Is Java right for my needs?

Question

I have put more hours than I care to think about into building an app for one of my clients, using MS Visual Basic 6. Recently there have been some changes in the company that may require starting the project back at square one. The app was built for a single office running on Windows XP. Now the company has hired people that work remotely, and some use Macs. The software is of little value to them and therefore to the company.
We utilize a MySQL database. My initial research on Java shows that should be compatible, but I have a lot of questions due to the rather specialized nature of some of the functions this software performs.
Also, the server host we use says that "JSP and Servlets are not supported" but that Java Applets are OK. I am not familiar with the differences between these 3 items. If we need to use a web app instead of client-based apps, this may be a concern.
In a nutshell, my needs are to build a large application with multiple functions - and will continue to be added to for years - that will operate on both Mac and Windows.
If I understand correctly I can build client-side apps that could still access the remote database (?) This would probably be fine and in some ways preferable to web apps that would be accessed through a browser since security concerns would be less - no way to access the system just by hacking someone's login.
Here is a list of some of the functions that currently exist in the VB6 app. Can Java handle these tasks?
1. Display contents of any web page in the app window (VB6 has a web browser control I use)
2. Extract the plain text from a web page, copy to a text field
3. Process large blocks of text and count instances of a specified text string
4. Search a large block of text for keywords that exist in a list, and change text formatting of each instance of each keyword.
5. Search/replace in a long text string, case sensitive; including special characters such as tab and paragraph
6. Load SQL query results into a variable array, not a bound control
7. Show a visual comparison of 2 versions of a text document to see deletions, additions, edits. Currently, my program links to MS Word's Compare Versions command to accomplish this.
8. Spellcheck a block of text.
9. Resize and save JPEG or TIFF image; perform this action on all files in a directory as a batch
Any guidance you can provide as I try to decide how to take on this project will be much appreciated.
Thank you.
Paul

Answer 1

Paul,
I have put more hours than I care to think about into
building an app for one of my clients, using MS
Visual Basic 6. Recently there have been some
changes in the company that may require starting the
project back at square one. Oops!
The app was built for a
single office running on Windows XP. Now the company
has hired people that work remotely, and some use
Macs. The software is of little value to them and
therefore to the company.google "windows virtual machine for mac"
We utilize a MySQL database. good choice
My initial research on
Java shows that should be compatible, but I have a
lot of questions due to the rather specialized nature
of some of the functions this software performs.specialized nature? like ICBM guidance systems or something? Try J2ME:-)
Also, the server host we use says that "JSP and
Servlets are not supported" but that Java Applets are
OK. server host? which one? can you change server apps? if you're talking IIS then think ASP... which implies a MySQL to Sequel migration, and licenceCost*=100;
I am not familiar with the differences between
these 3 items. * JSP = Java Server Pages = open standard industry supported equivalent++ of ASP... A JSP page is compiled automatically into a Servlet
* Servlet = a compiled Java class which runs inside the web container (on your web host).
* Aplet = a clunky jaba application imbedded in a clunky browser, mainly useful for games, online gambling, and other things that crash a lot. IMHO Swing still sux.
If we need to use a web app instead
of client-based apps, this may be a concern.Ummm... Yep, I suppose so.
In a nutshell, my needs are to build a large
application with multiple functions - and will
continue to be added to for years - that will
operate on both Mac and Windows. Which, as you have rightly identified, has "WebApp" written on the cover in large friendly letters.
If I understand correctly I can build client-side
apps that could still access the remote database (?)Not generally regarded as a "solid architecture"... more useful for intranet connections. Security is (still) a major concern.
This would probably be fine and in some ways
preferable to web apps that would be accessed through
a browser since security concerns would be less WRONG !!!
J2EE provides "out of the box" mechanisms for secured, controlled, administered, audited, & extensible access to server resources.
Sticking JDBC passwords in a fat-client property file or a webapps-cookies (even encrypted) is not secure. Why did the NSA make it illegal to export 256 bit encryption algorithms from the good 'ole US of A?
no way to access the system just by hacking someone's login.REALLY REALLY WRONG !!! !!! !!!
"QUT to NASA, We are go for Launch!"... that was a JDBC connection string (a URL with encrypted password) written on the inside front cover of a professors diary, and left on the desk after class.
Here is a list of some of the functions that
currently exist in the VB6 app. Can Java handle these
tasks?
1. Display contents of any web page in the app window
(VB6 has a web browser control I use)Why not just let them loose in another browser window? It's a porkchop requirement.
2. Extract the plain text from a web page, copy to a
text fieldYep... that's not rocket surgery.
3. Process large blocks of text and count instances
of a specified text stringYep... regex was a unix invention... Java inherited (belatedly) from Perl.
4. Search a large block of text for keywords that
exist in a list, and change text formatting of each
instance of each keyword.Yep... (as above)
5. Search/replace in a long text string, case
sensitive; including special characters such as tab
and paragraphLarge? Are we talking bigger than a meg, 10meg, 100meg, a terabyte?
Stay away from the DOM... it's a performance anti-pattern... worthy of the MS "engineers" who invented it.
6. Load SQL query results into a variable array, not
a bound controlWhat? What's a "bound control"
7. Show a visual comparison of 2 versions of a text
document to see deletions, additions, edits.
Currently, my program links to MS Word's Compare
Versions command to accomplish this.Yep.
8. Spellcheck a block of text. Yep. Did you spellcheck your post?
9. Resize and save JPEG or TIFF image; perform this
action on all files in a directory as a batchYep, though you do loose a lot of clarify with the standard API's. They're working on it.
Any guidance you can provide as I try to decide how
to take on this project will be much appreciated.
Thank you.
Paul1. google "windows virtual machine for mac"
Maybe that'll save you from this walking nightmare.
2. think J2EE web app, using Sun's Server PE 9, BEA's Weblogic Server, or the venerable free Apache Tomcat (in which case look at the JBoss stack).
3. Applets are an absolute first class pain the proverbial. Every new browser version breaks them. Every third browser patch breaks them. Every new Java version breaks them. Yuchh! may as well go Lotus notes.