Vx-Waba is a open source Java Virtual Machine implementation ported to VeriFone Vx architecture. It's based on the Waba VM classic code released by WabaSoft (http://www.wabasoft.com/).

We made a few improvements to the base code:

• Console application. POS terminals have a tiny LCD display (typically, 21 columns by 8 lines) with limited graphics capacity. So, all the windowing support was removed and console manipulation added. Also, there is no more event driven support.
• Application stored in JAR files. The file system of terminals have no directories and the available space is limited. The nativeLoad() function was implemented to uncompress and extract only the required class file directly to memory, saving file system space and preserving the directory structure inherent to those files.
• Exception Handling. We implemented support for exception throwing and handling (thank you Superwaba team).
• Multithread. Now waba has multithread support. Also, it supports synchronization opcodes monitorenter and monitorexit, as well as syncronized() Java statement and synchronized methods.

In adition, VxWaba 2.3.0 supports the following features: 

• Long and double data types. Long and double data types are now supported. Support of those datatypes as return types for native methods are still tricky (java method are transparent) and deserves some effort in the future.
• Some POS specific devices handling. Some devices are already supported, like thermal printer and magnetic card reader. Others are coming.
• System packages are built in. Two system packages, waba.jar and forms.jar, are now built into VM's binary. It allowed us to save a lot of heap memory, as the class code don't need to be stored twice.

We added a new package, called forms. It handles user inputs. The following controls are supported:

• FormText:  allow typing of text, left, center or right aligned, masked or plain.
• FormNumber: number input specialized control, with decimal and thousands optional separation.
• FormLabel: simple text displaying.
• FormCheckbox: a checkbox control, checked/unchecked style.
• FormRadio: radio button control, accepts one among several choices.

Despites those controls, forms package have two keypad state control for alphanumeric entry: cellphone keypad style (press the same numeric key multiple times to enter letters) or special key style (press the numeric key and then the ALPHA key multiple times to enter letters). These entry modes are interchangeble and do not affect the application that is using forms package.

Later, we'll provide some samples on using forms package.

Download Vx-Waba here: waba-2-3-0.zip. To see the older 2.0.0 version, click here.

Documentation about waba package is available here.

Documentation about the new forms package is available here.

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