For users of our JBuilder 3/3.01 for Windows product line this release is a major upgrade well worth checking out.

Users of our JBuilder 3 -- Solaris and Foundation editions will find a few welcome updates to functionality they've already become accustomed to.

Why call it version 3.5?

The version number for this release represents is a compromise of sorts. Most of our existing users (anyone using JBuilder Standard, Professional, and Enterprise for Windows) will see dramatic changes that would normally warrant a "JBuilder 4" branding.

Some of our customers were already using the newer product in the form of "JBuilder 3 -- Solaris Edition" and the free "JBuilder Foundation" versions. For these, the new release contains minor changes more akin to a "JBuilder 3.01."

The compromise? Splitting the difference with JBuilder 3.5. The information below details the changes we've made since version 3 of the existing products:

For JBuilder 3 Foundation users...

• JBuilder 3.5 Foundation is a free download
• New printing support
• New convenient JBuilder.exe launcher on Win32 platforms
• Improved JDK switching: foundation is still limited to a single target JDK, but users can now choose any one JDK

For JBuilder 3 Enterprise -- Solaris Edition users...

• Contact Inprise for upgrade details
• Everything listed for Foundation upgrades, plus...
• New IDE support for Linux and Windows
• New VisiBroker support for Linux and Windows
• New development license for Inprise Application Server on Linux, Windows, and Solaris
• New CVS version control integration as an OpenTools sample

For JBuilder 3 Standard for Windows users...

There is no JBuilder 3.5 Standard product. Existing users may opt to download JBuilder 3.5 Foundation for free, but Foundation prohibits the use of Borland's value-added JBCL components.

Optionally, existing JBuilder Standard customers can take advantage of the "competitive upgrade" pricing on JBuilder 3.5 Profressional, gaining access to features of JBuilder 3 Professional as well as the new features listed below.

For JBuilder 3 Professional for Windows Users...

• Traditional upgrade path to a dramatic new IDE
• New single CD installs on Windows, Linux, and Solaris
• Source code editor changes...
  • New user-definable code templates
  • New horizontal and vertical split editing panes
  • New EMACS keybindings
  • New smart JavaDoc editing
  • New tab/shift-tab for block indent/unindent
  • New cutomizable printing (N-up, page headers, etc.)
  • New print to syntax-hilighted HTML file
• CodeInsight changes...
  • Improved more accurate and faster
  • New integrated package and class insight
  • New full support for inner classes and complex expressions
  • New ErrorInsight shows syntax errors in the structure pane
• Debugger changes...
  • Improved multi-process debugging
  • New better integrated debugger design
  • New takes advantage of the latest remote and local debugging APIs from Sun
  • New field breakpoints: stop on read or write of object fields
  • New class breakpoints: stop when any method in a specified class is invoked
  • New ability to change string values while debugging
  • New cut and paste of any object value while debugging
  • New "step out" executes until control returns to the previous stack frame
  • New detailed view of synchronization monitors: see what objects are locked, which threads are locking them, and what threads are waiting for them
• AppBrowser changes...
• New support for multiple fully functional AppBrowsers
• New ability to open multiple projects in a single browser
• New ability to browse "subpackages" from package nodes
• New XML project format (.jpx extension)
• Runtime changes...
• Improved ability to choose any class to start an application
• New integrated console I/O for character based applications
• New visible indicator for running processes
• New ability to stop rouge Java processes from the IDE
• dbSwing changes...
• Improved JTable support, including pick-lists and embedded images
• New edit mask support for tables and fields
• New numerous convenience methods and classes
• Help viewer changes...
• Improved launches faster
• Improved dramatically reduced memory footprint
• New OpenTools API: a preview of the full OpenTools API for extending and customizing the JBuilder IDE
• General changes...
• New fully switchable look and feel
• New per-user IDE configuration
• New ability to run JBuilder from a read-only install location

For JBuilder 3 Enterprise for Windows users...

• Traditional upgrade path to a dramatic new IDE
• All of the features listed for Professional upgrades, plus...
• JDataStore changes...
• Improved performance
• New thread pooling
• New alter table support
• Improved column / table designer
• Improved DataStore explorer
• VisiBroker changes...
• Improved upgraded to VisiBroker 4
• New installs on Linux and Solaris in addition to Windows
• New development license now covers all three platforms
• New Inprise Application Server 4
• Development license bundled with JBuilder 3.5 Enterprise
• Installs on Linux, Windows and Solaris
• New EJB deployment OpenTool
• New deadlock debugger identifies monitors and threads involved in deadlocks
• New integrated JSP runtime and debugging support
• New CVS version control integration as an OpenTools sample

Conclusion

For existing users: this is the most dramatic change we've made since since the introduction of the original JBuilder product line.

For new customers: remember that the features listed here are additions to functionality carried over from previous versions. For users who aren't familiar with our existing products, this is only the tip of the iceberg.