Microsoft Visual J++ 6.0 Combines Productivity of Java Language With Power of Windows

Latest Release of Industry's Top Java Tool Fully Supports New Windows Foundation Classes For Building High-Performance, Data-Driven Native Windows-Based and Web Applications

LOS ANGELES - March 11, 1998 - Microsoft Corp. today announced the immediate availability of Microsoft® Visual J++™ 6.0 Technology Preview 1, a beta release of the next version of the industry's most widely used Java development tool. This new version of Visual J++ offers a fast way for Java developers to build and deploy high-performance, data-driven client/server solutions for the Windows® operating system and the Web. Visual J++ 6.0 is the first Java development tool to support the Windows Foundation Classes (WFC), an object-oriented framework designed to provide easy access to the full power of the Windows platform, enabling developers to build high-performance, native Windows-based applications using the Java programming language.

This technology preview of the Visual J++ development system for Java, available for immediate download at no cost from the Visual J++ Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/visualj/, will be showcased this evening for attendees of Spring Internet World during a keynote speech by Bob Muglia, senior vice president, applications and tools at Microsoft, at 5:45 p.m. in the Concourse Room of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

New Windows Foundation Classes Enable Native Win32-Based Applications

To meet the growing demand for native Java development, Visual J++ 6.0 includes the new Windows Foundation Classes (also announced today), which enable developers to create high-performance, feature-rich native Windows-based applications in Java. The state-of-the-art WFC libraries unify the Win32® API and Web development with a single programming model across the client and the server. In addition to providing a prebuilt set of classes and components, WFC lets developers build their own components that can easily interoperate with components written in other programming languages as well as be exported for use with other tools such as the Visual Basic® development system, the Visual C++® development system, PowerBuilder, Delphi, Lotus Notes or any other application that supports the Microsoft Component Object Model (COM). WFC is built on the high-performance J/Direct™ API architecture, which provides access to the full array of Windows APIs and can be more than twice as fast as other native access mechanisms for Java.

"With Visual J++ 6.0, Microsoft is taking Java development tools to a new level of sophistication and power and making Java a first-class development language," said Paul Gross, vice president of developer tools at Microsoft. "Support for the Windows Foundation Classes in Visual J++ gives developers direct access to Windows functionality, enabling them to build compelling, real-world, native Java applications that are competitive with applications built in any other language. It also allows them to build applications not possible with Java alone - a huge win for developers and end users alike."

"From a business perspective, Visual J++ 6.0 allows us to fully integrate with existing systems - whether they reside on the client, server or browser - and take full advantage of the Windows platform and Java language," said Mark L Stender, vice president, Travelers Property & Casualty. "We can also use the Dynamic HTML server classes to build browser-independent applications, which gives us much-needed flexibility. From the developers' perspective, features such as automatic screen resolution adjustments, package deployment options, Tab Ordering, and a cool new RAD IDE enable our developers to quickly ramp up without a major learning curve. This product is a huge home run!"

Most Productive Development Environment

Visual J++ 6.0 also features an updated and fully customizable RAD integrated development environment (IDE), based on the popular Visual Basic IDE. Two-way visual design tools, IntelliSense® technology to provide on-the-fly syntax and parameter information, advanced cross-language and remote debugging capabilities, scalable data access, and one-button application deployment make Java development fast and easy. These new features help increase developer productivity and reduce the time required to deliver an application to market.

"With Visual J++ 6.0, we get incredible power and ease of use in one comprehensive Java development tool," said Todd Yancey, general manager of the developer tools group at Fujitsu Software Corp. "The new version has a fully updated and completely cool IDE that's a breeze to use and that developers can be immediately productive with."

New features in Visual J++ 6.0 include these:

• Highly productive IDE. The high-productivity RAD environment includes two-way visual design tools, IntelliSense technology for on-the-fly programming assistance, and an advanced graphical debugger offering the fastest way to build powerful data-driven Windows-based and Web applications.
• Component development. Components created with WFC can be installed on the tool palette and used to visually construct applications or other components. Turn any Java class into a COM object providing fast development of server-side business logic.
• Graphical integrated debugger. Fix bugs fast with seamless cross-language debugging (Java, Visual Basic Scripting Edition, JScript™ development software), point-and-click breakpoints, drag-and-drop watch windows and more. Easily debug components or client/server applications using cross-process and remote debugging capabilities.
• Advanced data access. Create scalable database applications using WFC Data classes that encapsulate ActiveX® Data Objects (ADO) 2.0 and provide high-performance connectivity to a wide variety of data sources. Visually design and modify database schemas, create stored procedures and build database objects.
• Simplified application deployment. Reduce the cost of software distribution and configuration with the one-button package, sign and deploy capability that delivers an entire application to a remote file, the Web or a server.
• Support for enterprise development. Easily tag any COM object as being transaction-aware for seamless interoperability with Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS). Build server-based Web applications using WFC's Dynamic HTML classes that render static or dynamic HTML at run time. Design, modify, and view database tables, create stored procedures, and graphically construct SQL queries using the Visual Database Tools.

Pricing and Availability

Visual J++ 6.0 Technology Preview 1 is immediately available for download at no charge from the Microsoft Visual J++ Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/visualj/ (connect-time charges may apply). Current licensees of Visual J++ 1.1 will receive attractive upgrade pricing when the final version of Visual J++ 6.0 is released later this year.

Visual J++ Developer Conference

To learn more about the new version of Visual J++, developers are invited to attend the Visual J++ Developer Conference and Exposition (VJDC '98), to be held April 27-30, 1998, in Los Angeles. Sponsored by Microsoft and Informant Communications, VJDC '98 is a technical forum on advanced Java development using Microsoft Visual J++ and will feature four tracks and 48 sessions, making VJDC '98 the premier, must-see event for Java software developers at corporate, government and university levels. The conference will feature top developers who use Visual J++ and key members of the Visual J++ design team instructing attendees in "best

practices" programming techniques, and more. For details on VJDC '98, visit (http://www.javaconference.com/).

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