Java to wake up Corel documents

Thanks to a new licensing deal between Corel and Sun Microsystems' Javasoft division, future versions of the Corel productivity applications WordPerfect, Draw, and Ventura will be able to run Java applets as purely decorative as a spinning globe or as pragmatic as a stock ticker.

By licensing the Java source code, Corel can now add the Java Virtual Machine to its applications. The virtual machine interprets the language and lets users add Java applet code to the document, either by cutting and pasting from other sources or by writing the code themselves. Once the code is entered, the applet shows up within the document itself.

Eventually, the Java virtual machine will show up as a standard component of the major PC operating systems, making the integration with specific applications unnecessary. But in the meantime, Corel wants to identify its applications strongly with the popularity of Java.

The Java-enabled version of Draw is due in October, while the company says it will wait on Venture and WordPerfect until sometime next year. Pricing was not announced.

Terms of the licensing deal were also not disclosed, but Corel representatives said the company will pay royalties to Javasoft for every Java-enabled application sold.

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