Raible Designs

[Review] J2EE Design and Development

I finished reading Rod Johnson's J2EE Design and Development today. 700 pages took me a little over 2 weeks to knock out. This book is definitely targeted at experienced J2EE developers, which is nice. I tried to do the same with my Struts chapter in Pro JSP and I wish books would do more of it. However, the problem with targeting a more experienced audience is you lose a lot of potential buyers. Rod is definitely one sharp fellow and it shows throughout this book. Either that, or he's just got a lot of experience working with the J2EE stack in his career.

The framework described in this book eventually became Spring - and it's really just a culmination of all the things that Rod has used on his previous projects. In that respect, it's similar to AppFuse, which I created to assist me with my Java webapp projects. Like Spring, AppFuse contains all my learnings and choices over the last couple of years. Just to be clear, I don't mean to imply that AppFuse is anything close to Spring as far as functionality - but I do believe they're similar in their goals. Spring is designed to make J2EE easier, while AppFuse is designed to make project setup and testing easier. Hopefully, when I start using some Spring features in AppFuse, developing with AppFuse will become even simpler.

Back to the book. I found the first few chapters somewhat boring since they covered a lot of the stuff I already knew about J2EE applications. The middle part of the book was on Spring's simplified JDBC approach and it also covered EJBs. I tend to shy away from writing JDBC these days, especially since Hibernate suits my needs so nicely. If I'm working with an existing database and there's a lot of SQL code already, I'll use iBatis. And EJBs, blech - I've never had a need for them. Admittedly, a lot of my projects are small and don't require container-managed transactions. I've also heard rumors of CMT being a part of Spring - so who knows if there's any good argument for EJBs anymore. Anyway, I found the middle part of the book quite boring as well since I don't much care about JDBC or EJB.

The last part of the book, however, peaked my interest. It discussed MVC design, View Technologies (i.e. JSP, Velocity, XSLT, XMLC, PDF) and basically a lot of stuff related to the web tier. In this area, I was most impressed with XMLC, which allows you to write HTML pages - then use Java to manipulate it's contents. Very slick stuff for having a static prototype that also serves as the code for your app. I don't see myself switching from JSP to XMLC, but I dig the option. In the Performance Testing and Tuning chapter - great examples where given and seemingly real-world optimizations where made. This chapter could prove to be a handy reference for enhancing performance with simple caching.

Overall, I thought this was a great book, although a bit heavy on the EJB stuff for me. Now I'm motivated to learn more about Spring. In the process, hopefully I'll figure out how it makes iBatis and Hibernate easier to work with (links are most welcome). Next up is Java Open Source Programming(500 pages), which I expect to take another two weeks to polish off.

Alternative web frameworks for AppFuse

I've was thinking about the AppFuse Roadmap for a bit today - and it hit me. The hardest part of supporting frameworks like WebWork and Tapestry is going to be replacing the Struts features I'm confortable with. For WebWork, it should be fairly easy to replace Tiles with SiteMesh, but for Tapestry - does a templating framework even exist? Other things that might be hard to implement in Tapestry are the DisplayTag (although Erik Hatcher did mention it's easy to implement in Tapestry) and Struts Menu. I imagine doing something like implementing a menu with CSS/JavaScript isn't too hard in Tapesty - but can it be configured from an XML file and a Velocity template? Implementing these components into WebWork should be easy since it supports JSP, but Tapesty is a whole different animal. I've also heard that JSF already has a grid component - and the struts-faces library should allow me to use Struts Menu easily with JSF.

I guess the good news in all of this is that I will discover if this stuff is possible or not - instead of just wondering. If you do happen to know the answers off the top of your head - please let me know. The real question is - after all of this - which framework will I choose as my favorite. Stick around and read about my journey into these other frameworks from the perspective of a hardcore Struts developer and enthusiast. I don't plan on trying to prove that Struts is better - I just want to find the beauty of these other frameworks and report if it's all hype or actually true.

