Someone has sent me a link to yet another bad press on Java FX .

Here ‘s how I see the evolution of JavaFX so far.

Beginning of 2007 (or even earlier). Sun Microsystems realizes that RIA is a serious trend and Java is behind in this area (yeah, yeah, Java applets were the first RIA in 1995).

May of 2007, JavaOne. Sun makes an announcement – we have something too, and it ‘s called JavaFX. Most of the Java developers (myself included) understand, that it takes 9 months to give a birth to a baby even if a mother-to-be states she ‘ll try to do it in half the time. But Java developers are loyal to Java, and they want to believe that somehow it might be possible…Let ‘s just keep our fingers crossed…

May of 2008, JavaOne. The baby was not born. Ultrasound shows that the fetus is there and it grows according to the schedule…What ‘s that little thingy? Oh, it ‘s a boy! Let ‘s wait and see…If the mother will follows recommendations, and get enough nutrients, the baby is going to be fine.

Java developers sigh…No miracles…But we love Java and are ready to wait more…

There ‘s one sad thing though. These premature announcements made by Sun ‘s executives hurt JavaFX. People lose trust when someone says it ‘s there and it ‘s great, but there is not much to show. People are not stupid. People see that in the Summer of 2008 the king is naked. From the PR perspective, these premature announcements are bad for the image of this potentially good software.

I also feel bad for a great team of Sun ‘s engineers who work on JavaFX and have to constantly apologize that this is not ready and that is not ready yet. I know that they are doing a great job, but need to be left alone for as long as it takes to create a new RIA tool given available human resources and the budget.