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Java Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to the Mac OS X Java Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for developers. This page is intended to provide answers to frequently asked questions about the direction and current features of Java on Mac OS X, as well as common development questions and problems. Due to the high volume of email we receive, we cannot respond to every question or suggestion, but we are interested in what you have to say. If after reading the Java Developer FAQ, you still have a question, please contact us.

Please note that the “Common Development Questions” and “Known Issues” sections pertain to J2SE 1.4 or later unless otherwise noted. For 1.3.1 development issues, please see our Java Documentation section for Technical Notes and Q&As regarding J2SE 1.3.1 on Mac OS X.


Additional APIs and Products

  1. Where can I get Java 3D and Java Advanced Imaging for Mac OS X?
  2. Does Mac OS X support PDF output from Java applications?
  3. Can Java applications access Serial or USB ports on Mac OS X?
  4. Does Mac OS X support J2ME development?


1. Where can I get Java 3D and Java Advanced Imaging for Mac OS X?

Java 3D and Java Advanced Imaging come preinstalled with Mac OS X Tiger. Installers for Mac OS X Panther can be downloaded from the Mac OS X Downloads site. The updates are manual and do not appear in Software Update.

For 3D programmers, a viable alternative to Java 3D on Mac OS X is jogl. Whereas Java 3D is its own environment/API, jogl provides direct native bindings to the OpenGL API, allowing it to easily provide access to new OpenGL functionality, such as nVidia’s vertex programming API. A version of jogl designed to work with Java 1.4.x on Mac OS X can be found at http://jogl.dev.java.net/. Please note that the project is not built nightly, so it is recommended to download the latest sources and build them yourself.
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2. Does Mac OS X support PDF output from Java applications?

The standard printing dialog in Java 1.4.x on Mac OS X includes a “Save to PDF” option for the user, just like Carbon or Cocoa applications. Other options for programmatic PDF output exist for Java applications. Among them are Apache’s Cocoon and the SourceForge iText project.
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3. Can Java applications access Serial or USB ports on Mac OS X?

The most popular solution for serial access from Java on Mac OS X has been the open-source javax.comm API implementation at rxtx.org. A commercial packaging of the javax.comm API with support is also available from SerialIO.com.
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4. Does Mac OS X support J2ME development?

A Mac OS X port of the MIDP 1.0.3 reference implementation is available for use by J2ME developers. A new article on Sun’s Wireless Highlights and News website demonstrates MIDlet development on Mac OS X using this port along with Apple’s X11 implementation.
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