA back ends using [Internet Inter-ORB Protocol] as the transport mechanism," Elloy said. Janeva comes with C#Builder, the Borland development environment for .Net Framework.

John Zukowski, a JBuilder beta tester and founder of JZ Ventures Inc., in Boston, said he likes the ErrorInsight feature in JBuilder 9. "Prior versions of JBuilder highlighted coding problems to show what wouldnt compile," Zukowski said. "ErrorInsight offers the ability to automate the fixing of those problems."

Also this week, Borland will announce Borland C#Builder, an IDE for the C# language. Officials said the product offers design-driven development through integration with Together and C#Builder Enterprise Core Objects. It features interoperability with databases such as Borlands InterBase, Oracle, IBMs DB2 and Microsoft Corp.s SQL Server. To be available this summer, Borland C#Builder will come in Architect, Enterprise, Professional and Personal versions and will cost $2,499, $1,799, $999 and $69, respectively.

Borland this week will also announce Borland Enterprise Server, Team Edition, a J2EE deployment system for small and midsize businesses and departmental groups.

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