A Wiki to Watch

If you're a Java Blogger, you know about Erik's weblog. If you don't, you're living under a rock. Today, Erik introduced his wiki, which is likely to be a hotbed of good Tips and Tricks. I subscribed to his wiki RSS feed. I've seen issues with my wiki's RSS feed (it says there's updates when there really isn't), so I hope his works better. I didn't realize my Redman Skin got published, but oh well - the download is only 12KB. The name is probably a bad one since it's easy to change the color scheme from Red to other colors (just change the link colors). At my current client, I changed everything to green, and I have to say - it looks a bit better than the red. One thing I've been meaning to do to this wiki template is support for a tabbed menu, I just haven't gotten around to it.

DJUG Meeting: The Future is Swing

I attended the Denver JUG meeting tonight and definitely enjoyed myself. It helped that I got to see an old friend, but it was also a nice refresher on XSL-FO and a great overview on J2EE UI choices. The basic concepts meeting was on XSL-FO, which as far as I know, is mainly used for creating PDF documents from XML content. Apache's FOP is widely used for doing XSL-FO in Java.

So here's a question for you - if I want to produce PDF versions of my resume (in struts-resume), which technology should I use? I know it'd be fairly easy with XSL-FO, but what about JasperReports? I'd like an easy way for users to be able to upload new "templates" for the PDF version of their resume, so FO might be the way to go. In addition, I'd also like to implement the PDF-rendering technology that I'll likely use on a real-world project. Are there some good APIs to use?

I did some XSL-FO work a couple of years ago and it seemed pretty cool, but it required a lot of trial and error to get things looking right (as is the case with most XSL). My favorite tool at the time was RTF2FO, which allows you to create a Word document with the look you want, save it as an RTF, and then convert it to a FO (.fo) document. Pretty slick stuff - it looks like they have a free trial and it's only $50/machine. The project I used it on was only 3 weeks, so the trail version did me just fine.

The main presentation was delivered by David Curry, who seemed to be an expert on J2EE UI choices.

David Curry is Director of Systems Development for ADP/SIS, part of the ADP Brokerage Services Group. He and his team use J2EE with DHTML, XML and Swing to develop mission-critical desktop productivity applications for brokerage and bond trading firms.

The main thing that impressed me was that David has been developing the same application since 1992. The app started out as a PowerBuilder desktop app, and moved to an HTML app, then DHTML - and now they're moving to Swing. They recently chose Swing (with the help of JGoodies) over their DHTML interface because 1) Java Web Start makes it much easier to deploy and 2) it's much more responsive for users on dial-up connections. David mentioned that it's a good idea to break your app into many separate jars so users don't need to update the entire app for new releases (a.k.a. JNLP Versioning).

I've often argued that you can make a webapp do almost anything a desktop app can do, but I can't argue with the bandwidth thing. It does take a long time to download a webapp that has a lot of JavaScript, CSS and images that make it rich. David mentioned that Gartner expects HTML interfaces to subside in the coming years, and for rich UIs (like Swing and SWT) to become more the norm. In one sense, I hope they don't - the only reason I'm in this industry is because of my HTML/CSS/JavaScript skills. It's all I know. Sure, I could probably learn Swing, and I might even like it, but I'd rather not. Learning Spring, WebWork and Tapestry sounds like more fun. Of course, if they can support a Swing UI, then I've lost nothing by learning them. I know WebWork does, but what about Tapestry? Is it view-technology-agnostic?

On the other hand, Swing does have some advantages:

• There aren't as many choices. Desktop apps are desktop apps, they should look like them. A lot of webapp developers (including myself) can get caught up in making a webapp look like a great website. The web offers so many more choices for look-n-feel that it's hard to decide which is right. I spend more time tweaking UI code (JavaScript and CSS) than doing anything else.
• Java Developers can develop the UI. In my experience, I have a rare set of skills - a strong HTML/CSS/JavaScript background, and a firm grasp of Java. The industry rumor is that there's HTML developers and Java Developers, but they're rarely the same person. David mentioned that there team is nicely consolidated to 6 developers - and everyone knows how to program in all layers. This sounds like smart management to me, moreso than Swing makes your team more efficient.

