Four steps forward two backward...

This blog entry is a little later than normal. For the last week and a half, I have been working to clone my .Net GCC Mapz thick client application into a similar version written as a Java MIDlet. When it comes to thick clients, there is no one common mobile app solution (yet!). .Net, Java, iPhone and Android all are different that require different solutions with no dominant solution (although I have my preference so far) The .Net version of GGC Mapz will run on a .Net mobile device and the Java MIDlet will run on about everything else (almost).

The Java environment is one that has been in place for some time and offers the mobile app designer a variety of processes and tools for development. For my GCC Mapz app, I chose a MIDLET (like applet) for CDLC which is a version of Java mobile apps for more powerful (processor and memory) mobile devices. I found that Java development was much slower than .Net. Part of this is that I am a more experienced .Net programmer and partly because the .Net development tools are much more robust (more function). I worked with two Java IDE's. I used a Sun community open source IDE called NetBeans (version 6.0.1) and I also used the Java Wireless Toolkit 2.5.2 for CLDC. Both are a development standards for Java mobile apps with each having different strengths and weakness.

As an FYI, I have listed strengths and weaknesses of both (my opinion only)...

Java Wireless Toolkit 2.5.2

Strengths:

• Most stable and been around the longest
• Some examples on the Internet
• The components are many and have most or what you would want for development
• Decent documentation with examples
• Interface very easy to understand
  

Weaknesses:

• No coordinated IDE that you can use to access all of the necessary tools for development
• No integrated debugger (BIG PROBLEM)
  
• Documentation could be better

NetBeans 6.0.1

Strenghts

• Integrated IDE - All tools available from one program
• Good debugger
• Included Examples
• View Design (see weaknesses)
• Has tools unavailable to the JavaWireless Toolkit
  

Weaknesses

• Document voluminous but not as helpful as could be
• A big foot print on install (takes a lot if space)
• If you use Visual Tools development is quite a bit different that without the visual designers where development is similar to Java ME SDK
• The IDE has so much attached to it that it can be difficult to use

Winner:

NetBeans (so far).... Without an integrated debugger Java mobile apps are a challenge. Java mobile apps are fundamentally different than with a Windowed app and requires practice to become proficient. Bottom line... Even if you are good at Java apps you will need to learn a additional skills for mobile apps. This is contrasted with the .Net IDE Visual Studio where development in a PC or mobile world is almost identical.

What the Java mobile environment needs is more examples and the programmer needs a lot of time to get comfortable with the design and coding. Screen controls for Java are fewer and less robust than their PC counterparts. As you will read in my thick client review of Java, I had to cut back on some of the features build into the .Net GCC Mapz program because of limitations (mostly caused by my inexperience with this part of Java).

Moving on ... yes I am moving on. I have a workable GCC Mapz Java program which I can use for deployment testing so I am going to leave it at that for now. I am going to start with an Android version of GCC Mapz which is also Java (a different IDE and the industry leader - Eclipse IDE) but have been impressed with the amount of documentation Google has made available. I am encouraged.

On the taking more steps forward..

This past week:

Google Android is demonstrated on T-Mobile phone. See articles on web site.