Netscape Contact: Rosanne Siino (415) 528-2619 rosanne@netscape.com Sun Microsystems Contact: George Paolini (415) 786-8199 george.paolini@sun.com
In addition, 28 industry-leading companies, including America Online, Inc., Apple Computer, Inc., Architext Software, Attachmate Corporation, AT&T, Borland International, Brio Technology, Inc., Computer Associates, Inc., Digital Equipment Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company, Iconovex Corporation, Illustra Information Technologies, Inc., Informix Software, Inc., Intuit, Inc., Macromedia, Metrowerks, Inc., Novell, Inc., Oracle Corporation, Paper Software, Inc., Precept Software, Inc., RAD Technologies, Inc., The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc., Silicon Graphics, Inc., Spider Technologies, Sybase, Inc., Toshiba Corporation, Verity, Inc., and Vermeer Technologies, Inc., have expressed their endorsment of JavaScript as an open standard object scripting language and intend to provide it in future products. The draft specification of JavaScript, as well as the final draft specification of Java, is planned for publishing and submission to appropriate standards bodies for industry review and comment this month.
JavaScript is an easy-to-use object scripting language designed for creating live online applications that link together objects and resources on both clients and servers. While Java is used by programmers to create new objects and applets, JavaScript is designed for use by HTML page authors and enterprise application developers to dynamically script the behavior of objects running on either the client or the server. JavaScript is analogous to Visual Basic in that it can be used by people with little or no programming experience to quickly construct complex applications. JavaScript's design represents the next generation of software designed specifically for the Internet and is:
"JavaScript is the perfect complement to Java, because it's an easy-to-use object scripting language yet based on the powerful Java language," said Marc Andreessen, vice president of technology at Netscape. "JavaScript and Java represent an open-standards based approach to creating compelling, interactive content and applications for the Internet and enterprise networks. This broad industry support for JavaScript will fuel the rapid development of a whole new class of live online applications."
Java, developed by Sun, is an object-oriented programming language that operates independent of any operating system or microprocessor. Java programs called applets can be transmitted over a network and run on any client, providing the multimedia richness of a CD-ROM over corporate networks and the Internet. Java has been widely hailed by programmers because it eliminates the need to port applications, and by managers of information systems for its potential to lower the costs of distributing and maintaining applications across the network.
With JavaScript, an HTML page might contain an intelligent form that performs loan payment or currency exchange calculations right on the client in response to user input. A multimedia weather forecast applet written in Java can be scripted by JavaScript to display appropriate images and sounds based on the current weather readings in a region. A server-side JavaScript script might pull data out of a relational database and format it in HTML on the fly. A page might contain JavaScript scripts that run on both the client and the server. On the server, the scripts might dynamically compose and format HTML content based on user preferences stored in a relational database, and on the client, the scripts would glue together an assortment of Java applets and HTML form elements into a live interactive user interface for specifying a net-wide search for information.
Java programs and JavaScript scripts are designed to run on both clients and servers, with JavaScript scripts used to modify the properties and behavior of Java objects, so the range of live online applications that dynamically present information to and interact with users over enterprise networks or the Internet is virtually unlimited. Netscape will support Java and JavaScript in client and server products as well as programming tools and applications to make this vision a reality.
"Programmers have been overwhelmingly enthusiastic about Java because it was designed from the ground up for the Internet. JavaScript is a natural fit, since it's also designed for the Internet and Unicode-based worldwide use," said Bill Joy, co-founder and vice president of research at Sun. "JavaScript will be the most effective method to connect HTML-based content to Java applets."
Netscape's authoring and application development tools -- Netscape Navigator GoldÅ 2.0, Netscape LiveWire and Netscape LiveWire Pro -- are designed for rapid development and deployment of JavaScript applications. Netscape Navigator Gold 2.0 enables developers to create and edit JavaScript scripts, while Netscape LiveWire enables JavaScript programs to be installed, run and managed on Netscape servers, both within the enterprise and across the Internet. Netscape LiveWire Pro adds support for JavaScript connectivity to high-performance relational databases from Illustra, Informix, Microsoft, Oracle and Sybase. Java and JavaScript support are being built into all Netscape products to provide a unified, front-to-back, client/server/tool environment for building and deploying live online applications.
