Google’s Android SDK is not based on the open J2ME standard, but on its own implementation of Java. Developers have mixed feelings about the search giant’s choice.
As a basis, Android uses the Linux 2.6 kernel. Above this layer are popular C/C++ libraries with support for OpenGL, SQLite and WebKit, among others. The third layer consists of some basic Java components, such as the widely used packages java.nio, java.lang, and java.util, but lacks support for several other Java components. The software ultimately runs in the Dalvik Virtual Machine developed by Google, with each application assigned its own virtual machine.
By opting for its own Java Virtual Machine and passing J2ME, Google follows the same strategy as when releasing its Ajax toolkit. Google defends the choice to deviate from J2ME with the statement that thanks to this solution, programs also run smoothly on the often less powerful hardware of mobile phones. Still, the path that Google has taken is striking, because the search giant is part of the Java Community Process. It should be noted that Google only supports the Standard and Enterprise versions of Java.
However, some developers fear that Android will further fragment the already cluttered Java development community. According to a Trolltech . employee: opposite CNet that Google is making it more complex for developers with its own Java implementations, because a new variant of Java is created. Also, Google runs the risk that developers will fork Android and non-interchangeable versions appear, causing the fragmentation to continue even further.
Yet other developers point to the advantages of Android. Ed Burnette stilt on his weblog that Google’s SDK offers unprecedented opportunities, because it runs almost independently of the hardware. This eliminates the need to compile written code for different hardware platforms. In addition, Google launches its SDK even before the first Android-based phones come on the market. This gives the search giant enough time to tinker with its telephone platform.