This book focuses on providing Java programmers with the information they need to write applications for the Microsoft .NET platform using C#. The first hurdle in becoming proficient with the .NET platform is to understand the basics of the .NET initiative. Understanding the goals, structure, and capabilities of .NET provides programmers with a context through which they can better understand the detailed technological discussions presented in later chapters of this book.
We start this chapter by providing background information that has driven and shaped the .NET initiative. We then discuss the goals, scope, and structure of .NET. Finally we give a summary of the migration and integration options when dealing with Java and .NET.
Since the release of Java 1.0 in 1996, dramatic changes in the use and capabilities of information technology (IT) have occurred, including
The explosive growth in the use of the Internet and the increase in the availability of high-bandwidth connections to both corporations and individual users
A major change in the design of enterprise systems to using thin clients to access n-tier back-end systems
The major development and broad adoption of many open standards supporting systems integration, including the widespread adoption of XML-based technologies for the representation, manipulation, and exchange of data
The proliferation of intelligent devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, set-top boxes, and game consoles
An increase in the availability of free software alternatives to commercial products developed under a variety of licensing and development models but commonly categorized as open source software
Increased emphasis on the adoption of technology by companies to improve the interaction with their customers and partners
Most recently, explosive growth in the interest in adopting Web services as a means to revolutionize the way that businesses and consumers communicate
Although not directly responsible for any of these changes, Java holds a prominent position as a technological enabler and has often been at the forefront of making these changes become reality.
The Java platform is the result of six years of evolution, driven by the fastest-changing IT market ever. This has resulted in changes to Java at the most fundamental levels; principally, Java has undergone a transformation as it has expanded into new application domains. Originally aimed at consumer devices and the development of applets for providing rich Internet content, Java and more precisely Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) have become the enterprise and Internet systems development platform of choice for many organizations.
As Java has evolved and been applied to more problems, the API has grown many times. The Java class libraries and optional packages now support all aspects of contemporary business computing.
There is no denying that Java has been a great success. Java is a major platform for the development of both stand-alone and distributed systems and has evolved into a proven, stable, and robust technology. Java offers a wide range of legacy integration capabilities and has the active backing and support of most large software vendors and system integration companies.