JavaWorld's Java Technology Insider

Scala often gets lumped in with dynamic languages like Groovy and Jython, but  in fact it is a very different creature -- a statically typed functional-object hybrid language written for the JVM. In this talk with Andrew Glover, Ted Neward explains the difference between functional and object-oriented languages and what you can naturally do with them. He then discusses some important domains where Java and other purely OO languages simply are not a good fit, including concurrency and database programming -- both areas where Scala really shines. You'll also learn about lift and some of the highlights of Scala syntax, in this discussion with the author of "The busy Java developer's guide to Scala."

As lead architect of the next-generation Java Plug-in, Ken Russell is passionate and convincing on the topic of client-side Java development and the return of the applet. In this interview with Andrew Glover, Ken offers an engineer's perspective on the historic problems of applets. He then explains how the new Java Plug-in has been re-written to run on a separate process from the Web browser, enabling applets to start fast, consume the memory they need, and run without stopping or freezing the browser.

When Scott Davis isn't editing AboutGroovy.com you'll find him on the No Fluff Just Stuff tour, where he is known as both the Groovy guy and the Google Maps guy. Here he talks with Andrew Glover about what Google Maps has done to make geomatics, or geographic information systems, more accessible to your average Web developer. He also discusses in-depth the options available for Java developers who require a more sophisticated, less closed-stack GIS solution than Google Maps provides. This is an informal primer from a leading authority on using geospatial data, Web services, and open source APIs in Java Web development.

Like many Java developers, Sebastien Arbogast only recently realized OSGi's tremendous potential for bringing modularity to the Java platform. Since then he has become an OSGi enthusiast and founded DZone's OSGi zone. In this discussion with Andrew Glover, Sebastien succinctly introduces OSGi and explains why its contribution to Java modularity is such good news for Java developers on the server side. He also discusses the competing Java modules specifications (JSR 291 and JSR 277), talks about the app-server migration to OSGi, and makes a tentative prediction about what might be coming next for this exciting technology.

John Ferguson Smart's long-awaited book, Java Power Tools, is due to be published by O'Reilly Media in March 2008.  In this episode of JavaWorld's Java Technology Insider, John talks with Andrew Glover about some of the open source tools he's most likely to use for agile development on the Java platform, including Maven 2, Subversion, Hudson, DBUnit, Selenium, JUnit 4.4, and more. Tune in to this discussion where Andrew picks John's brain about some of the top tools for writing, testing, measuring, documenting, and maintaining quality code in today's fast paced and competitive development world.

In this episode of JavaWorld's Java Technology Insider, ICEfaces Senior Architect Ted Goddard  talks with Andrew Glover about the inner workings of ICEfaces, including the framework's JSF component library, its Ajax Push technology, how the framework handles application security, and how it compares to Google Web Toolkit for component-based Ajax development.

As creator and director of the No Fluff Just Stuff Software Symposium Series, Jay Zimmerman is uniquely positioned to stay ahead of the curve in Java application development. In this year-end discussion with Andrew Glover, Jay addressed a wide range of questions about what Java developers were doing to manage software complexity in 2007, and which languages, frameworks, tools, and techniques could help you make Java application development fun again in 2008.

Andrew Binstock sits on the judge's panel for the prestigious Jolt awards  and writes about enterprise development tools for InfoWorld and SD Times. In this discussion with Andrew Glover, Binstock explains the technology and market factors shaping the rapid evolution of Java IDEs today. Find out what makes Eclipse the "800 pound gorilla" of Java IDEs, what its weaknesses are, and what the newly released NetBeans 6 is doing to catch up. Binstock also explains the respective appeal of commercial tools like JBuilder, JDeveloper, and IBM Rational Application Developer, and why IntelliJ IDEA is his choice for an IDE that "just works."

Scala is a scalable language that blends functional and imperative programming styles in an  object-oriented framework familiar to Java developers. In this discussion with Daniel Steinberg, Bill Venners explains why some experienced Java programmers are unwilling to give up static-type checking, even for the productivity benefits found in dynamic languages like Ruby and Python. He also delves into the particulars of programming with Scala, like what makes it so scalable, how it supports code quality, and where it best fits into your Java development toolkit. Take this opportunity to learn from a master about what's under the hood with Scala. You'll also gain deeper insight into why functional programming is moving from margins to center for many Java developers, and why dynamic languages should not be your only functional programming alternative.

Neal Ford and Andrew Glover are both well respected Java developers, as well as big fans of Ruby. In this in-depth discussion, Ford talks about why he believes Ruby is the most powerful language you could be paid to program with today, and explains the particular benefits of programming with JRuby. Ford also reveals why he believes Java developers will continue to migrate to languages other than Java, even as many continue to call the Java platform home. This is an essential, engaging discussion for those interested in learning more about JRuby and the trend toward what Ford calls polyglot programming.