FAQ  - Oracle  JDeveloper and ADF 11g

Last Updated 1-Jul-2009

New Features
  • Where can I find a list of all the new features in this release?
  • Where  can I find a list  of known issues and workarounds?
  • How do I get help on a specific feature?
  • Is support available for this release? 
  • How do I use the WebCenter and SOA functionality in this release?
  • Can I use the Metadata Services(MDS) features in this release?
  • What version of Subversion client does JDeveloper 11g use?
  • What version of JavaServer Faces does ADF 11g require?
  • Is there a list of deprecated and desupported features in this release?
Migration and Upgrade
  • Can I migrate applications from the various Technology Previews of 11g?
  • Can I upgrade a 10.1.3 ADF application to 11g?
  • If I upgrade my 10.1.3 ADF application to 11g will I get the new ADF Faces Rich Client components?
  • Does this version of the product include OC4J?
Packaging, Installation and Deployment
  • How can I obtain JDeveloper 11g?
  • Where is the ZIP file? 
  • Can I deploy my ADF 11g application to Oracle Internet Application Server 10.1.3 (or earlier)?
  • How do I install the ADF Runtime into a stand-alone WebLogic server?
  • What Application Servers are supported for ADF applications in this release?
  • Do I need a Java Enterprise Edition 5 compatable application server in order to be able to use JDeveloper 11g?
  • What  O/S platforms can I run JDeveloper 11g on?
  • What Browsers are supported for running ADF Faces Rich Client 11g applications?
Licensing
  • Where can I find information about Oracle Pricing and Licensing?
  • How much does JDeveloper cost?
  • Are there any run-time costs associated with any applications that I build with JDeveloper?
  • How much does the runtime license for TopLink and ADF 11g cost  for 3rd party  application servers?
  • If I am licensed for Oracle Internet Application Server (Standard edition, Enterprise Edition) can I run a ADF 11g application for free? 
  • How do I know if  I need an TopLink and ADF runtime license?
  • If I have a ADF Swing application how is my runtime license managed? 
  • Do I need a license for evaluation or development purposes?
  • Are there any special license versions for academic or open source project use?
  • What third party libraries are used in JDeveloper and ADF?
Miscellaneous
  • Can I have the source code for ADF?
  • Are there any books available to help me with ADF 11g?
  • Are there any public training courses available for learning ADF 11g?
  • Where can I find more information?

Features

Where can I find a list of all the new features in this release?

There are hundreds of new features, enhancements and bug fixes in this release. A summary of the new features is available in the New Features document on the Oracle Technology Network (OTN). 

Where  can I find a list  of known issues and workarounds?

Late breaking issues, bugs and workarounds are documented in the Release Notes for the product on OTN. If you discover a bug or issue, please consult the release notes before reporting it, we may already be aware of it.

How do I get help on a specific feature?

JDeveloper 11g comes with a large and comprehensive set of documentation covering both the development environment and the frameworks.  Addtionally the product includes a set of cue cards on the product help menu which will step you through features in an interactive manner. The JDeveloper Homepage on OTN is your gateway to much more information, samples and tutorials for the product.

Is support available for this release?

Yes, this release is fully supported for customers who have purchased support specifically for JDeveloper or who have an existing support agreement for any version of the Oracle Internet Application Server or WebLogic Products.  Users without a support contract can post questions on the Oracle Technology Network JDeveloper  Forum for community based help, we deal with issues and bugs reported on the forum as a best effort  process. Issues raised in this way have no guarantee of an answer. For full 24x7 support and formal escalation, enhancements and bug logging please contact Oracle Support.

How do I use the WebCenter and SOA functionality in this release?

Both the  WebCenter and SOA functional areas are enabled as "add-ons" to the JDeveloper environment by utilizing the "Check for Updates" option under the Help menu from within JDeveloper.

Can I use the Metadata Services(MDS) features in this release?

Session level personalizations will work in this version and any application build using this version of ADF 11g will be customizable in environments utilizing the main Fusion Middleware 11g release.

What version of Subversion client does JDeveloper 11g use?

