To celebrate the launch of JavaFX Mobile, Sun Microsystems have recently announced a JavaFX coding challenge for  with some big prizes.

JavaFX, fully integrated with the Java Runtime Environment, is a client platform for delivering Rich Internet Applications (RIA). Java FX 1.0 was launched in December 2008 and the software development kit (SDK) has already enjoyed a huge number of downloads. A more complete FAQ outlining JavaFX can be found at http://javafx.com/faq/.

The coding challenge is to create and develop an interesting applications using the JavaFX platform. Prizes are on offer including a first prize of $25,000. Judging will be carried out by a panel of experts who will assess each entry against a set of judging criteria including technical merit, originality and uniqueness, fun factor, and the ability for the entry to run on a desktop, in a browser, or on a mobile device.

A number of sample applications are available, including all source code and explanations, to demonstrate the power and flexibility of JavaFX including:

• Accessing Flickr’s REST API From JavaFX
• Animating Shapes Along a Path
• Using the JavaFX Media Component For Streaming Video
• Build a Brick Breaking Video Game

You can download the SDK, including a version containing the NetBeans IDE and JavaFX 1.1.1, at the JavaFX at http://javafx.com/. You can join the JavaFX forums at http://forums.sun.com/category.jspa?categoryID=132.

The contest opened on March 23, 2009 and the deadline for submission is May 29, 2009. The winners will be announced during the week of June 29, 2009.

Read more about the challenge on the JavaFX website at http://javafx.com/challenge/