Java Desktop for X Window
Copyright © 2001-2004 The
JD4X Project
Refer to the GNU General Public License for more details.
What is the point of using JNI and
Java to create a desktop?
The main reason for this design decision is the productivity that Java
offers. Creating a native window manager such as TWM would take about 3
to 6 months depending on your familiarity with X. But with a set of
proper design patterns using Java, an average Java developer can create
the same type of TWM window manager within 3 to 6 weeks, again depending
on their familiarity with Java and JD4X. It took only 3 days to create
the first Java window manager for JD4X. The improved productivity will
enable the Java desktop developer to concentrate on other more critical
areas of designing a user desktop.
Why is X Window used as the project
name instead of X?
The reason we use X Window is because we recognize that JD4X can
be used in Windows as well as Linux. However, JD4X has not been ported
to Windows yet. A large portion of the Java code base can be reused for
any OS as long as Java is supported, only a small set of modules need to
be ported. Therefore, X Window should be read as X and Windows and not
just the X window system. To avoid trademark issues, we left out the
"s" to make window a generic term. In short, we are just trying to
describe the project in the shortest and most accurate way.