Java object-sharing in Habanero

Abstract

This article focuses on Habanero, a new framework for collaborative tool development which can use any platform that supports Java. Habanero was initially written to facilitate the use of real-time multi-user software tools in education and sciences. Unlike many earlier projects where different source code was used for each supported hardware platform, the Habanero framework supports multiple hardware platforms by virtue of implementation in Java programming language. According to the authors, the Habanero software framework was designed with the goal of making it as simple as possible for a tool developer to make a sharable application, either by altering an existing single-user application or by developing a new application altogether. Further, Habanero includes many tools to give users a glimpse of the types of collaborative work the system can support, and to help new developers understand use of the framework. The authors hold that Habanero framework has proven to be extremely capable, and usable in a wide variety of applications. In particular, it provides a strong capability to host adaptive or negotiated protocols wherein the various machines need to exchange configuration and control information, in addition to tool-specific information.