News

Java/.NET Integrator Adds Mono Support

• By John K. Waters
• February 27, 2013

Java/.NET interoperability solutions provider JNBridge LLC today released JNBridgePro 7.0 with new support for the open source implementation of the Microsoft .NET Framework known as Mono. The new capability is designed to allow developers to build applications that integrate Java and .NET components that can be deployed on Linux as well as Windows.

Mono, an open source implementation of the .NET Framework based on the C# programming language and the Common Language Runtime (CLR), makes it possible for .NET developers to use their existing code, libraries, tools, and C# skills to build mobile apps for devices running Apple iOS and Google Android.

The Boulder, Colo.-based company's flagship product, JNBridgePro, is a general-purpose Java/.NET interoperability tool designed to bridge anything Java to .NET, and vice versa, allowing developers to access the entire API from either platform. As JNBridge CTO Wayne Citrin explained it, the tool "connects Java- and .NET Framework-based components and applications with simple-to-use Visual Studio and Eclipse plug-ins that remove the complexities of cross-platform interoperability."

But why support Mono?

"The question of whether JNBridge can support Mono is actually one of the more common questions we get asked," Citrin told ADTmag.com. "I think customers are looking to expand their options beyond Windows -- in this case, to Linux -- and Mono brings .NET to mobile devices. And it's a natural progression of our mission: 'Anything Java and anything .NET, anywhere.'"

The "classic" use case for Mono is to migrate an ASP.NET Web application from a Windows Server to a Linux server, Citrin said. JNBridgePro 7.0 enables ASP.NET apps running on Linux to access enterprise Java systems (WebLogic, WebSphere), or Java-based content management systems. JNBridgePro 7.0 allows the use of Mono with any Java implementation, including Java EE, Citrin said. And the apps can run where the Java and .NET sides are in different processes, or on different machines.

"This is just one example where developers can integrate .NET with enterprise Java, while avoiding Windows lock-in for their app deployment," Citrin said.

This release also comes with a single installer for both 32- and 64-bit platforms, and it's designed to allow developers to build combined applications that are "any-CPU," simplifying the installation and app development and deployment processes.

"With the added capabilities in JNBridgePro 7.0, JNBridge provides new options for developers to target multiple platforms from a single code base," said IDC analyst Al Hilwa. "JNBridge continues to set the standard in supporting Java and .NET interoperability as [the company] now [addresses] providing Mono support on Linux."

JNBridgePro 7.0 releases to general availability today. More information is available on the company's download site.