To 1.1 -- And Beyond!

Until now, the lessons and examples in this tutorial have documented the Java language and platform as they exist in the JDK 1.1 release. While this snapshot approach provides new Java programmers a clear path to learning, it ignores the history and future of the language and API.
This trail steps back and looks at the JDK 1.1 release in the light of what came before and what is likely to come after. This wide-angle perspective can help you make decisions about your Java development.
First, this trail discusses how 1.1 differs from 1.0. Then it moves into how and when to upgrade your programs from 1.0 to 1.1. Finally, the end of this trail includes a preview of the next major release of the JDK, which is likely to be called JDK 1.2.
The sources for much of this trail were collected documents written by various Java team members. We are indebted to our colleagues.

Note: Since the JDK 1.1 release shipped in December 1996, Sun has made several bug-fix releases. Bug-fix releases don't generally add new features, but they might enable functionality that was impossible before due to bugs. For example, the JDK 1.1.2 release has the same API as JDK 1.1, but lightweight components work much better in 1.1.2 and subsequent releases.

What's New in 1.1? provides a summary of new features for JDK 1.1. This might be your first stop if you used 1.0. Even if you didn't use 1.0, you might find this lesson handy as an overview of many of the capabilities that the JDK provides.
Migrating to 1.1 is the place to go if you developed programs for JDK 1.0, and you're wondering how and when to upgrade them. This lesson provides specific information about the API that changed from 1.0 to 1.1 and gives tips about how to migrate your 1.0 code to 1.1.
A Preview of Things to Come describes the features we expect the next major release of the JDK to contain. Some of the most eagerly awaited 1.2 features are in the Java Foundation Classes (JFC), which extend the GUI capabilities provided by the Java platform. This lesson tells you where to find information on getting 1.1-compatible versions of the new JFC components.

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