The other side of the coin is that Swing will never replace many webapps. For instance, it could never replace Roller. Why would readers want to download a Java app to read this site. However, since most of you probably use client-side aggregators and client-side editors, maybe the shift to desktop apps has already started...

MD-5 password encryption and the "secret key"

According to a post on the Struts User mailing list, it's possible to encrypt a password using MD-5 (which is one-way), stuff it into a cookie, and then use a server's "secret key" to verify that it's a good one. Since I'm guilty of storing base64 encrypted passwords in cookies for a "Remember Me" feature, I'd love to figure out a more secure way of doing this.

So the question is - is it possible to implement "Remember Me" in J2EE in a secure way?

Setting the cookies on a certain path (i.e. /roller/security/) works, but not on Tomcat 5. I want to securely set my userid/password/rememberMe cookies at the root level of my app, map a filter to login.jsp (dispatcher = forward for TC 5) and be done with it.

Macromedia's Flex

I learned about Macromedia's Flex from the JavaLobby Newsletter this morning.

In essence, Flex is a presentation server that sits on top of a standard Java servlet container like Tomcat and provides the ability to use the Flash player and an updated scripting language to manage the client-side user interface of a web application. The Flex Runtime Services provide management of server-side security, connections to data sources, and so forth. The Flex Class Library provides support for a full set of server-side flash components that can be accessed via an XML markup language currently called "MXML" (which is going to change before the product release.) MXML contains the tags for the widgets in the Flex Class Library and allows you to express rich user interfaces succinctly.

I've always liked Flash, but I'm also a sucker for eye candy and cool-looking UIs. If Macromedia could make it possible to create flash files with a markup scripting language, like I do HTML/JavaScript for JSPs - I think they'll get a winner. If we're forced to use IDEs and other tools to drag and drop components - I won't bite. I'm too used to typing vs. point and clicking. I don't use Dreamweaver for HTML - why would I start now?

However, I do have a friend who is an awesome Flash Animator - it'd be cool to hook up with him someday to create rich web UIs. Only problem is - I think it'll be tough to find a client that prefers a flash interface over an HTML-based interface.

What would be awesome is if I could use a RenderKit from JSF to create a Flash UI. The ability to write standard HTML/CSS and have it generate a Flash UI that could do everything like a desktop app - mmmmm, sounds sweeeeettt.

Update: The Flex JSP Tag Library might be just what I was looking for. I also found an article on Providing a Flex Front-End to your Struts Applications. In my opinion, the one reason that Flex won't work is that it will cost money - all other J2EE View technologies are free. Cheap is good though - it might work if it's a mere 50 bucks.

Good News from TheServerSide

I woke this morning and was doing my normal perusing of JavaBlogs and came across a couple of gems: Middlegen 2.0 VO was released and TheServerSide.com has a new UI. A couple of thoughts I had:

• What the heck does VO stand for in the Middlegen Release message? Does this new release support Struts 1.1?
• The new UI for TSS looks great, but did they intentionally not set a background color on the page (shows up gray on my screen)? I think they forgot to set a background-color, because the stylesheet doesn't have one defined. Do me a favor, if you're a web developer, change your default background color in your browser to something obnoxious (i.e. purple) so you don't make this same mistake. Granted, most browsers default to white, but this is a mistake that only rookies make.

The Verge Web Framework

After reading this post on the Server Side, I'd hate to be the guy who invented Verge. He's getting pounded like a rabbit during mating season!

Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with another web framework. Competition is good. The funny thing is that I've never had a need to migrate away from Struts. I do admit that the IoC (Inversion of Control) in WebWork looks cool, but I don't have a need. After reading most of Rod Johnson's J2EE Design and Development, I do understand IoC (I didn't have a clue before), but I still don't see how I need it. I've never run into a problem with Struts that I couldn't solve. Maybe it helps that I've written my own app to make Struts development simpler.

Even though I do like Struts, and I do find it easy to develop with, I also plan on stuffing my head in a couple of books and learning all about Spring, Tapestry and WebWork. Why? Mainly because I'm a fool and I can't be happy just sitting on the couch and watching TV (which would probably help my blood pressure and make my family happier). I'm a fool because I'd rather learn than relax. Back to the point - why do I want to learn these "big 3?" To be honest, it's primarily because some big names (and folks I'd consider friends) are saying they're cool and they'll make my job easier. If only I wasn't so easily influenced...

