Vikram Goyal's informative and practical article, "Working with Lightweight User Interface Toolkit (LWUIT) 1.4," shows developers how to best take advantage of LWUIT 1.4. LWUIT is a user interface library designed to bring uniformity and cross mobile interface functionality to applications developed using Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME). Version 1.4 offers support for XHTML, multi-line text fields, and customization to the virtual keyboard.

Goyal notes in the article that, "Perhaps the most important feature of this release is the ability for LWUIT to support XHTML. Specifically, it now supports XHTML MP (Mobile Platform) 1.0, a version of XHTML designed for mobile phones. To be even more specific, it now supports CSS styling for the HTMLComponent within the LWUIT library through Wireless Application Protocol CSS (WCSS)."

Read the entire article here

It seems like there is always something happening around Java and there just isn't enough time to feature everything that happens.  So I'd like to start a new (weekly) feature where we strive to capture some of the major events that have happened over the past week or so.  Did I miss anything?  comment below and let us know!

• Obviously the big news this week is JavaOne Brazil. Brazil has always been a big (and vocal) support of Java so its great to see JavaOne take place in that great country. 
  
• Java Spotlight Podcast #5: Feature interview with Brazilian Java Champions Bruno Souza and Fabiane Nardon in preparation for JavaOne Brazil.  Also featured:  Devoxx recap and a Java SE update
  
• Java Spotlight Podcast #6: Feature interview with Michael Kölling and Ian Utting, BlueJ and Greenfoot creators.  Also featured: update on Java EE 7 draft specifications including JAX-RS 2.0, JPA 2.1, JSF 2.2 (HTML5), JMS and more!
• OpenJDK on Mac OS X:  Want to check out an unofficial build of OpenJDK 7 for Snow Leopard?  You're in luck!  This new project has published working binaries as well as everything needed to build and package OpenJDK 1.7 for Mac OS X 10.6
  
• Java SE Embedded run circles around Android: Oracle's Bob Vandette has published a lengthy blog comparing the performance of Android 2.2 (Froyo) with the latest Java SE Embedded release.  In his detailed writeup, he compares the two virtual machines using a series of benchmarks that show Java SE Embedded coming out ahead each time, and by a substantial factor of 2X-3X.
• Why I like the new JavaFX 2.0: Check out Jim Connors' thoughts on why he likes the new JavaFX including better tooling, performance, and integration with Java.
• Free, Pre-built Virtualbox Images for Java Developer: Java Developer Days... from the comfort of your own home!
• Register for a live Webcast on Java TV Standards presented by Oracle's Chief Digital Media officer on December 16th
  
• Preview: LWUIT Builder - check out a growing number of screencasts created directly by the LWUIT team on this exciting new tool for mobile developers

So, what did we miss?
  

If you missed Terrence Barr's excellent webinar on the Lightweight User Interface Toolkit earlier this week, we've got you covered!  Simply register here and you will be emailed a link that will let you view it as many times as you want for the next 12 months!

Would you like to discover how the Lightweight User Interface Toolkit can help you deploy better mobile Java applications? We're hosting a live webinar tomorrow with Oracle Evangelist Terrence Barr. 

The webinar will be tomorrow, September 16th at 9:00AM PDT (Pacific Daylight Time).  If you would like to attend, please click here to register.  Hope you can make it!  

The Lightweight User Interface Toolkit (LWUIT) is a small-footprint user interface library that helps developers create better looking and more consistent Java ME applications. LWUIT supports visual components and other advanced UI features such as 3D graphics, animations, transitions, touch input, themes and more.

Key features for the new 1.4 release include:

• XHTML Component - LWUIT 1.4 enables rendering of HTML documents that conform to the XHTML Mobile Profile 1.0 (XHTML-MP 1.0) standard. This component enables rendering of  HTML text embedded locally and web content accessed remotely from within the application - making it easy for Java ME developers to add rich and dynamic content to their applications
• BlackBerry support - With the new LWUIT binaries for Blackberry OS, developing for a BlackBerry device is now simple and easy.
• Enhancements to the Virtual keyboard - The virtual keyboard included with LWUIT can be easily used within Java ME applications. The enhancements include the ability to customize the look and feel of the virtual keyboard, the ability to add new language support, and the ability to bind it to a text field to improve user experience
  
• New UI Controls - includes components such as Tree, Table, Buttons, List, etc. inspired by Swing

Please visit the LWUIT page on the Oracle Technology Network for more information 

Java evangelist Terrence Barr has just written an excellent article about the Lightweight User Interface Toolkit entitled, "Rich Applications for Billions of Devices: What's new in LWUIT?"  In this article, he provides an overview of the technology, discusses key features, including support in the Java ME SDK, and provides an update on the functionality that has been included in LWUIT 1.3.  Here is a quick excerpt from the article:

"The Lightweight User Interface Toolkit (LWUIT), released in mid-2008, has been a boon to mobile developers right from the start. LWUIT is a UI library targeted to a wide range of mobile devices, from mass market to high-end smart phones, and has now also been ported to other embedded platforms. The rich functionality and clean design of LWUIT makes developing and deploying rich and engaging cross-platform applications easier than ever. LWUIT is an open technology with its source and binary freely accessible for individual or commercial use.
 

LWUIT has seen widespread adoption by developers, ISVs, and other third parties. Numerous resources are devoted to LWUIT, including a developer guide, articles, tutorials, code samples, videos, a site with featured LWUIT-based applications, and last but not least, a very active developer community and associated forum"

check out the rest of his excellent article here. If you're already convinced and want to roll up your sleeves and dive right in, you can visit the LWUIT website directly!