Chuck Beck currently works at Lucent Technologies, Inc., in Columbus, Ohio, creating both online and hardcopy documentation for business communications systems software. Chuck is active in the Central Ohio Chapter of STC and has presented at several STC Conferences. If any STC members are interested in obtaining more information or resources, feel free to contact Chuck at chuckbeck@lucent.com.

How was Java born?
In 1990, Sun Microsystems initiated a special project, titled Oak, to develop a new operating system that was platform independent. Due to lack of interest, the Oak project was somewhat unsuccessful. However, in 1994, when the World Wide Web (WWW) took off to a universal consumer level, one of the original executives of the Oak project took that opportunity to adapt many of the original Oak ideas for use on the information superhighway. (Although the WWW existed previously, it was mostly used for the academic and scientific genres.) The result was a newly-developed programming language, named Java, that found the World Wide Web an environment in which to flourish.

What is Java?
Java is a programming language based loosely on C and C++, designed as a cross-platform language-a user can create a Java application to run on one computing platform and then run it on almost any other platform without having to recompile and create multiple versions. Technical communicators have the flexibility to create both Java applets (which are applications designed to be run in a web-based HTML environment) and stand-alone applications that do not necessarily need to run within an HTML environment.

What is JavaScript, and how is it different from Java?
JavaScript is a tool that gives you the ability to use the power and flexibility of Java without having to become a programmer. JavaScript is a scripting language, not a full-blown programming language, which makes it much easier to learn than Java. Unlike Java, JavaScript cannot be used for stand-alone applications, nor does it require a compiler or other specialized software tools. JavaScript was designed to operate solely within a web-based HTML environment.

Java	JavaScript
Full-blown programming language	Limited scripting language
Relatively difficult to learn	Relatively easy to learn
Must be both compiled and interpreted	Must be interpreted only (on the fly)
Operates either within an HTML environment or outside of it	Operates only within an HTML environment
May be used to create both applets and stand-alone applications	May be used to incorporate either applets or basic Java-type routines

Where do Java applets fit in?
Java applets are applications designed to be run in a web-based HTML environment, and they must operate within an HTML file. There are many Java applets and JavaScripts available via the Internet. Technical communicators don't actually need to know how to write them in order to use them.

• HTML-based online documentation and help systems
• animation and ticker-type marquees
• interactive training, learning, and entertainment
• automatic page-update tracking information (e.g., "This document was last modified on mm/dd/yyyy.")
• online forms ("smart forms") for communication between clients and companies
• audio capabilities, including MIDI files, digital audio files, and video clips
• enhancements to navigational and image-map links
• electronic time reporting

While the list continues to grow, you can take advantage of the capabilities of Java and JavaScript now. Those of you involved in web page development and online (HTML) documentation and help systems will find these new tools valuable and easy to learn. In addition, as Java applications continue to develop, there will be a strong need for technical communicators to document them. Developing a working knowledge of this relatively new technology will help make you more valuable and marketable in the future.