Say what!? JavaFX 8.0 is on its way? Sure enough! But first, by now you’ve probably seen the announcement that JavaFX 2.2 has been released (GA downloads here). A lot of highly anticipated features have made their way into this release, including a Canvas node similar to the HTML Canvas in that it lets you draw in an immediate mode fashion. We also added the ability to take a “snapshot” of some portion of the scene graph into an image. And we’ve added writable images, such that you can either modify the pixels directly or use AWT BufferedImages via the swing.ext package and convert them to JavaFX images. There have been tons of other additions and enhancements which we’ll be covering in the coming months.
Another major announcement as part of Java SE 7u6 (which was co-released with JavaFX) is that you can run JavaSE Embedded for free on devices such as the Raspberry PI. Up until this point you always needed a license to run on ARM, whereas starting with 7u6 the license allows for individual use on Raspberry PI etc. I’ve got my PI handy and am busy hacking away on it, along with the BeagleBoards and PandaBoards we’ve got en masse.
We’ve been doing tons of performance work recently, with all that work going into the 8.0 repository. Speaking of which, because JavaFX is being co-bundled with Java 8, we’ve decided to skip a few numbers in our version scheme to catch up. So the next major release (formerly 3.0) will actually just be called JavaFX and share the version number of the JRE that it ships with. If JavaFX becomes part of JavaSE in JavaSE 9 timeframe as we hope, then it would clearly no longer have its own version number, so it made sense to us to get in line now.
With that, I’m going to have to sign off and get back to performance hacking!
Finally a Linux version! Great! 🙂
Joy! And I will be testing 7u6 on my RPi as well.
Wasn’t SceneBuilder going to be released for Linux with JavaFX 2.2? As it is now, it is still only for Win and Mac (officially)? Don’t get this Linux user wrong – I am still very exited of an GA release for Linux!
//Tobias
I’m also surprised about SceneBuilder on Linux. Months ago I was able to break open the Mac version and get it to work on Linux – flawlessly so far. The only limitation is lack of Netbeans integration. See howto here:
http://gautamk.heroku.com/blog/2012/05/05/hacking-javafx-scene-builder-to-work-on-linux
I’m sure there are some Linux-specific bugs that I haven’t seen, but I would think they could have been solved by now…
hi, richard & javafx team,
thank for the great release and great work.
I have a suggestion that the team want to consider.
Consider that javafx is marketed as a replacement for Swing, it is good to have a core UI theme, just like Nimbus for Swing. Out of the box, JavaFX UI does not look good and perhaps that Javafx expect the developers to skin it anyway. However in business environment, developers will normally want to develop good presentable UI without spending time on skinning, as they rather focus on application functionality to serve business need. Oh yes, please have a marketable theme name, and not repeat the “Metro”gate of Microsoft.
“If JavaFX becomes part of JavaSE in JavaSE 9 timeframe as we hope”
According to this press release it’s already a part of Java SE, isn’t it?
http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/1735645
Starting with this release, JavaFX is now fully integrated into Oracle’s Java SE implementation, helping to ensure that JavaFX runtime libraries are present on millions of desktops worldwide.
2Dmitry
Integration has a long history.
AFAIU, from 7u6 – user installs jre and automatically gets javafx (Even can’t see during installation as before). But you can easely find jfxrt.jar in Program Files/Java/…….
Full integration ( Java8 or 9 ) will appear, when all javafx code will fully merged into javase as swing or any other standard library.
I’m glad about the new release and i see that JavaFX again did a big step into the right direction. But i’m also disappointed because one of the – in my eyes – most promising components, the HTMLEditor, is still buggy when we look at it’s behaviour. If the problem, that is doesn’t get the Return Key when embedded in a JFXPanel, still exists or not, i’ll test in a few hours.
W00t! Another release of one the best frameworks I’ve worked with
By the way,
I have a wish.
I think the look of the install program of javaSE has not changed much since 10 years. It looks so old…
Very bad for the image of java ….
Imagine a stand guy usng his PC, and get a java update icons poping up…. he click a bit confused and get this old-looking java install program.
Well perhaps he stop the install : “Why would I install an old software ?”.
I think Flash Player install is way more modern. Could java have this ?
Do you know if there is plan to add support for live streaming in future release ?
@jerome http live streaming for JavaFX was already added in jdk7u6 release – see the JavaFX 2.2 release notes for more details.
1) Java has had a re-birth after the Oracle acquisition. Confidence are momentum are all up. There is a definite ‘buzz’ building up. Go Java, Go Oracle …
2) Java/JavaFX’s story on the desktop can be taken to the next level with a few strategic initiatives. Specifically in the direction of native-os integration. For e.g Eclipse/IntelliJ are both offering support for java-com bridges and native-compilation. JavaFX native-deployment helps in this aspect. Other features to consider are, bridges (java-com on windows) and native compilation (e.g excelsior-jet ). Competing technologies such as Flash/Silverlight seem to be receeding. JavaFX could become THE leading-choice for cross-platform client-side development.
3) If #2 is nailed on the mobile front (iOS, Android … ), JavaFX would have unbeatable momentum.
/rk
Is this release provide dialog boxes? Dialog boxes are one of the most important components in any GUI framework. Don’t know why Javafx team is not yet provided it.
Good work Rich! Good work!
The JavaFX platform is the evolution of the Java client platform designed to enable application developers to easily create and deploy rich internet applications (RIAs) that behave consistently across multiple platforms. This is from official site. How RIA relates to desktop? I mean it will horrible slow, even now you can make “desktop” application with JS and HTML and so? Of course Swing must be replaced because even NetBeans looks as first year student practical work. All this horrible Motif widgets.
Good work sir!
I want to add javaFX 8.0 in jdk 7 and I don’t know how to implement javaFX 8.0 in jdk 7 or any other jdk version?
thank’s