JavaHelp V2 Ready and Waiting

Development of the long-awaited new version of Sun’s Java-based Help format, JavaHelp V2, is almost complete. However, according to sources at Sun, there are issues surrounding the ownership of the new technology within Sun, and these are likely to delay a public release.

Most of the new features and functionality for JavaHelp V2 were driven by the requirements of one of Sun's own products, Netbeans. In mid-April, a decision was made by Sun’s Forte Tools management to move the development of JavaHelp 2.0 into Netbeans as a proprietary Help system. This would provide an open environment for the further development of JavaHelp, which would be good news for the wider Help community.

Another group within Sun has expressed an interest in taking over control of the JavaHelp technology, including V2—however, it has not so far had sufficient resources available to do so.

Having missed the engineering deadline for Netbeans 3.4, Sun decided to postpone integrating JavaHelp V2 into Netbeans until the next release. That decision gives other organizations within Sun, and outside for that matter, some additional time to provide the correct infrastructure to take over JavaHelp V2 development.

So JavaHelp V2 is in limbo, neither canceled nor being released. With no-one ready to take over JavaHelp V2, Sun’s current plans are to continue supporting JavaHelp V1 and move the new work into the next release of Netbeans.