Connecting Dots

Minimise traffic between browser and server so that the user feels the application is responsive. Be clear on the interaction mode being used - regular HTML versus AJAX versus desktop application so that the user can predict what will happen next .. no surprises. While avoiding confusion, borrow from conventions of HTML and desktop applications so that the user can rapidly learn how to use your application. Avoid distractions such as gratuitous animations so that the user can focus on the task at hand. Stick with AJAX wherever possible - just say no to entire page downloads so that the user’s experience is consistent. Adopt AJAX for usability, not just to illustrate you’re hip to where it’s at so that the user is engaged, and not immediately driven away by your nod to website splash screens, popup ads, and other usability disasters of websites which have gone to a place you don’t want to be. For a very good read on AJAX design principles, visit : Software As She’s Developed

JSF-Spring integration is very straightforward and simple to do. Step 1 – Changes in Web.xml Your Web Application need to be aware of Spring's Web Application Context. This is defined in the Web.xml.    <listener> <listener-class> org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener </listener-class> </listener> Your Web Application also needs to know the location of Spring Beans. Definition of one or more " contextConfigLocation"  does exactly this job. <context-param> <param-name>contextConfigLocation</param-name> <param-value>classpath*:/applicationContext.xml </param-value> </context-param> The above statement makes it possible to load classless from  applicationContext.xml , which is in the classpath. Step 2 -   Define Beans in applicationContext.xml Below is an example of applicationContext.xml <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE beans PUBLIC "-

There is plenty of Web Application Frame works exist today for developing J2EE based enterprise applications. Struts, JSF, Tapestry, Cocoon, Spring, Wicket, Turbine, WebWork, MyFaces and the list goes on. Benchmarking or choosing the right frame work can be a daunting task. JSF seem to be a clear choice in the MVC world- the only component based architecture- with clean separation of roles, extensible and ease of use. RichFaces is a powerful extension of JSF framework. It brings AJAX capability to applications out of the box without needing to write any JavaScript code or needing to replace existing components with new AJAX widgets. It provides a skin-ability feature allowing easy definition and management of different color schemes and other characteristics of the UI through named skin parameters. Assuming a fair understanding of the underlying technologies, let’s get started with relatively simple set up to developing a simple yet serious web application step by step.