What I hate about all of this is that as soon as I decide to integrate Spring into AppFuse, it becomes more complicated. Yes, an XML BeanFactory file is more complicated than Interface i = new InterfaceImpl(), especially for newbies.

Furthermore, I'm willing to bet that I'll end up writing workarounds for issues I encounter in Tapestry and WebWork. I'll even put my money where my mouth is - if your framework doesn't require me to write any workarounds, I'll donate $100 to the project. Heck, if it really is that cool - I'll donate money regardless of workarounds.

The worst part is that there's really no reason to convert my Struts webapp to these newer, cooler frameworks. About the only good reason is so I can say "I know the XXX Framework." I doubt XXX Framework will make anything easier, but it certainly might make my webapp a whole lot cooler.

AppFuse on DB2 and WebSphere

I did some trial-and-error this morning, and with the help of a lot of handy-dandy unit tests, I got [Appuse working on DB2|AppFuseOnDB2]. I learned that I need to figure out how to create a database with page size = 8 by default - anyone got a SQL script to create DB2 databases (with reasonably sized table spaces) lying around?

Next up: Getting AppFuse running on WebSphere 5.1, this should be fun. Especially considering that they only seem to support .ear files, not .war files. I've only glanced at the thing for 5 minutes - any advice/links would be awesome.

What should I learn next?

I received an e-mail a few minutes ago from an old friend. We used to work together at eDeploy, which has finally gone out of business, 2.5 years after they closed their doors. This was my last full time job and was also my favorite job of all time. I rode my bike to work, got to learn Java, wore shorts all the time, and thoroughly enjoyed our Friday lunches.

His questions were fairly simple:

• What is the best way to find a Java job/contract in Denver?
• Since you've had a lot more exposure to what technologies are being used more than others, is there somethings that I should brush up on while I've got the time off (i.e. struts, xslt, EJBs, . . .)?

I wrote a long answer and thought others might be able to benefit from it - so here it is (please add your own advice as you see fit):

What I'd recommend is to subscribe to the following local mailing lists:

RMIUG Jobs: RMIUG Jobs: http://rmiug.org/html/email_lists.html
DJUG Jobs: http://www.denverjug.org/resources/mailinglist.html

They get a fair amount of jobs that come across the wire, and I actually got 2 gigs last year through the RMIUG list. Struts is definitely one of the hottest skills, but I continue to get a lot of calls as a UI/Java Developer. Having the ability to write clean and pretty HTML as well write Java seems to be rare. To complement Struts, I'd focus on JSTL and JSP 2.0. You can't go wrong learning more about Ant and JUnit - I think a lot of people know JUnit, but not many put it on their resume.

You could check out my AppFuse application which uses all of these, as well as Hibernate (another hot one) for the persistence layer.

I started writing AppFuse when I wrote a couple chapters for Pro JSP last year. I use it on all my projects and it really helps accelerate the whole JSP/Struts/JUnit/Tomcat development cycle.

I'd also recommend reading a couple of really great books:

Java Development with Ant: a truly awesome book
Pro JSP: of course ;-)
J2EE Design and Development: I'm reading it right now

EJBs are a thing of the past - you might be able to get a gig doing them, but they're definitely waning. Rod Johnson (author of the 3rd book) wrote the Spring Framework as part of the book, and it's a pretty slick framework for taking the ugly out of J2EE. The project is getting a lot of press, and I hope to use Spring pretty soon to bind all my components together in AppFuse.

Above all else, I recommend starting to read weblogs (a.k.a. blogs), and if you like it, start your own. The best place to start reading them is JavaBlogs, JRoller and Java.net. I'm a committer on the open source project (Roller Weblogger) that runs JRoller. It's some damn slick blogging software. I host my site at KGBInternet for a measly $20/month and I get my own instance of Tomcat to screw up. Reading blogs is definitely the best way to stay on the bleeding edge of Java (and any other industry for that matter).