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Such development environments are the norm for other programming languages--such as C++ and Object Pascal--which have been around for several years. But the explosive growth of Java from its infancy to its widespread use has caught software development vendors somewhat off guard, forcing many early Java developers to use relatively simple command-line tools and utilities provided in Sun's freely available Java Developer's Kit (JDK)--until now.

In our University of Wisconsin lab, in Madison, we tested three of the latest Java development environment offerings. Although we received products from vendors that essentially provide a RAD-based front end to the Sun JDK, we reviewed only complete Java-integrated development environments (IDEs), consisting of an integrated compiler and graphical debugger. We tested environments from Microsoft Corp., SunSoft and Symantec Corp.

Why Should I Care About J ava? Java provides several advantages for common business client/server development projects, often involving corporate information access front ends coupled with some business logic distributed between the client and the server. Unl ike solutions from PowerBuilder and Delphi, where the technology is largely proprietary to the vendors that produce these tools, Java is an industrywide standard. Thus, your organization's IT strategy is better isolated from any negative impact of external decisions made by companies like Powersoft and Borland International regarding their products.

Java also has advantages over standard object-oriented languages such as C++: It is easier to learn, avoids common C++ pitfalls, such as memory leaks, and includes a rich industry-standardized class library that incorporates everything from Web-server access to database access via JDBC. Now add to this the widely publicized advantages of Java's platform independence, thin client management savings, client security, and Web a nd intranet savvy.

The current crop of Java IDEs reviewed represent the first salvo. As we go to print, several major Java IDEs are in beta for release later this year, including major offerings from Borland, Powersoft, and IBM Corp. In addition, be on guard for upgrades incorporating significant database RAD support into Java.

In the current standings, however, Symantec's Visual CafŽ takes top honors. Microsoft's Visual J++ is also a very strong contender, but less so if your development needs require lots of intricate user-interface design. Finally, we found SunSoft's Java WorkShop intriguing and fully expect it to become a dominant force in this market. However, for now we'd suggest waiting for the next upgrade.

Symantec Corp. Visual Café 1.0
Visual CafŽ is the overall front-runner in this roundup. Its advanced visual form-based development is sweetened by the inclusion of dozens of components written entirely in Java (though several of the co mponents are rather simple). Visual CafŽ's two-way development, which works to keep the code and the visual views of the project in sync, is a first in Java IDEs. And Visual CafŽ not only assists in generating code to handle basic events, it goes one step further with its Interaction Wizard, which predicts and generates code to handle many of the basic interactions between components that go into designing a typical GUI. A mature IDE with a full-featured editor, debugger, a fast compiler and Just-in-Time (JIT) compiler keeps things productive when performing traditional nonvisual coding as well. Competing products may outshine Visual CafŽ in a few specific areas, but the overall composite strength of Visual CafŽ is unmatched.