Sun / Laszlo Project "Orbit"

What is Project "Orbit"?

Sun Microsystems and Laszlo Systems, Inc, have announced that they will be working together to enable OpenLaszlo applications to run on devices supporting the Java™ Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME) application platform. With this move, Sun and Laszlo are actively contributing resources to a new project for the OpenLaszlo community, code-named Orbit.

Sun hosts the Orbit project on java.net at this location: https://orbit.dev.java.net/

Java™ Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME) is the most ubiquitous application platform for embedded devices in the world, with more than 3.8 billion Java devices including 1.2 billion Java technology-powered phones. It provides a robust, flexible environment for applications running on a broad range of devices, such as mobile phones, PDAs, TV set-top boxes, and printers. Applications based on Java ME specifications are written once for a wide range of devices, yet exploit each device's native capabilities. For more information, visit https://java.sun.com/javame/index.jsp.

OpenLaszlo is a widely adopted open source application development platform that uses Ajax-style programming techniques, integrating XML and JavaScript™, to create rich and robust online experiences. With Orbit, Sun and Laszlo will work together to connect OpenLaszlo’s expressive markup language, LZX, with the ubiquity and power of the Java ME platform.

More information may be found on the Orbit Frequently Asked Questions page.

The Architecture

In the OpenLaszlo Legals project, the OpenLaszlo architecture is being remodularized into a true multi-runtime platform such that the same source program written in OpenLaszlo's LZX language can be compiled to either Adobe Flash, or to Dynamic HTML (commonly known as Ajax). All supported runtimes share a common baseline of rich functionality in OpenLaszlo, including elegant data-binding mechanisms, an expressive animation facility, and a full set of UI widgets. A powerful language mechanism makes it possible to take advantage of the unique strengths of each individual runtime.

With the Orbit project, the OpenLaszlo interactive application experience will be available to developers targeting Java ME, without giving up the unique strengths of that runtime.

OpenLaszlo, currently in version 3.3.3, was designed from its inception to support the instantaneous, no-download deployment of web applications on a diverse set of client runtime environments. Now with further extension to support the Java ME platform, OpenLaszlo will offer an unprecedented level of development portability and flexibility across a wide variety of Java technology-based phones, television set-top boxes, and other connected devices. Support for OpenLaszlo applications further enhances one of the key strengths of the Java platform – the ability to support development environments and authoring tools targeting a broad spectrum of developer skills and preferences.

The Code

You can download the most current fully qualified release, OpenLaszlo 3.3.3, from the OpenLaszlo Downloads page. Snapshots and nightly builds of the Legals project are also available from the OpenLaszlo Download page. Sources for all OpenLaszlo projects are available from our Subversion server here.

The JME runtime being built as part of the Orbit project will be incorporated into Legals and will be available as part of the Legals sources and downloads at a date to be announced.

Project Plans

The Orbit project plan page is on the OpenLaszlo wiki. The project plan provides a starting point for all relevant wiki documents about the Orbit project, such as build instructions, position papers, developer notes and tools, and project goals. The wiki page is here: http://wiki.openlaszlo.org/Orbit_Project_Plan.

The bug database for all OpenLaszlo projects is available in JIRA here: http://www.openlaszlo.org/jira/browse/LPP.

How to Get Involved

Join us in designing, developing, and implementing a multiple runtime deployment platform. OpenLaszlo is open source, with a liberal, business friendly license. You can learn more about becoming a contributor here: http://www.openlaszlo.org/cfaq.