dotFX

dotFX provides a way of developing, deploying, running and managing real client and desktop software over the Internet. In contrast to a browser based web application, software can run on your desktop with the performance, access and intimacy that you would expect from real client software. dotFX technology has been in development for over three years by a team of entrepreneurs based in Silicon Valley. ClientFX handles JavaFX Script applications on the desktop. ClientFX includes a bundle of Java, JavaFX, security and the browser plug-ins to enable fx:// clickable links in the browser.

On the Client side

When a developer starts an application design there are many choices. The idea of fielding an application as client or desktop software, proper, means many things. Often the connotation that software needs to be downloaded wholesale, and an installer has to be written, over time many versions and upgrades have to be managed are too painful to overcome in the face of choosing a web application instead. In recent times AJAX has provided some relief from the browser experience as Web 2.0 ushered in the ability to have more performant and usable web applications. New market movements are towards client side technologies like dotFX, and have been described by many (for example Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google) as Web 3.0. dotFX was founded out of real world frustrations of software developers constantly asking the question "In the age of broadband, 2GHz processors on desktops and modern software techniques and technologies, why is it that we cannot run real client software over the Internet ?"

What does this mean ?

dotFX and the ClientFX component provide a developer with the ability to design a client application development knowing that the application can be accessible from a browser link, as a desktop icon or system tray item. Moreover a developer does not need to worry about creating an installer application, or managing the client over time. The client (ClientFX) is this component and it is self updating over dotFX versions and over versions of Java and JavaFX transparently, and intelligently cached locally. The application you as a developer will write will always be up-to-date by the same mechanism. Small deltas or micro-patches change the way we can think about deployment of applications, and how early in the development cycle. Rapid application development and extreme programming techniques can be employed, but with agility in the deployment and update cycles.

For Developers

So what do developers need to digest to use this technology ? Development is easy, just ignore us !

Develop your application stand alone, as developers naturally do for client side operation. Develop Swing or Java FX Script applications as local applications and deploy them as built. When it is functional, and perhaps using a local database just drop the software (class files) in the ServerFX repository and make the appropriate fx:// link on the web site where you need it. Using InstallerFX you can build a desktop installer and have desktop icon/program files folder that 'wraps' this fx:// link. The application is now live, always up to date and can be made to use the server database and resources by tagging objects as server side (without code re-write).

Security

From the outset of the technology development, the first consideration in the face of the question "Why can you not run desktop software, live over the Internet ?" was the problem of security. Founders of dotFX are exprienced security practitioners in the area of host, software and network security. Techniques like presenting a "Trust / No Trust" dialogue or code signing are not a solution to this problem. Architecturally this problem had to be solved, and the idea of retrofitting security to a software system is almost impossible. By using a combination of Java security mechanisms and providing extensions to Java security mechanism with system policy and design, dotFX is the only client side technology of it's kind that has a coherent security architecture through mechanism, policy and system design.
The founders of dotFX come from a security, networking and software background and set out to enable the running of client software over the Internet. dotFX technology is not intended to be a client side 'player' as an alternative to the browser. The suite of dotFX applications was born.