This paper describes a system called STeP/spl I.bar/IN (standing for socio-technical platform for in situ networking) that assists software developer to find and learn Java API libraries. It provides individualized search interface for Java developers, examples that illustrate the usage, and more distinctively a facilitating mechanism that connects Java developers to exchange expertise based on their expertise and social relations. STeP/spl I.bar/IN is designed and developed based on the dynamic community theory, a new collaboration form that we have proposed.

Jun is a large open-source graphics and multimedia library. It is object-oriented and supports 3D geometry, topography and multimedia. This paper reviews the development of the Jun library from five perspectives: open-source, software evolution processes, development styles, technological support, and development data. It concludes with lessons learned from the perspective of a for-profit company providing open-source object-oriented software to the community.