Oracle updates Java, JavaFX for OS X, ARM and Linux

Infoworld - Oracle released on Tuesday an update to the standard edition of Java, enabling Java to run on Mac OS X and two versions of the ARM processor. The company also upgraded the JavaFX rich media application platform with Linux and multitouch capabilities and released the JavaFX Scene Builder visual layout tool.

Java Platform, SE (Standard Edition) 7 Update 6 adds support for Mac OS X, including the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) and JDK (Java Development Kit). This is the first Oracle release of a JRE for Mac OS X; historically, Apple has provided this. Java SE 7 Update 6 also runs on Windows, Linux, and Solaris.

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According to Oracle, Java SE 7 Update 6 introduces a JDK for Linux on ARM 6 and 7, addressing "general purpose" ARM systems and development platforms like Raspberry Pi. The JDK for Linux on ARM is offered under an Oracle Binary Code License at no cost for development and production use on general-purpose systems.

Java SE 7 Update 6 also includes Java Access Bridge for Windows systems, offering direct communication with assistive technology applications. The release integrates JavaFX and fully supports Oracle Fusion Middleware.

With JavaFX 2.2, Oracle is adding full support for Linux on Intel x86 and x64 systems. Multitouch support, meanwhile, allows for application functionality from two or more points of contact on touchscreen displays and touchpads. A new application packager in version 2.2 allows developers to bundle the JRE and JavaFX runtime libraries with JavaFX applications so that end-users can have a traditional native installation process on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. JavaFX 2.2 and Java SE 7 Update 6 can be downloaded from Oracle's website.

JavaFX Scene Builder 1.0, currently available for Mac OX and Windows, provides a drag-and-drop visual layout tool to design UI screens. Application logic, UI layout, and "look and feel" are separated via FXML and Cascading Style Sheets. This provides for easier project maintenance and a more productive developer-designer workflow, Oracle said. Available for download, Scene Builder also is integrated with the NetBeans IDE and other Java IDEs.

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