First in a Series of XML Technology Deliveries for the Java^TM 2 Platform

SAN JOSE, CA -- Xtech Conference -- February 29, 2000 -- Sun Microsystems, Inc. today announced the immediate availability of the Java^TM Application Programming Interface (API) for eXtensible Markup Language (XML) Parsing Optional Package (JAXP).¹ JAXP is now available free-of-charge at http://java.sun.com/xml/download.html.

Sun is the premiere innovator of XML and the Java platform, which are synergistic technologies that serve as the foundation of dot-com computing. Java technology and XML share many features that are ideal for building Web-based enterprise applications, such as platform-independence, extensibility, reusability, global language (Unicode) support, and are both based on industry standards. Together, the Java 2 platform and XML will allow enterprises to simplify and lower the cost of information sharing and data exchange in business-to-business e-commerce.

With the delivery of JAXP, Sun has completed its initial steps to provide essential XML functionality to the Java 2 platform. JAXP's availability is the first phase of Sun's vision to make it easy for developers to build cross-platform business-to-business applications based on XML and Java technologies.

"JAXP enables enterprise developers to add essential XML functionality to their Java applications, in areas such as e-commerce, enterprise application integration, and dynamic web publishing," said George Paolini, Vice President, Java Community Development, Sun Microsystems. "It is the first in a series of Sun-led community initiatives to support XML as the lingua franca of business-to-business data interchange in the Java 2 platform."

Building XML-enabled Applications Based on Java Technology Now Easier for Customers

The JAXP Optional Package provides core XML functionality for reading, manipulating, and generating XML documents through pure Java APIs. It provides a standard way to seamlessly integrate any XML-compliant parser with a Java technology-based application. Depending on the needs of the application, developers have the flexibility to swap between XML parsers -- such as high performance or memory conservative parsers -- without changing application code. Java Project X is used as the default XML parser in JAXP; however, the software's pluggable architecture allows any XML- conformant parser to be used, including the xml.apache.org XML parser, code named Xerces or other XML-compliant parsers. [For information on this community project to which Sun donated technology, please visit www.apache.org]

Sun's Commitment to Open Standards

Sun has had a long-standing commitment to working with industry standards organizations and is making certain that its own development processes reflect the community-based, transparent nature of successful industry standards organizations. In 1996, Sun spearheaded an initiative through the W3C to develop XML itself. The JAXP Optional Package is 100% conformant to XML standards from both the W3C and the XML community and was developed through the Java Community Process (JCP), the open process used to develop and revise Java technology specifications in cooperation with the international community of Java technology developers. JAXP expert members include: Ariba, AOL/Netscape, BEA, Bluestone, Fujitsu, IBM, and Oracle.

Future Direction of XML Support in the Java Platform

Sun is driving broad XML integration throughout the Java 2 platform to support XML as the universal data format for business-to-business e-commerce applications. Through the JCP, JAXP is being considered for inclusion in the next releases of the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE^TM) and Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE^TM). Also in development is Project Adelard, a facility for generating Java classes from XML DTDs. Other XML initiatives include improved XML support in JavaServer Pages^TM technology using XSLT and extensive XML support in J2EE, such as XML data transcoding to multiple devices, XML data exchange framework and XML support in Enterprise JavaBeans^TM components.

1: An API is the interface through which a software program accesses an operating system, and is an essential layer to help ensure code portability. An optional package is a standard Java API that is not part of the Java Runtime Environment but can be optionally added depending on specific application needs. back up

About Sun Microsystems

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- The Network Is The Computer^TM -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that power the Internet and allow companies worldwide to ".com" their businesses. With $13 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.

For more information:

Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Susan Struble
(408) 343-1814
susan.struble@eng.sun.com

Burson-Marsteller for Sun
Catherine Malone
(617) 241-2890
catherine_malone@sfo.bm.com