Oracle pulls the plug on old JavaFX runtime

IDG News Service - Having changed the underlying architecture of JavaFX, Oracle is discontinuing older versions of this platform for building RIAs (Rich Internet Applications). As a result, applications based on JavaFX 1.2 and JavaFX 1.3 will need to be updated to run on JavaFX 2.0 by the end of this year.

"Companies and developers who have JavaFX 1.x applications in use today are strongly encouraged to migrate their applications to the JavaFX 2," an Oracle blog post announcing the discontinuation stated.

Until the release of JavaFX 2.0, developers accessed JavaFX using the JavaFX Script language. At 2010's JavaOne conference, Oracle announced it would discard that scripting language and promised to make JavaFX 2.0 entirely accessible by a Java API (application programming interface). Oracle released JavaFX 2.0 for Microsoft Windows last October, and has since released developer preview versions for Mac OS X and Linux as well.

Oracle will continue to offer the JavaFX 1.2 and 1.3 runtime on its site until Dec. 20. After that time, potential users who do not already have the runtime will have no way of running the older JavaFX applications.

Sun Microsystems introduced JavaFX in 2007 as an extension to Java that could aid developers in creating graphics-rich, multiplatform applications. Oracle subsequently purchased Sun and has continued to back the development of JavaFX, though the technology has not been as popular as other RIAs such as Microsoft Silverlight or Adobe Flash.

Joab Jackson covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Joab on Twitter at @Joab_Jackson. Joab's e-mail address is Joab_Jackson@idg.com