Java 1.6 Vs. 1.5
Java 1.6, also known as Java SE 6, has a plethora of new features compared to the older 1.5 edition. Most of these features are designed to make Java development easier and more powerful for programmers, but some are of interest to end-users as well.
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Features for Programmers
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One of the biggest changes for Java developers is the inclusion of the new Java DB embedded database software. Java DB is based on Apache's Derby database. A new class, Console, gives Java developers more power for writing command prompt-based applications.
Features for End Users
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A major addition for end-users is the official inclusion of the JConsole, a graphical user interface for monitoring the performance of the Java Virtual Machine and Java applications. And, of course, Java 1.6 includes performance and security improvements.
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Swing
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The new version of Swing (the official user interface library) in Java 1.6 increases the ability of Java applications to adjust to the "look and feel" of an operating system. Java Swing applications running on a Mac OS X computer will look like native Cocoa applications; the same application will look like a native Windows application when running on that operating system.
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