Sun plays to its forte with Java tools update

NEWS The product, known as Release 2, Internet Edition of the Forte for Java tools suite, is a web-based integrated development environment (IDE). Sun claims it will enable developers to update tools dynamically, downloading plug-ins as they are needed to speed the development of enterprise, server-side Java applications. The plug-in modules feature integrated support for the development and debugging of database and Java Server Pages. The Internet Edition has a single environment for creating, deploying and debugging J2EE applications. The product is due to be generally available in mid-January, but developers can download the plug-ins from Sun's website now. There are currently three available: one for Java Server pages for editing and debugging; another to simplify the mapping of Java objects to a database; the third allows for collaborative development and source code management. Being able to download plug-ins means developers will no longer have to rely on Sun or others to provide the necessary software, therefore speeding up development time.