would like to create dynamic image map using Java

[Geoff Winsor]

Hi,
I am in charge of a genome database/ web site that is running on a Windows
Server 2003 platform. We are planning to migrate to Linux soon and are in
the process of deciding what language the new web site will be written in.
One important feature of the Windows-based site is a dynamic image map
created by an ASP application that produces an image of about 40 genes (out
of about 6000) at a time depending on what region of the genome the user is
currently looking up. The application is fed a list of coordinates of the
genes in the genome and these genes are drawn out as a series of
rectangles/boxes - each box can be clicked on and bring you to the record
for a nearby gene, while displaying the current location in the image map at
the top of the page (if this sounds confusing, please look up
http://www.pseudomonas.com//AnnotationByPAu.asp?PA=PA4218).
We are currently debating whether the site will be written in Java or Perl
(using the GD module for graphics). I am wondering if there are some
suitable Java classes that can be used to create this dynamic image map
reasonably fast and display it at the top of the page. In my limited
experience coding in Java, I associate its graphics capabilities with
applets, which we would like to avoid. Any advice on this matter would be
greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Geoff

 

[andrewh1]

Hi,
I am in charge of a genome database/ web site that is running on a Windows
Server 2003 platform. We are planning to migrate to Linux soon and are in
the process of deciding what language the new web site will be written in.
One important feature of the Windows-based site is a dynamic image map
created by an ASP application that produces an image of about 40 genes (out
of about 6000) at a time depending on what region of the genome the user is
currently looking up. The application is fed a list of coordinates of the
genes in the genome and these genes are drawn out as a series of
rectangles/boxes - each box can be clicked on and bring you to the record
for a nearby gene, while displaying the current location in the image map at
the top of the page (if this sounds confusing, please look up
http://www.pseudomonas.com//AnnotationByPAu.asp?PA=PA4218).
We are currently debating whether the site will be written in Java or Perl
(using the GD module for graphics). I am wondering if there are some
suitable Java classes that can be used to create this dynamic image map
reasonably fast and display it at the top of the page.

What do you mean by fast. Fast for you as the developer or fast for the
user to get their display?

In my limited
experience coding in Java, I associate its graphics capabilities with
applets, which we would like to avoid.

Applets are simply a way of presenting your application. Anything an
applet can do then an application can do (at least as far as graphics
etc are concerned)

What you want is really a simple application of sprites, as in games.
ie a gene sprite class that can be given its information from the
database and then can draw itself and can respond to mouse clicks. (you
don't even need animation although I suspect once you start you will
think of interesting things you might do with animation).

I would suggest any text on 2D sprite games but for a start you could try

http://developers.sun.com/techtopics/mobility/midp/articles/game/

They refer to an API for 2D sprite games.

Andrew


Any advice on this matter would be

 

[Thomas Weidenfeller]

We are currently debating whether the site will be written in Java or Perl
(using the GD module for graphics).

It is not clear for me if you want to have server-site Java or
client-site Java. Depending on what you want, you might want to study
the following technologies (in the given order):

Client-Site:

* Java Applications with Java Web Start

* Applets

Server-Site:

* Servlets

* JSP

* or the full J2EE (maybe overkill for your task).

I am wondering if there are some
suitable Java classes that can be used to create this dynamic image map
reasonably fast

Java has a good 2D API which comes with Java these days. If you want to
use it on the server-site, look for the phrase "headless Java". Early
Java versions required a work-around, but these times are history.

and display it at the top of the page.

How to do it depends on the technology you choose. If you have Java on
the client site you would use the 2D API to draw an image in some Java
window on the screen. If you use java on the server site you would use
the 2D API to draw the image in memory, convert it to a GIF or PNG and
embed a reference to it in some HTML (similar to what you would do with
another language).

/Thomas

 

[Roedy Green]

Client-Site:

* Java Applications with Java Web Start

* Applets

Server-Site:

* Servlets

* JSP

* or the full J2EE (maybe overkill for your task).

see http://mindprod.com/jgloss/remotefileio.html
for a continuation of that discussion.