JDeveloper 11gincludes a Subversion 1.5 client.

What version of JavaServer Faces does ADF 11g require?

ADF 11g uses JSF version 1.2.

Is there a list of deprecated and desupported features in this release?

Yes, this list is available here: Oracle JDeveloper 11g (11.1.1.0.0): Desupported and Deprecated Features.

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Migration and Upgrade

Can I migrate applications from the various Technology Previews of 11g?

Oracle does not support migration from pre-release versions such as Betas or technology previews. If you have a problem  with such a migration you may want to consult the JDeveloper Forum on OTN to see if others have encountered similar issues and can help you resolve the problem. Some known issues may also be documented in the release notes for the product.

Can I upgrade a 10.1.3 ADF application to 11g?

Yes, upgrade from 10.1.3 production releases to 11g is supported as a one way upgrade. Note that any usage of the ADF Faces JSF components (10.1.3) are automatically migrated to using the Apache MyFaces Trinidad components as part of this upgrade process. For more information on the migration process please consult this page on OTN. Once an application has been upgraded it can no longer be deployed to a Java Enterprise Edition 1.4 Application server such as Oracle Internet Application Server 10.1.3.

If I upgrade my 10.1.3 ADF application to 11g will I get the new ADF Faces Rich Client components?

No, upgraded ADF applications undergo a like-for-like migration to the Apache MyFaces Trinidad components and retain the same functionality as the application in 10.1.3. Taking advantage of new ADF 11g features such as the Rich Client Components and ADF Task Flows requires a degree of redesign for the application to fully exploit the new capabilities that are present in this release.

Does this version of the product include OC4J?

No, in the production version of JDeveloper 11g we have migrated the embedded application server engine to use WebLogic 10.3. OC4J 11g is not shipped or supported with this release.

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Packaging, Installation and Deployment

How can I obtain JDeveloper 11g?

JDeveloper is available for free from OTN.  Navigate to the JDeveloper Homepage and follow the download link. You can also order a physical copy on DVD from the Oracle store

Where is the ZIP file?

Previous versions of JDeveloper could be simple installed by unzipping the downloaded zip file, however, JDeveloper  11g requires the use of an installer  to correctly configure the embedded WebLogic  application server.  There are three versions of the installer, an .exe for Windows,  a .bin file for Linux and a .jar version for all platforms including OS/X. Consult the installation guide and the release notes for information on how to install. Note that the JDeveloper Java edition which has no embedded application server is still packaged as a simple zip file.

Can I deploy my ADF 11g application to Oracle Internet Application Server 10.1.3 (or earlier)?

No,  Oracle iAS 10.1.3  only supports version 1.4 of the Java Enterprise Edition standard. ADF 11g applications require a 1.5 compatible server such as Oracle WebLogic 10gR3. See the section on licensing for the implications of this if you are currently not licensed for a suite that includes WebLogic.

How do I install the ADF Runtime into a stand-alone WebLogic server?

Running the JDeveloper installer on the target application server will provide the option to install just the ADF runtime libraries into an existing WebLogic home. You can then configure your domain to use this library. For more information consult the install guide.

What Application Servers are supported for ADF applications in this release?

ADF 11g applications require a Java Enterprise Edition 5 container. For more information see the Application Server Support Matrix on OTN.
Please consult the installation guide in the JDeveloper documentation set  for the latest support information.

Do I need a Java Enterprise Edition 5 compatable application server in order to be able to use JDeveloper 11g?

No, you can build applications for earlier Java Enterprise Editions, for example for deployment to Oracle Internet Application Server 10g. However, any application that uses the Oracle Application Development Framework 11g must be deployed to a Java Enterprise Edition 5 compatible server such as Oracle WebLogic 10gR3. You can also build applications which have no dependency on the application server  such as Swing based desktop applications.

What  O/S platforms can I run JDeveloper 11g on?

