The advent of the Java Kernel in Sun's latest JDK update was but the first step toward modularizing the entire Java SE platform, writes Mark Reinhold in a series of blog posts. Reinhold introduces the problems of a modular Java SE, reviews existing module systems, and outlines the proposed direction for Java modularization.

I am asking the users of my decorator module if they would accept a new version breaking backward compatibility in a minor way.

A recent CIO.com article discusses some common pitfalls of agile development practices with Kent Beck and Alistair Cockburn, two of the Agile Manifesto's signatories.

Xoreax's IncrediBuild is a platform for accelerating build-related processes, especially in the context of Microsoft's Visual Studio. The latest IncrediBuild release includes advanced grid computing technology, as well as new build monitoring tools.

Perhaps we only commit big chunks at a time as an artifact of older version control systems. What if we treated it as a full-fledged undo facility?

In this episode I discuss the utility of macros for application programmers.

Floyd Marinescu asked me to organize an open-spaces session at the QCon Conference in San Francisco. I learned interesting things at both open spaces and regular sessions.

Sun's David Folk and Mark Day discuss the latest NetBeans features in this Artima interview. Among the topics are support for PHP, JavaScript debugging, and what languages forthcoming NetBeans versions may support.

At its annual MAX developer conference, Adobe released the latest updates to its desktop application framework, AIR, and also updated the open-source Flex SDK and the Eclipse-based FlexBuilder IDE.

Sun released the latest version of its open-source GlassFish Web application server. In this interview with Artima, Sun's John Clingan and Paul Hinz highlight the most important new features to developers, including rapid deployment and Rails development and deployment.

In this episode I will discuss the multiple evaluation issue, then I will show how macros can improve performance. Finally, I will give a practical example of how macros can be used to define a unit test framework.

JetBrains recently released IDEA 8, the latest version of its multi-language development environment. In this interview with Artima, JetBrains' Dmitry Jemerov explains the key new IDEA 8 features, and also talks about RubyMine, JetBrains' new Ruby IDE.

The 2008 Java Community Process (JCP) elections are currently under way. In this interview with Artima, JCP chair Patrick Curran explains what you can vote on, who the candidates are, and the significance of the JCP elections to the broader Java community.

Atlassian released the latest version of Clover, a code coverage tool, that now adds automatic test optimization capabilities.

Yet another episode fully devoted to macros. I will discuss introspection, guarded patterns, literal identifiers, and a couple of common beginner's mistakes.

Sun's focus on JavaFX has resulted in less progress on improving Swing development productivity. Has the shift of focus to JavaFX from Swing hurt the cause of client-side Java?