Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/1998/12/08/microsoft_compliant_java_tempts_sun/

Microsoft ‘compliant’ Java tempts Sun to sue some more

With the launch of an 'upgrade,' Microsoft says it complies with the injunction. Hmmm...

By John Lettice

Posted in On-Prem, 8th December 1998 11:22 GMT

Microsoft yesterday launched the 'street legal' version of its implementation of Java, couching the announcement in terms that sounded suspiciously like a challenge to Sun to sue the company some more. Last month Sun won a preliminary injunction ordering Microsoft to stop shipping its non-compliant implementation of Java and start shipping Sun's - or at least, that's what most people thought the injunction said. Shortly after the injunction was granted Microsoft indicated that it would continue to ship its own Java Virtual Machine while at the same time shipping Sun's Java Native Interface (JNI). This, said Microsoft, would allow developers and users to choose whether they wanted to go with the Microsoft or the Sun flavour. This clearly tottered on the brink of contempt of court (Microsoft Java plan tempts fresh Sun legal action) - depending on how Microsoft actually offered this 'choice' it could be argued that the company was just carrying on its own sweet way, and sticking the JNI in as some kind of fig-leaf. Apart from a brief reference to "compliance with the recent ruling in the San Jose Federal District Court" the announcement is quite clearly aimed at presenting the move as an upgrade. Microsoft "today announced availability of its latest Java Virtual Machine for the Microsoft Windows operating system… this version expands the options for developers who choose to integrate applications written in Java with the vast diversity of Windows-based software and services. An update to the Virtual Machine for Windows that shipped with Internet Explorer 4 is also being made available. Both these versions include support for the Java Native Interface…" Microsoft then goes on to tell us how fast and functional the JVM is. "The Microsoft Virtual Machine has been the first in the industry to support a variety of innovations…. For both end users and developers, the Microsoft Virtual Machine assists Java software to act as a first-class citizen within Windows… This is enabled by the intrinsic user interface controls of the Windows Foundation Classes…" The added JNI support, on the other hand, means that "JNI joins the Raw Native Interface and the J/Direct API as mechanisms to help developers meld the productivity of the Java language with native services in Windows… COM integration…" Redmond, bless 'em, seems to have slipped a Y2K patch in as well, but we reckon if Sun doesn't bust them over this one before the end of the week, Larry Ellison's the Pope. ® Complete Register trial coverage