Sun Open Sources Java Mobile Edition Development Tools

Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq: JAVA) announced this week the availability of source code for its NetBeans Mobility Pack and NetBeans Mobility Pack for CDC (Connected Device Configuration), which will be released under the OSI-compliant Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL).

The tools are intended to simplify and speed the creation of applications for mobile devices.

Community Involvement Key

"Community involvement is key to the strength of the NetBeans platform," said Laurie Tolson, Sun's vice president, Java Developer Platforms Group. "We believe by open sourcing the code, it will attract even more developers to embrace the platform, thus strengthening the community."

The NetBeans Mobility Pack is a mobile IDE that has been leveraged by such Java ME developers as Sprint, SonyEricsson and Ricoh. Based on the NetBeans IDE, the Mobility Pack includes end-to-end application development, device optimization and porting solutions, and an Ant-based build system.

New Addition to the Portfolio

NetBeans Mobility Pack for CDC is a new addition to the NetBeans portfolio. It allows Java ME developers to use the Matisse graphical layout system to create mobile Java applications for devices supporting the Connected Device Configuration version of Java ME.