Java - Beyond The Hype

Abstract

It seems impossible to open a computer magazine that does not feature an article on Java. Even mainstream newspapers and magazines have had major articles on Java. Or, can you remember the last time there was a $100,000,000 venture capitol fund set up for products developed in a specific computer language? The purpose of this lecture is to try to separate current fact from fancy by explaining what Java can and cannot do, what it is good and not so good for. In the end, I should add, a great deal of the hype may be justified; it is just that it is not true yet: the last section explains some of what has been announced as part of Java 1.1. It is the features in this version that will, when implemented make much of the hype justified.