Microsoft Releases Visual J# .Net

Microsoft Corp. Monday announced the availability of its Visual J# .Net tool at Microsoft TechEd Europe in Barcelona, Spain.

Visual J# .Net is a Java development tool for building applications and XML Web services on the .Net Framework. Its release rounds out Microsofts language offerings within its Visual Studio .Net platform, including Visual C++ .Net, Visual C# .Net and Visual Basic. Net.

The new product features tight integration with Visual Studio .Net; integration with the .Net Framework, including cross-language integration; and tools to upgrade existing Visual J++ 6.0–which Visual J# .Net replaces–to the new Visual Studio .Net format, said Tony Goodhew, Microsofts product manager for Visual J# .Net.

Goodhew said several enterprise customers have expressed interest in developing with Visual J# .Net, with organizations such as Alibre, Kana and the Wedding Channel developing applications with it.

“We think well be able to gain 15 to 20 percent of the Java language development market” with the new product, Goodhew said.

In addition, Goodhew said Visual J# .Net provides for an easy transition for Java-language developers into the world of XML Web services. He also said it improves interoperability between Java programs with existing software written in other languages because of its tight integration with the .Net Platform and its Common Language Runtime. However, in its press announcement for the product, Microsoft notes: “Visual J# .NET has been independently developed by Microsoft and is the property of Microsoft Corp. It is not endorsed or approved in any way by Sun Microsystems Inc.”

“Today, Java-language developers can increase their productivity while building and deploying agile, interoperable XML Web services,” said Tom Button, vice president of the Developer and Platform Evangelism Division at Microsoft, in a statement. “With Visual J# .NET, were helping our customers solve the complex problem of integration.”

Microsoft Visual J# .Net is available for existing Visual Studio .Net customers from either the Microsoft Web site at www.msdn.microsoft.com/vjsharp/ or from the MSDN download area at www.msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/default.asp for Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) subscription customers.