The first public version of Wakanda, an open source platform to develop web applications using just JavaScript, can now be downloaded by software developers from http://wakanda.org/download.

Wakanda is designed to appeal to software developers who build web applications, typically for business. The product’s emphasis is on the rapid development of web applications that have a rich interface and are easy to maintain. The benefit for developers is reducing the time and lowering the cost of developing and supporting web applications by using just JavaScript.

JavaScript is an object-oriented scripting and programming language that is quick and easy to learn. Widely used in the browser by many developers, JavaScript provides a single language in the full Wakanda stack, from server to browser, making it easy to both develop and maintain an application.

As well as building web applications, the Wakanda platform lets developers create HTML pages for desktop, mobile or tablet PCs, with widgets that are adapted for the "touchscreen" environment.

Wakanda is comprised of three components: Wakanda Server provides a super-rapid datastore, an HTTP server and a home for a Wakanda application's business logic; Wakanda Studio allows you to design datastore classes, create business logic and draw up a graphical user interface (GUI) - all visually; Wakanda Framework provides the widgets and the transactional layer to enable Wakanda applications to work across many browsers and mobile devices.

Wakanda is an initiative of global software company 4D, which for the past two years has backed a separate, young development team to build this innovative application development platform.

4D Australasia Managing Director Damon Carley said the Developer Preview version of Wakanda was still not in its final form. “It’s taking baby steps, so we ask developers to be gentle and not throw it into the workforce right away,” he advised.

“We’ve released this first public version to invite developers to check it out, to be critical, alert us of the faults and make suggestions for its evolution into a finished product. Every newborn needs a family, so we encourage developers to participate in the forum, and eventually in the open source community we hope to build around Wakanda as the project continues its development.”

Although it shares its name with the country from which the character Black Panther hails in the Marvel comic book universe, the name for the Wakanda software actually comes from the Sioux Indian word that describes the "inner magic" in everything.

The Developer Preview of Wakanda is in an early testing, pre-beta phase where its product specifications are still open to change. Wakanda Developer Preview build 92237 was released on June 8. The finished product is scheduled for formal launch early next year.

During the current Developer Preview phase, Wakanda is provided with an evaluation license that is free for all to use. This latest build can be downloaded from http://wakanda.org/download

About Wakanda http://www.wakanda.org/

Due for release in early 2012, Wakanda is an open source platform for building business web applications using only JavaScript. The first publicly available version of Wakanda - Developer Preview build 92237 – was released on June 8, 2011. Wakanda is comprised of three parts:

1. Wakanda Server provides a super-rapid datastore, an HTTP server and a home for a Wakanda application's business logic
2. Wakanda Studio allows you to design datastore classes, create business logic and draw up a graphical user interface (GUI) - all visually!
3. Wakanda Framework provides the widgets and the transactional layer that enables Wakanda applications to work across many browsers and mobile devices.

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