JavaFX for iOS and Android

http://fxexperience.com/2013/02/february-open-source-update/

it sounds almost too good to be true.

JavaFX and Google Maps

There are already some examples on the Internet which demonstrates the use of a Google Maps view within a JavaFX application. They demonstrate how to control a WebView backedup google maps javascript.

One thing was always missing and that was the way back. For example how to read the current Lat Lon view position of the Google Maps view.

After some experiments I came to a simple timer based solution. The idea is that a timer function regularly polls the javascript document and parses the result.

First we take a look at the javascript code;

When the updateJavaFX() function is called the document variables (currentCenter for the position) are filled.

In the JavaFX code the following part (this part is called within an AnimationTimer) is used to retrieve the current lat lon position of the map.

Basically the trick is call the javascript document.updateJavaJX() function and then to read eg. the currentCenter javascript variable. I use the toString() function to convert it to a string and then parse it. The classcastexception is present when a different kind of map type is used eg. openstreetmap.

This all could result in the following application;

Fruit on Rails, 1 year

It was one year ago, when I finished my first real game.
Time flies.

http://fruitonrails.3qc.nl

JCR Controller released

Finally after months of radio silence.....

Well just a release notification;

http://www.xs4all.nl/~weertj/jcr

Java 6 available

Finally, perhaps the longest wait for a new release is over. Java 6 is final. I used Java 6 for quite a while. And it rock's!!

At home and also at work I used the beta Java 6 for my new projects. And mainly because I create Desktop applications the Java 6 version is very important.

Many nice features are added, and Java 6 is faaaast.

The press is also very positive on this release;

I personally think that this is the best release ever. Former releases there some issues with existing programs, but now everything goes seamless.

Go Java go!!!

You know when you are "Old Guard"....

...when you don't get any leaflets at the Gameplay 2006 exibition.

Well this weekend it was HCC 2006 time again. In the Netherlands this is/was the biggest computer event for the ordinary person. In former days (a couple of years back) it was huge.
But now every year it becomes smaller, the reason is that prices for companies is going up. Also the entrance fees are also exceeding normal levels (20 euro's for HCC and the Gameplay event).

Anyway, I consider myself a reasonable gamer, perhaps even Above Average (Elite rulez).
With the Battlefield game series as my main waste of time. But that doesn't matter, as at the Gameplay event I didn't get any leaflets from the booth girls. I clearly wasn't part of the target audience. All those poor kids did get them, but then they should, because then you've got something to read while waiting in a huge queue just to take a look at the new Playstation 3.

But I did get my new headphone set, but because of the very loud music it was very hard to actually buy it.

Java flashes back!

Just saw a report about Java's F3 scripting language, impressive technology. I'm also wondering if there will be an easy to install plugin, just like Flash.