Oracle releases Java SE 7 update 6, bringing first-class support to OS X

Oracle announced on Tuesday that it will start offering direct downloads and auto-updates to Java on OS X beginning with the release of Java Standard Edition 7 Update 6. Users can download the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) directly from Oracle's java.com website "soon," according to Oracle, and will receive auto-updates at the same time as Windows, Linux, and Solaris platforms. The update also fully integrates the JavaFX 2.2 libraries, designed to make the development and deployment of desktop applications easier and faster, and adds OS X support for a new JavaFX user interface development tool.

The latest release of Java SE 7 now makes OS X a fully supported platform. That includes the JRE, which end users install to run Java-based applications; the JDK, which developers use to develop Java applications; and the JavaFX "rich client platform," used to develop GUI desktop applications. Oracle is also releasing an OS X version of its new JavaFX Scene Builder, which allows developers to build user interfaces using drag-and-drop components (similar to Xcode or Visual Studio).