Java Inventor & ReportMill

Introducing Java Inventor

reportmill — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:14:36 +0000

Java Inventor is a new, fun, fast, free Java IDE for education that makes rich Java development and deployment easy for anyone, without the usual Java “learning cliff”. Java Inventor has these features:

Elegant console UI to ease project file creation, editing and management
Cloud server back-end (Google App Engine!)
Integrated visual designer for graphics+app pages (Javi files)
Integrated visual designer for Swing panels
Integrated visual designer for database tables
Integrated visual data binding
Integrated report designer
Integrated editors for images, sound and more
Integrated Java editor with “Code Helper”
(for drag+drop of stub classes and methods)
Instant “one-click” deployment with Google App Engine speed+scalability
Cross-platform Java deployment in the browser and on the desktop
Community website for browsing and showcasing published projects: Javi1.com
Integrated terminal console for SQL-like data management
Published applications run in the “Javi Browser” with support for refresh,
address bar, page backtracking/forward-tracking, etc.
Share applications, components, file viewers+editors with other developers

The visual designer for “Javi” files is the most interesting – it has all the flexibility of flash and more: illustration, animation, page-layout, rich text, text wrapping, image effects, application components, 3D, sound, morphing and more. Soon this will be extended to support JavaFX.

We’re still doing a bit of a barn raising, but hope to ship the complete version this summer. We probably also need to publish some video tutorials. In the meantime, please check out the community website and let us know what you think or if you have any ideas!

Java Inventor

Google App Engine Applets + Builder

reportmill — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:08:20 +0000

DataBox is the innovative (and free) visual design tool for creating rich internet applications with Java client. Called the “Instant Rich Application Builder”, because it is so easy to use your neighbor can now build and deploy scaleable internet applications in minutes. And with today’s update, a new first: you can create Google App Engine applets in minutes.

And we really mean Rich. DataBox provides side-by-side Java2D graphics elements and Swing application components along with rich text, illustration, image manipulation, gradients, textures, transparency, filter effects, animation authoring, 3D, morphing, graphing and reporting.

And yet so Practical. DataBox supports visual data table definition, data mapping, data binding, automatic “one-click” applet deployment, site management, Java/Groovy scripting and more.

Below is a video of DataBox in action. We create an AddressBook and deploy it to Google App Engine in minutes – whereupon it is ready for the world.

We’re progressing along, but we could use help – if you have contacts who need applet work or are in Venture Capital or the technical press, please pass our link along or call!

Jeff Martin
ReportMill Software
214.513.1636

DataBox already received the Duke’s Choice award!

Build & deploy Java AddressBook in minutes (Watch)

reportmill — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:43:08 +0000

Lately Java seems to be losing fans in favor of less mature scripting languages. Even Sun has decided that Java has fundamental problems if you need to write rich web apps.

The problem is that the range of skills required to build a simple web based application in Java has become overwhelming: DB admin, SQL, Java, JDBC, Swing, Java2D, XML, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Jar packaging/signing, FTP, and a bunch of other TLAs (three letter acronyms). The learning curve to build a simple Java web app has become years.

The answer is tools, not new languages. We need a tool that lets us quickly define a data model, enter sample data, draw rich web pages, forms & reports, and deploy in just a few minutes. Watch this new video and let me know if this is a better way to create rich web applications:

DataBox (Dukes Choice Award 2009)

Duke’s Choice: Instant Rich App Builder

reportmill — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:10:37 +0000

Buried among last week’s JavaOne announcements was Sun and James Gosling’s recognition of the new All-in-One Java Instant Rich Application Builder, DataBox. This new developer tool is the first to offer end-to-end rich database applet building:

Visually create database, tables, queries and parameters
Visually add pages, forms and reports with Java2D graphics
and application components
Visually bind data
Visually add media, effects, animations and more
Enhance pages with Groovy script
Preview in browser with just one click
Viewer provides search, filter, document & page navigation,
text & region selection/copy, Zoom, Save, Print, PDF export and more

Check out the website for video tutorials and a preview. Ships this fall.

DataBox: Dukes Choice Award 2009