A native JDK 1.4.2 for FreeBSD has been released. Right now it is only available in source form, so you'll have to compile it from the ports collection yourself. It seems to start faster than the native JDK 1.4.1; I'll have to wait and see to be able to say if it's any more stable (the native 1.4.1p3 and 1.4.1p4 were a bit buggy.)

Changes include: eliminating the need for manual conversion between primatives and wrappers (int -> Integer), improved for loop, generic typing, Metadata, Static imports, and Typesafe enum.

This has interesting potential regarding jEdit, but it's still fairly early in the java community process. If it were approved and implemented, you could write a plugin once and use it with any of the major java IDEs.

They don't appear to have made public any specifics, so it's not possible to tell how hard it would be for jEdit to implement this, or whether jEdit could feasibly support this new API in addition to its current plugin API. Hopefully supporting the new API wouldn't interfere with things like dynamic loading.

From MacNN News :

Apple has released Java 1.4.1 Update 1 via the the Mac OS X Software Update preferences The update adds improved Java applet support for Safari and other Web browsers, improved rendering, and other compatibility enhancements. A Web download link is currently not available.

A native binary of JDK 1.3.1 for FreeBSD has been
Released

"...the Apache Software Foundation has initiated a project to develop an open source, Apache-licensed implementation of the J2EE specification. In addition, the project is committed to certifying the implementation as J2EE compliant."

Original announcement is here.

Cookie Nest, a site for the Java programmer has recently relaunched. They have lots of java applets, applications, articles, beans, tutorials and more. Their most popular feature is a 24 chapter Java manual for beginners which is also good for those who want to review their basics. They also have forums, a chat room and a list of top Java sites. Go on over and give them a visit. ( http://www.cookienest.com )

Java 2 version 1.4.2 beta is now out for Windows and Linux. On Windows, it features a new WinXP look and feel; on Linux, a GTK+ 2 look and feel. Note that jEdit 4.1 does not work with the GTK+ look and feel; jEdit 4.2pre1 will fix the problem.

It seems that Apple (finally!) released a Java 1.4.1 implementation for MacOS X. Post your experiences below.

This is turning into a FAQ, so I thought I'd post it on the community site. A lot of people have complained that jEdit can hard freeze their windows system after upgrading to Java 1.4.1. If you experience this, the problem is not with jEdit, but with your video driver. Updating the driver to the latest version should solve the problem; downgrading to Java 1.4.0 might also work.

Millstone is a user interface library for development of Internet and mobile-based applications with Java. It eases web-based application development, because it provides a wide set of reusable server side components for creation of user interfaces. It provides complete UI component framework utilizing XML and XSLT for terminal independency and themes.

The development model of Millstone is closely related to traditional client-side UI development model. It has a continuous application lifecycle and an extensive event model. Millstone also provides an interface for directly connecting UI components to business logic and data storage.

Sun has released Java 2 Standard Edition, version 1.4.0_01. You can find a list of bug fixes here.
Post any comments you have about this release (good or bad) below.

Sun has released a release candidate of JDK 1.4; you can download it here. A change log is available; from the looks of things, this is mostly a bug fix release that rounds out the new APIs introduced in 1.4. Post your experiences with the 1.4 release candidate below! I imagine jEdit 4.0pre4 and JDK 1.4RC1 would make a great combo!