What Exactly Is a Java Bean?

To gain an understanding of the importance of the JavaBeans Component Architecture, consider this hypothetical situation for a moment. Referring back to the spreadsheet example we just discussed, imagine that you're working with the JDK, version 1.0 (circa 1995) and that you have decided that on your latest project you will use a Java Integrated Development Environment (IDE) such as Symantec Visual Café Version 1.0. You go to several Web sites and download several evaluation copies of some popular Java spreadsheet components. You don't have any documentation (hey, they were free evaluations after all!).

Coming from the Visual Basic programming world, you're very familiar with the process of simply adding a component ...

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