Sun announces P2P language

Bill Joy, Sun Microsystems Inc.'s chief scientist, is promoting a new open-source Web-based programming language meant to act as a platform for distributed peer-to-peer applications. Juxtapose or JXTA (pronounced juxta) is to provide a simple code layer that will provide the basis for interoperability between peer-to-peer applications. JXTA challenges Microsoft's .Net platform that would make Microsoft's Windows the heart of distributed Web-based applications.

The irony inherent in Sun's appeal to open-source programmers has been noted by many critical of Sun's past stance with regard to open-source efforts. Joy, however, says Sun doesn't want to control JXTA but is interested in a common platform will allow peer-to-peer applications to work together.

For more on JXTA, read news.com and computerworld.com. For an overview of P2P, see techtv.com.