Summary of November 15 Web-Walkers meeting

To Web-Walkers:

Summary of November 15 meeting on Hot Java

Thanks to Bob Schreiner for help with notes

Preliminaries:

We briefly discussed a new structure for the departments and organizations page -- at http://www.unc.edu/~hallman/depts/. There were some good suggestions -- add "people" to the search options (the campus directory), and add descriptions of the categories.

Followup: I checked with a few people in University Relations and there are some problems with what I have proposed. I need to do some more work on this page.

Question: Can students keep pages after graduation?
Answer: No. But class pages can be continued.

Announcement: Special presentation by John Loonsk November 29.

Presentation:

Paul Jones headed up this presentation, assisted by Bob Henshaw and Mark McCarthy.

Paul pointed out the network load for pushdown annimation that is elminated by using Java. Applications software needed is downloaded automatically and run on the local machine; he noted that the moving clock he was displaying on the screen was being controlled by software running on the local machine.

The outline of the first part of Paul's presentation is at http://sunsite.unc.edu/pjones/java/.

Java helps programmers, designers, and browsers (the people).

Java is a programming language like C++; it is object oriented, but simpler than C++.

Java helps designers. Don't think of it as programming; it's like HTML -- easy. applets are coded using . Look familiar?

Browsers (people) get software (for example, to play sound) on demand. No more helper apps to keep up with. True local interactivity.

For some samples, see Mark's page -- http://sunsite.unc.edu/marky- java.html. The demo was slow because it was bringing down 40 images and the network was slow.

Java is not available for the Mac yet; expected early in '96.

Java was designed with security in mind. Browsers can't write anything. Your applet code is checked as it is compiled.

With Java, it's easy to move images around on your local machine; the images are download, but then you can move them around as you wish -- it's not like dragging gif files; it's more like moving around refigerator magnets.

Applets are usually small. http://www.gamelan.com/ is a distribution center for applets.

Other URLs to check out are:

http://java.sun.com/
http://www.javasoft.com/
http://sunsite.unc.edu/javafaq/

Hot Java is Sun's browser; Java is the language.

The speakers pointed out that the Netscape code isn't clean yet. You need Netscape 2, Win 95, Sun, or Windows NT. It's not available yet on Macs, Windows 3.1, or linux.

Bob pointed out a page of helpful information for potential Java developers at http://ils.unc.edu/blaze/java/javadesign.html, and that you cannot use the Save As command to download an applet to a local drive like you can an html page.

While it is clear that not everyone can use Java yet, we were encouraged to try things out and get ready for when everyone can use it.

Followup notes: Carolyn Kotlas , IAT, has added the URLs for the sites shown at this presentation to a HotJava resource list she already had on the IAT's Web server. The updated page is at URL:

http://www.iat.unc.edu/library/liblinks/hotjava.html

There is also a local newsgroup, unc.java, for developing, porting and using the java object oriented language and the HotJava WWW browser

Attendees:
Deb Aikat, JOMC, daikat@email.unc.edu
Arturo Barrios, OIT, arturo_barrios@unc.edu
Lea Blanton, Friday Center, lea_blanton@unc.edu
Tom Bowers, JOMC, tom_bowers@unc.edu
Ann Brookhart, Housing, ann_brookhart@unc.edu
Andy Broughton, Sch. of Social Work, abrought@email.unc.edu
Paula Carson, SIS Office, plc.our@mhs.unc.edu
Kirstin Chaffin, Inst. of Govt, chaffin.iog@mhs.unc.edu
Frank Di Mauro, AHEC, fadim@med.unc.edu
Nancy Doyle, Registrar/ADP, nmd.admin@mhs.unc.edu
Susan Dunn, Inst. of Govt, dunn.iog@mhs.unc.edu
Lynn Eades, HSL, beades@med.unc.edu
Kathy Edwards, OIT Docteam, kathy_edwards@unc.edu
Scott Freeman, ADP, rsf.admin@mhs.unc.edu
Howard Fried, Biochemistry, refried@email.unc.edu
Sandy Gettys, ADP, sandy_gettys@unc.edu
Erika Grams, history/WUNC, erika@email.unc.edu
Judy Hallman, OIT, judy_hallman@unc.edu
David Johnston, Psychology/Davie Hall, david_johnston@unc.edu
Bob Kessler, Chemistry, bob_kessler@unc.edu
Carolyn Kotlas, IAT, carolyn_kotlas@unc.edu
Barri Lawhorne, Housing, barri_lawhorne@unc.edu
Tong Liu, CPC, tongliu@xerxes.cpc.unc.edu
Chuck Lovelace, Morehead Foundation, cel@unc.edu
Carol Martell, HSRC, carol_martell@unc.edu
John Meeker, Sch. of Pharmacy, john_meeker@unc.edu
Sally Muller, OIT, sally_muller@unc.edu
Tim Murphy, Dentistry, tmurphy.dentce@mhs.unc.edu
Lynne Neill, ADP, lcn.admin@mhs.unc.edu
Mary Overby, OIT, mary_overby@unc.edu
Forrest Page, Morehead Foundation, fhpage@email.unc.edu
Anne Parker, OIT, anne_parker@unc.edu
Gary Pattillo, Davis Library Reference, pattillo@email.unc.edu
Wendy Perry, ADP, wwp.admin@mhs.unc.edu
John Pishney, IAT, jon_pishney@unc.edu
Bridget Regan, ILS, regab@ruby.ils.unc.edu
Wendy Robinson, Journalism, robin001@mc.duke.edu
Damon Sauve, OIT Training, damon_sauve@unc.edu
Bill Schley, Library Reference, bill_schley@unc.edu
Bob Schreiner, Public Health, bob_schreiner@unc.edu
Kay Stanley, OIT, kay_stanley@unc.edu
Bob Stepno, JOMC, rbstepno@email.unc.edu
Charles Streeter, Housing, charles_streeter@unc.edu
Chuck Thomas, Wilson Library, thomc@ils.unc.edu
Bill Tolbert, HSRC, bill_tolbert@unc.edu
Penny Ward, Research Services, crunchy@email.unc.edu
Chris Welbon, FPG/NEC*TAS, ctwelbon@email.unc.edu
Mark Whelan, Sheps Center, mark_whelan@unc.edu

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