Developer Microsoft Platform .NET Framework | First appeared 2002 (2002) | |
Paradigm Object-oriented, structured, imperative Stable release v2.0 Second Edition / 18 May 2007; 9 years ago (2007-05-18) Website msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vjsharp/default.aspx | ||
Visual J# (pronounced "jay-sharp") programming language was a transitional language for programmers of Java and Visual J++ languages, so they could use their existing knowledge and applications on .NET Framework.
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J# worked with Java bytecode as well as source so it could be used to transition applications that used third-party libraries even if their original source code was unavailable. It was developed by the Hyderabad-based Microsoft India Development Center at HITEC City in India.
Fundamental differences between J# and Java
Java and J# use the same general syntax but there are non-Java conventions in J# to support the .NET environment. For example, to use .NET "properties" with a standard JavaBean class, it is necessary to prefix getter and setter methods with the Javadoc-like annotation:
…and change the corresponding private variable name to be different from the suffix of the getXxx/setXxx names.
J# does not compile Java-language source code to Java bytecode (.class files), and does not support Java applet development or the ability to host applets directly in a web browser, although it does provide a wrapper called Microsoft J# Browser Controls for hosting them as ActiveX objects. Finally, Java Native Interface (JNI) and Raw Native Interface (RNI) are substituted with P/Invoke; J# does not support Remote Method Invocation (RMI). .
JavaWorld said: "J#'s interface to the .NET framework is solid, but not as seamless as C#. In particular, J# code cannot define new .NET attributes, events, value types, or delegates. J# can make use of these language constructs if they are defined in an assembly written in another language, but its inability to define new ones limits J#'s reach and interoperability compared to other .NET languages."
Future of J#
In January 2007, Microsoft announced:
A link to download Visual J# 2005 Express Edition is no longer available from Microsoft's website; however, the link which was previously available was still functional as of 2017.
Visual J# is out of mainstream support but "Visual J# 2.0 Redistributable Second Edition released in 2007, with support continuing through to 2017 (5 years mainstream and 5 years extended support) on EN-US locales."