Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail

 
 Home -  News Feed 

3.2. Java Tools

In addition to the various frameworks for Java Web Service development, Java also has many development environments implementing these frameworks.   These tools range from open source to commercially available tools.  Each has its advantages and disadvantages, the tool one chooses depends on many factors and in particular the environment in which one is targeting their web service implementation.

Eclipse – Web Tools Platform. The Eclipse Foundation's Web Tools Project includes a wide variety of added functionality for working with Web Services implementations.   It includes built in support for working with Apache Axis 1.4 and Apache Axis 2 frameworks.   It also includes a basic set of tools for working with XML, XSD, and WSDL files.    In addition, it includes a Web Services Explorer for testing and debugging Web Services either developed with the tool or hosted on another system.    The Eclipse Web Tools Platform is a free set of plug-ins available from the eclipse website (eclipse).    Additional functionality such as UML, BPEL and other tools can be downloaded from the Eclipse website.

Netbeans – Enterprise Pack. Netbeans is one of the first Java IDEs on the market is developed with Sun Microsystems as an open source project.  The Enterprise Pack add-in includes support for working with the Java Web Services Developer's Pack.   It also includes several base XML, XSD, and WSDL editing tools.   It also includes a BPEL designer and UML modeling tools.

Rational Software Architect. IBM has built Rational Software Architect on top of the Eclipse Platform and it includes the Eclipse Web Tools Platform as well.  In addition, IBM has included tools specific for working with its IBM Websphere application server, and UML Modeling tools.

Weblogic Workshop. BEA has migrated their Weblogic Worshop IDE to the Eclipse platform and the Eclipse Web Tools Platform plug-ins.   In addition, they have extended this base platform to include tools for working with XML Beans, enhanced support for a variety of web services frameworks, and the BEA Weblogic application server.

JBuilder 2007. J-Builder 2007 is CodeGear's, formerly Borland, Java IDE.  It has been migrated to using the Eclipse Platform and Eclipse Web Tools Platform.  It also has extended the functionality by including both an EJB and Web Services visual designer.