John Chamberlain

The most frustrating and error-prone aspect of Java for the average user is starting a Java program. The monumental confusion of batch files, scripts, and command-line cut-and-paste that's necessary to start a Java program using the default launcher is an ongoing problem area even for veteran developers. This article shows how you can wipe away the whole mess and easily write custom launchers for your applications. A custom launcher makes startup as simple as point-and-click and can be the difference between a program appearing professional or appearing unusable. The specifics on making launchers for all the major platforms are also covered. A long-time barrier to user acceptance of Java has been the confusing and unfriendly default launcher. It requires long strings of c... (more)

Using Color Technology in Java

Brighten up your dreary application by learning how to use Java to create and manage color. Using a color picker makes it easy to define exact colors with alpha transparency. For a developer there are two situations in which color comes up: when you are creating the colors for your interface and when a user can define colors or manipulate images as part of your application's functionality... (more)