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Let me start by wishing everyone a happy new year ! I hope 2008 is prosperous and peaceful for all of you. For many of you who still take pride in being a Java developer, I also put down a list of top 5 expectations from the year that has just started. It may be presumptuous on my part to create a single list of top 5 expectations for the eclectic world of Java developers but none the less I will do it! Some of you will agree, some of you will vehemently disagree and the rest will remain silent. In all the cases though I hope to provoke you to think about what you want and desire from the language and platform that you are so intently connected with.

So let’s get started -

1. JavaFx transforms from hype to reality
In 2007 starting with JavaOne, we all heard that the messiah has arrived in the form of JavaFX. Unfortunately, the entire promise is taking too long to manifest into a real option. Hope 2008 either converts it into a real, simple and viable option, so that Java developers don’t necessarily need to take refuse in the alternative rich interface technologies.

2. Glassfish enters the application server choice bundle.
Glassfish is a fantastic open source Java application server and platform. It was the first one to be a compliant with the Java EE 5 standards. It has implemented almost everything that the JCP is churning out. It works and it is powerful. However, it still remains an unknown application server in the enterprise. Most managers have never heard of it, many Java developers have never bothered to download it and many others think its not a serious option, even without checking it out. Hopefully developers start taking its advantage in 2008.

3. Lightweight/Heavyweight discussion is put to rest
With Java EE adopting many of the advantages of frameworks, tools and libraries that figured out how to do things in a simple and straightforward manner, the divide between the so called traditional heavyweight Java and its lightweight alternatives is blurring. However, many of the staunch believers and promoters of the lightweight frameworks are not letting the debate rest to peace. May these folks find something more useful and new to champion ! Also, those who switched sides altogether in favor of those dynamic options, beyond Java, that was supposed to cleanse them of all evil may return once they find that their simple framework fails to deliver simple database manipulations or relies on your same old ways to integrate with other things in the enterprise.

4. Google likes Java, somebody convince Apple too :)
The iPhone is popular and many iPhone applications are being built. So far Java is poison for Apple. Hopefully things change this year. Hopefully Java developers gain from this surge! Google has already helped the world of Java developers with its numerous open Java APIs and services. Its has also reinforced that when the winner adopts you, you flourish and proposer! So its not as much about being with Apple the company but its about being in the winner’s camp.

5. Unify some and sunset a few others
Plurality in the world of Java provides ample choice to do even the most mundane of tasks but it often leaves Java developers confused in the middle of this abundance. Java developers for a few years now spend a considerable amount of time contrasting and comparing the numerous commercial and open source frameworks, tools and libraries to get their job done. Hopefully, 2008 sees some of these projects merging and some others just waning into obscurity. Hopefully the feudal lords realize that although dictatorship is detrimental, a unified nation state has its benefits.

Thats all for now!

Speak up! Say whatever you have to say, its all about what you want:)

Once again, a happy new year!