In early 1995, Sun Microsystems quietly released an alpha version of a new programming language with a cool name: Java. Not long after its low-key initial release, Netscape announced it would include Java in its browser, and rush of Java publicity, excitement, and hype ensued. In the many years since, Java has matured. It is now an expansive and capable programming technology, widely adopted in many areas—from tiny devices to server clusters and beyond. The Java landscape is now so immense it is difficult for Java professionals to keep up. The goal of Leading-Edge Java is to help professional Java developers stay abreast of the latest developments in the Java landscape, and help them make effective use of Java technologies.

Leading-Edge Java is a peer-reviewed, online journal for the Java community. Our mission is to publish high-quality articles of practical use to professional Java developers. We focus on the latest, "leading-edge," developments. For example, although you are unlikely to find an introduction to Java article here, you might find a tutorial on a new API in the latest version of Java. We publish the following kinds of articles:

• news of recent developments in Java technology
• tutorials of new language features, APIs, and tools
• interviews with shakers and movers in the Java community
• feature articles about new, innovative uses of Java technology

If you are doing leading-edge work with Java, consider writing for Leading-Edge Java.

Bill Venners is president of Artima Software, Inc. and editor-in-chief of Artima Developer. He is author of the book, Inside the Java Virtual Machine, a programmer-oriented survey of the Java platform's architecture and internals. His popular columns in JavaWorld magazine covered Java internals, object-oriented design, and Jini. Bill has been active in the Jini Community since its inception. He led the Jini Community's ServiceUI project, whose ServiceUI API became the de facto standard way to associate user interfaces to Jini services. Bill also serves as an elected member of the Jini Community's initial Technical Oversight Committee (TOC), and in this role helped to define the governance process for the community.