Java Inventor is intended to be a new (free) IDE for education that makes rich Java development and deployment easy for anyone, without the usual Java "learning cliff". Java Inventor has these features:

• Elegant console UI to ease project file creation, editing and management
• Cloud server back-end (Google App Engine!)
• Integrated visual designer for graphics+app pages (Javi files)
• Integrated visual designer for Swing panels
• Integrated visual designer for database tables
• Integrated visual data binding
• Integrated report designer
• Integrated editors for images, sound and more
• Integrated Java editor with "Code Helper" (for drag+drop of stub classes and methods)
• Instant "one-click" deployment with Google App Engine speed+scalability
• Cross-platform Java deployment in the browser and on the desktop
• Community website for browsing and showcasing published projects: Javi1.com
• Integrated terminal console for SQL-like data management
• Published applications run in the "Javi Browser" with support for refresh, address bar, page backtracking/forward-tracking, etc.
• Share applications, components, file viewers+editors with other developers

The visual designer for "Javi" files is the most interesting - it has all the flexibility of flash and more: illustration, animation, page-layout, rich text, text wrapping, image effects, application components, 3D, sound, morphing and more. Soon this will be extended to support JavaFX.

We're still doing a bit of a barn raising, but hope to ship the complete version this summer. We probably also need to publish some video tutorials. In the meantime, please check out the community website and let us know what you think or if you have any ideas!