JDeveloper is a pure Java / Swing application and as such will run on any platform that can run swing applications. JDeveloper does, however, require a 1.6 JDK (Java SE 6 Update 5 or later)) and so some platforms may be excluded for that reason. For the purposes of support the certified list is here.
Please consult the installation guide in the JDeveloper documentation set  for the latest support information, versions  and  installation instructions on each platform

What Browsers are supported for running ADF Faces Rich Client 11g applications?

The list of supported browsers is here.
Please consult the installation guide in the JDeveloper documentation set  for the latest support information.

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Licensing

Where can I find information about Oracle Pricing and Licensing?

The Global Pricing and Licensing page on Oracle.com provides links to the latest Oracle price lists and license information.

How much does JDeveloper cost?

JDeveloper is a free tool and has no purchase cost. Free community based support and discussions are provided through the JDeveloper Forum the Oracle Technology  Network .  Formal support for the product, using the Oracle Global Support Organization can also be purchased.

What is Oracle ADF Essentials?

Oracle ADF Essentials is a packaging of key core technologies from Oracle ADF that can be deployed without cost on any server. For a list of the technologies included in Oracle ADF Essentials see the table on this page.

Are there any run-time costs associated with any applications that I build with JDeveloper?

JDeveloper is a generic Java development tool giving you the freedom to use any compatible Java package, framework or library. Some of these Java Libraries or frameworks may have runtime licence costs or restrictions and you should consult with the library authors to determine this. 
If you specifically choose to use Oracle TopLink or components of Oracle Application Development  Framework (Oracle ADF) that are not included in Oracle ADF Essentials be aware that there is a runtime licence required for any production application that you deploy using these technologies. This license is already included in all editions of the Application Server based on the WebLogic server  including Oracle WebLogic Server Standard Edition, WebLogic Server Enterprise Edition and the WebLogic Suite. A specific license will only need to be purchased if you deploy the application to a third party application server. The line item on the general technology price list  for this is "TopLink and Application Development Framework".

How much does the runtime license for TopLink and ADF 11g cost  for 3rd party  application servers?

At the time of writing the licence cost is 5,800 USD per processor,  or 120 USD per named user plus, support is also available for purchase.  Please consult the technology price list  for the latest license costs and for the definition of "processor" and "named user plus" in this context.

If I am licensed for Oracle Internet Application Server (Standard edition, Enterprise Edition) can I run a ADF 11g application for free?

Yes. Technically the existing OC4J 10gR3  is not capable of running an ADF 11g application which require Java EE 5 compliant server. You will need to deploy such applications on a WebLogic 10gR3 based Application Server. You IAS license includes WebLogic Server Basic which can be used for this purpose.

If I have a ADF Swing application how is my runtime license managed?

You need to purchase named user plus licenses for ADF Swing applications.

Do I need a license for evaluation or development purposes?

When you download JDeveloper from OTN you have to click through the OTN License Agreement for JDeveloper. This licence allows you to download an use the product for the purposes of evaluation or development for free. However, a suitable runtime licence must be applied when ADF or TopLink applications are deployed into a production environment.

Are there any special license versions for academic or open source project use?

No, although in many cases the free OTN License Agreement for JDeveloper will cover this type of usage. We would also recommend you evaluate Oracle ADF Essentials for scenarios where licensing costs might be an issue.

What third party libraries are used in JDeveloper and ADF?

A list of all of the third party libraries, their version numbers and the license that they use is available here.
 

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Miscellaneous

Can I have the source code for ADF?

Yes, supported customers can request a copy of the source code from Oracle Support.

Is there any sample code available?

Yes,  the Fusion Order Demo is a comprehensive integrated sample that showcases many of the key features of the ADF framework.  Many other samples are also available from OTN.

Are there any books available to help me with ADF 11g?

The product documentation set itself  contains extensive developers guides. Several third party books are also in the pipeline including  the Oracle Press book : "Oracle JDeveloper 11g Handbook: A Guide to Fusion Web Development."

Are there any public training courses available for learning ADF 11g?

Yes, Oracle University will be offering a set courses for learning the core Fusion  technology stack. The first of these courses will be available late 2008 / early 2009.

Where can I find more information?

Consult the Oracle JDeveloper  Homepage on OTN

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