Java Open Source Holy Grail Persists

Sun Microsystems has held tightly to control of its Java source code, despite years of pleas for them to open it to the development community. "Write once, debug anywhere," -- a Java consultant's quip to me during a Java-based web project, circa 2000. Gee, thanks. There are almost as many promises from Sun to open source Java as there are servers in the company's product line over its history. Back in May during the JavaOne Conference, more promises were made about opening up implementations. The usual discussion and consideration of What It All Means took place once the conference wrapped up. But the Java community has had its heart broken more times than Charlie Brown has over the little red-haired girl, so it's with a bitter knife-edged cynical skepticism that many use to temper the next round of "open source Java, coming soon" chatter. It is possible that by the time the holiday season rolls around in late 2006, some Java goodies may be in developer stockings. Sun Developer Network editor-in-chief and Del.icio.us | Digg | Yahoo! My Web | Furl Bookmark Murdok: David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.