Installing JClass LiveTable Pro

Before You Begin · JDK 1.0.2 and JDK 1.1 · Minimum Requirements

Installation and File Descriptions · The -classes.zip Archive

Before You Begin

Be sure that your system and development environment are set up correctly before installing JClass LiveTable Pro. You must be able to create and run simple Java applications or applets before attempting to use JClass LiveTable Pro. Consult the Java(tm) Developer's Kit (JDK) documentation for assistance in determining the location of the Java compiler (javac) and the Java class files.

A good source of general information on Java is the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list that can be found at the JavaSoft Web site at http://www.javasoft.com/faq2.html.

JDK 1.0.2 and JDK 1.1

The Java Development Kit (JDK) 1.0.2 and JDK 1.1 are two entirely different versions of the JDK. The two versions have significant differences. Applets and applications written for JDK 1.1 will not run in a JDK 1.0.2 environment. Applets and applications written for JDK 1.0.2 should run in a JDK 1.1 environment, but most do not run well.

All JClass products work with both JDK 1.1 and JDK 1.0.2. However, you must download the correct version for your environment.

JClass products made with JDK 1.0.2 are referred to as the "Transitional Bean" version of the product, and this is denoted by the capital letter "T" in the version name of the product (i.e. JClass LiveTable 1.0T) and of the name of the file containing the JClass productÆs .class files (i.e. jctable{xxx}T-classes.zip). The JDK 1.1 version of JClass products drop the capital letter "T" from the version name of the product and from the file containing the compiled .class files. If you are developing programs under JDK 1.0.2, ensure you are using the Transitional Bean version of the product, and if you are using JDK 1.1, ensure you are using the non-Transition Bean version of the product.

Note: At the time of writing, no commercial browser could run JDK 1.1, so applets made with JClass Table for JDK 1.1 will not run in current web browsers. Until JDK 1.1 browsers are released, you can use the JDK 1.1 appletviewer or SunÆs HotJava browser (freely available at http://www.javasoft.com/nav/download/index.html) to display HTML pages containing JDK 1.1 applets.

Determining the JDK and JClass LiveTable Version

If you are unsure of the version of the JDK on your system, type the following at the command prompt: 
     java -version
It will return the version number of the JDK on your system.

To determine the version of JClass LiveTable you are using on your system, type in the following code (version_test): 

import java.awt.*;
import jclass.table.*;

class version_test {

     public static void main (String args[]) {
     System.out.println(JCTable.version);
     }
}
When you compile and run the program, it prints the JClass LiveTable Pro version.

Minimum Requirements

The following lists the development environment version requirements for JClass LiveTable Pro. JClass LiveTable Pro does not add to the system requirements of your development environment.

JClass LiveTable Pro must be used with JDK 1.0.2 or 1.1. The JDK can be obtained from the JavaSoft Web site at www.javasoft.com/products/JDK/index.html.

The JDK is currently available for these platforms:

If you are planning to use JClass LiveTable Pro components within Java applets, ensure you view their performance through a Java-capable Web browser. Ensure you are using Netscape Navigator 3.0 or higher, Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or better, or any other Java-capable Web browser.

File Descriptions

JClass LiveTable Pro is distributed in several forms, for different platforms and different versions of the JDK. For example, one distribution is in ZIP format for JDK 1.0.2, another is in compressed TAR format for JDK 1.1. Once you obtain the distribution file you need, install JClass LiveTable Pro: Extracting or installing the JClass Chart distribution creates the following core directory tree on your system (different distributions may contain additional directories or files):

The jclass/table/api/ directory contains hypertext documentation of all of the JClass LiveTable Pro classes in HTML format. To view the documentation, open jclass_table.html in a Frames-capable browser (such as Netscape Navigator 3.0 or Internet Explorer 3.0). If you do not have a Frames-capable browser, open table_default.html instead, which explains how the JClass LiveTable Pro API is arranged; then proceed to table_toc.html, the Table of Contents file.

The jclass/table/examples/ directory contains sample Java programs that use JClass LiveTable Pro components. Each directory contains the file index.html, which provides a convenient way of accessing the Java applets in the directory. The Java programs can also be run directly from the command prompt. They can also be accessed through the HTML documentation from jclass_table.html.

The jclass/table/lib/jctable{xxx}-classes.zip file contains all of the LiveTable Java class files. Add a statement to your CLASSPATH that points to this file. If you are using the LiveTable release files in a development environment, do not attempt to extract (unarchive) the contents of the jctable{xxx}-classes.zip file, as its contents are automatically read by Java. If you are using LiveTable in a server-based environment, extract the contents of the zip file.

The jclass/table/lib/jctable{xxx}-classes.zip file ({xxx} is the JClass LiveTable Pro version number) contains all of the JClass LiveTable Pro Java .class files. Your CLASSPATH environment variable needs to point to this file. Full details on setting up your CLASSPATH can be found in the "Setting CLASSPATH" section in JClass LiveTable Pro Overview.

jclass/readme.txt is an ASCII text file containing information about the files contained in this release. This file can be viewed through any text viewer (such as Notepad or WordPad) or a word processor.

The -classes.zip Archive

The core of JClass LiveTable Pro is the jctable{xxx}-classes.zip file ({xxx} is the JClass LiveTable Pro version number). This file contains all of the compiled .java files that comprise the JClass LiveTable Pro Java components. It can be located anywhere on a userÆs computer or on a Local Area Network (LAN), but you must indicate to the Java interpreter where it can find the Java classes it contains. This is done by setting the CLASSPATH environment variable. The CLASSPATH environment variable consists of the names of directories containing compiled Java classes. The structure of the CLASSPATH statement depends on the system being used.

If you plan to use the JClass LiveTable Pro release files in a development environment, you do not have to extract (unarchive) the classes ZIP file because Java can automatically read the contents of this file. If you are using the JClass LiveTable Pro release files in a server-based environment, however, you must extract (unarchive) the classes ZIP file so that the server can access the individual class files.

For more information on setting up CLASSPATH for your computing environment, see the "Setting CLASSPATH" section in JClass LiveTable Pro Overview.