Presenting the knowledge needed to become productive on the new Mac OS platform, this guide focuses on the creation of portable Java applications. Explained is how to use Java to create effective portable Mac OS applications without sacrificing native application feel. An application is developed that makes use of various key Java APIs such as Swing, JDBC, and important cross-platform technologies such as XML and SOAP. By developing one larger application, this book examines how the different technologies and APIs relate, and helps developers new to the platform get a feel for how the process works.