Java is available to developers free of charge. The Java Compiler and Java Developer's Kit as well as the HotJava browser and related documentation are available from Sun's web site at http://java.sun.com. In addition, the Java source code can be licensed for a fee. Details on licensing are also available via the java.sun.com web page. To date, Sun has licensed Java to a number of leading technology companies, including Borland, Macromedia, Mitsubishi, Netscape, Oracle, Silicon Graphics, Spyglass, and Toshiba. Sun's Workshop for Java toolkit is scheduled for release in Spring 1996. Sun's NEO product family, the first complete development, operating and management environment for object-oriented networked applications, will also use Java-enabled browsers as front-ends to the NEO environment.
Netscape and Sun plan to propose JavaScript to the W3 Consortium (W3C) and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as an open Internet scripting language standard. JavaScript will be an open, freely licensed proposed standard available to the entire Internet community. Existing Sun Java licensees will receive a license to JavaScript. In addition, Sun and Netscape intend to make a source code reference implementation of JavaScript available for royalty-free licensing, further encouraging its adoption as a standard in a wide variety of products.
Netscape Communications Corporation is a premier provider of open software for linking people and information over enterprise networks and the Internet. The company offers a full line of Netscape Navigator clients, Netscape servers, development tools and Netscape Internet Applications to create a complete platform for next-generation, live online applications. Traded on Nasdaq under the symbol "NSCP", Netscape Communications Corporation is based in Mountain View, California.
With annual revenues of $6 billion, Sun Microsystems, Inc. provides solutions that enable customers to build and maintain open network computing environments. Widely recognized as a proponent of open standards, the company is involved in the design, manufacture and sale of products, technologies and services for commercial and technical computing. Sun's SPARC(TM) workstations, multiprocessing servers, SPARC microprocessors, Solaris operating software and ISO-certified service organization each rank No. 1 in the UNIX(R) industry. Founded in 1982, Sun is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., and employs more than 14,000 people worldwide.
Additional information on Netscape Communications Corporation is available on the Internet at http://home.netscape.com, by sending email to info@netscape.com or by calling 415-528-2555. Additional information on Sun Microsystems is available on the Internet at http://www.sun.com or, for Java information, http://java.sun.com. Netscape Communications, the Netscape Communications logo, Netscape, and Netscape Navigator are trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation. JavaScript and Java are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. All other product names are trademarks of their respective companies.
Company Contacts: America Online, Inc. Pam Mcgraw: (703) 556-3746 Apple Computer, Inc. Nancy Morrison: (408) 862-6200 Architext Software Mike Brogan/Roederer-Johnson: (415) 802-1850 AT&T Mary Whelan: (908) 658-6000 Borland International Bill Jordan: (408) 431-4721 Brio Technology, Inc. Yorgen Edholm: yhe@brio.com Computer Associates, Inc. Yogesh Gupta: (516) 342-4045 Digital Equipment Corporation Ethel Kaiden: (508) 486-2814 Hewlett-Packard Company Bill Hodges: (408) 447-7041 Iconovex Corporation Robert Griggs: (800) 943-0292 Illustra Information Technologies, Inc. Sandra Bateman: (510) 873-6209 Informix Software, Inc. Cecilia Denny: (415) 926-6420 Intuit, Inc. Sheryl Ross: (415) 329-3569 Macromedia Miles Walsh: (415) 252-2000 Metrowerks, Inc. Greg Galanos: gpg@austin.metrowerks.com Novell, Inc. Christine Hughes: (408) 577-7453 Oracle Corporation Mark Benioff: (415) 506-7000 Paper Software, Inc. Mike Mccue: (914) 679-2440 Precept Software, Inc. Judy Estrin: (408) 446-7600 RAD Technologies, Inc. Jeff Morgan: jmorgan@rad.com The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. Marty Picco: (408) 425-7222 Silicon Graphics, Inc. Virginia Henderson: (415) 933-1306 Spider Technologies Diana Jovin: (415) 969-6128 Sybase, Inc. Robert Manetta: (510) 922-5742 Verity, Inc. Marguerite Padovani: (415) 960-7724 Vermeer Technologies, Inc. Ed Cuoco: (617) 576-1700x130
Chris Holten (415) 528-2521 Direct Line Public Relations Dept. (415) 528-4210 Fax Netscape Communications email: chrish@netscape.com 501 E. Middlefield Road Mountain View, CA 94043