The Java generator is the GeneXus solution for developing business-to-business applications (B2B). Additionally, Web Panels are also generated with Java, which allows developing business-to-consumer applications (B2C), offering a comprehensive solution for the Internet environment.
Java is a language oriented to objects and to the Internet because it is designed for working with the TCP/IP protocol and because it enables dynamic loading of Web pages. It is a multiplatform language, therefore it runs in different operative systems, and it does not require software installation for its execution. This means having a navigator and the Web address that corresponds to the application is all the client needs.
In order to develop B2C applications, GeneXus counts on the Web Panel object in its C/SQL, Visual Basic and Java generators. While C and VB use the CGI-BIN technology, Java uses the Servlets technology. The Web Panels generated with Java have better performance than the ones generated with Visual Basic, and their performance is comparable to C/SQL: depending on the quantity of Web Panels and on their logic’s complexity. In order to generate Servlets, a JavaServerWeb Development Kit (JSWDK) is required for the compiling, as well as a Servlets engine in the server for the execution.
At the present time, all GeneXus objects, with the exception of menus, can be generated. The first Java Generator version was released in the latter part of September 1999. However, that version did not generate the transaction object (it did create and reorganized the database, however). With the new Ceibo version beta 3, one and two-level transactions are supported. This generator’s behavior is different from others when it comes to validating and triggering the rules in the transactions, a decision that was made in order to improve the performance of the applications on the Internet.