Home Page - 2003-10-19

J2ME and Java Landscape [Read this article]

It all started with the good fortune of getting a Nokia 6610 handset for GPRS connection, thanks to my employer. Though I primarily use it as a modem and not so much as a cell phone, the fact that it is java enabled, prompted me to try that out. This being the first time ever that I come anywhere near J2ME, the process was bit frustrating but very exciting. The verdict is, J2ME is cool and pretty easy!

...The J2ME is divided into the VM of its own (JVM, KVM, CVM), then the core API called the Configuration, the linguistic abilities of Java, which are very related to the VM implementation itself, and then the Profile, which depend upon the Configuration, and add more vertical (device dependent) capabilities to the platform. Beyond this you can have many Optional Packages (like an API for Bluetooth etc.), which can be added to suite your need. Of course there are dependencies between the profiles and the Configuration. For example the MID profile need CLD Configuration (more latter). And FP can only run with CDC, and not with CLDC...

...It all started with a simple HelloWorld program (just one class file, and one method overload), using Nokia Developer Suite for J2ME, 2.0. I thought of explaining that program to you all, but it is shamefully trivial. Instead I have done the survey route of the whole terrine of small device programming with Java using J2ME. Maybe in an another installment, I can explain a non-trivial program, at least moderately useful to me, in detail. I have few ideas. Let me try and and then brag about that to you. No! games are too far away from my mind now. I'm thinking of some useful numerical applications. OK, till then happy Java-J2ME time!