Raible Designs

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...

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.

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.

Should I buy a PowerBook or a PC?

I received the following e-mail from Jason Boutwell a couple of days ago (published here with his permission).

I'm in the market for a new development laptop, either a P4 or a G4. I see from some of your older blog posts that you went through the same thing last year. First you went with a P4, then ended up with a PowerBook, so you've done both.

Since we seem to have similar professional interests (jobs where you BYOL, developing J2EE apps with tools like Hibernate, Struts, XDoclet, IDEA, etc.), you seem an ideal person to ask.

It's as simple as this: you can't beat the form-factor of the PowerBook. The fact that it's so small and light really make it a killer laptop. iPhoto, iMovie and iTunes are all killer apps and make digital photography and video so much easer. However, as a development environment - it sucks. It's sooooo much slower that my Windows XP desktop (that only cost $800).

My perspective of the speed difference might not be fair though - desktops (most likely) will always be faster than laptops. However, to run "ant deploy" for AppFuse takes 23 seconds on my 2.6 GHz CPU / 1.5 GB RAM desktop and 36 seconds on the PowerBook (1.33 GHz CPU / 1 GB RAM). It is difficult for me to develop on the Mac after developing on my PC for awhile, it's just so much slower. That being said, I don't think I'd be happy with a PC laptop - they're too ugly and bulky (for the 17" models) and don't offer the slick digital hub integration that the Mac does.

Don't expect the PowerBook to be a desktop replacement. And if you've never used a Mac, prepare to be frustrated. I've been a Windows user for 10+ years and getting used to the way a Mac works is not easy. It's been most frustrating for me because I can navigate around and do stuff on Windows really fast - it's almost like second nature. On the Mac, I have to think about how to do stuff. I think that Mac or Linux users migrating to Windows would feel the same frustration.

Above all else, you need to experience a Mac first hand. Go to your local Apple Store and play around with one. Download your favorite IDE and checkout an open source project from SourceForge. Download and install Ant and try compiling the project. You're gonna love the feel of the Mac, but you might find it's a bit slower than you're used to.

The one problem with not buying a PowerBook is that you'll always long for one. ;-) Would I buy a PowerBook again? Definitely. Would I give up my Windows desktop for a Mac desktop? No. Why should I give up all my years of becoming an efficient Windows user to be a slow-ass frustrated Mac user - it just doesn't make sense.

A little EL Lovin' for the DisplayTag

Tim McCune submitted a patch for the Display Tag Library to add Expression Language support. I committed it today, along with a few other enhancements. You can read more on the displaytag-devel mailing list. Tim's patch was a nice clean approach to adding EL support. He just subclassed the existing tags and then evaluated the expressions. All I did to integrate was to create an "el" package under "tags" and added an additional .tld file. So there's really nothing that's taken away from the original tag library, and if you want EL support, you simply need to use the "*-el.tld" in your web.xml or change your URI to "http://jakarta.apache.org/taglibs/display-el". Of course, you'll need to include JSTL's JARs (standard.jar and jstl.jar) in your WEB-INF/lib to make this work. This patch included the ability to specify a titleKey attribute - a much asked-for feature.

I like Tim's approach so much, I might have to use it for Struts Menu. It's a slick way of supporting JSP 1.1 containers, and adding optional EL support for JSP 1.2 containers. I haven't had any feedback from the dev team, but hopefully this will make it into the next release.

Roller Tips: Titles as Permalinks and Category Display

A few more tips for your Roller blog. You can edit your "_day" template to make your titles permalinks. I just added this feature to this site - try it now by clicking on this title for any post. To enable this feature, simply wrap your $entry.title element with a permalink URL. For example, change <b>$entry.title</b> to the following:

<a href="$baseURL/page/$userName?anchor=$entry.anchor" 
   style="font-style: bold; color: black">$entry.title</a>

Adjust the style as appropriate for your theme. The second tip is to add the ability for users to see the category you've posted to. Simply add the following under the $entry.title entry to display the category name in the top right corner of the post:

<span class="dateStamp" style="float: right">
    Category: $entry.category.name</span>

Again, the CSS for the span may depend on your theme. Lastly, if you click on a permalink for your blog and you're not routed to the specific entry you expect, for the love of God add the following before your $entry.title.

<a name="$entry.anchor" id="$entry.anchor"></a>

Send a Fax from Java?

I'm looking for a (hopefully free) way to send a Fax from a Java program. I think the easiest way would be to send an e-mail to some sort of service that processes it and faxes it the recipient. Any suggestions?

Jalopy source code formatter no longer free

I love the Jalopy Source Code Formatter. I hope it continues to be developed on SF (though it hasn't had a release in over a year). My issue? It doesn't work on Eclipse 3.0 Mx on OS X. Why am I worried development will stop? Because the original author has a non-free version (at www.triemax.com).

I can't blame the guy - developing Open Source projects is fun, supporting them is a pain. You get rewards for developing: personal milestones, discovery, knowledge enhancement. For supporting, you get to use your precious non-paid hours to try to disseminate your knowledge. This can also be rewarding, it's just not as immediate, leading to the frustration and pain of support. Good documentation reduces support, but that's a pain too.

We have test-first methodologies, will we ever get to document-first? Write the help files, then write the tests, and then the actual code. I'm willing to bet you'd get even higher quality software going this route.

Roller Tip: Managing your Comments

I tend to get a few comments a week that I need to delete because a reader has double-posted or said something I don't care to have on my website. Up until today, it's been a pain to navigate the Roller UI and delete these comments. It's almost easier to do it through SQL. No longer - I added a "Delete Comments" link to my _day template that shows up right after the "Edit" link. I'm not using the showEntryPermaLink macro for permalinks because I prefer to show permalinks on their own page (keyed by the anchor parameter). So replace your logic to render your permalink with the following and you'll be able to delete comments easier too:

    <a href="$baseURL/page/$userName?anchor=$entry.anchor"
        title="Permanent link to this weblog entry"
        class="entrypermalink">Permalink</a>
    #if ($pageHelper.isUserAuthorizedToEdit())
        [<a href="$pageHelper.getEntryEditUrl($entry)">Edit</a>] 
        [<a href="$ctxPath/comment.do?method=delete&entryid=$entry.Id">Delete Comments</a>]
    #end

To be thorough, here is the contents of the showEntryPermaLink macro:

    <a href="$baseURL/page/$userName/#formatDate($plainFormat $entry.PubTime )#$entry.Anchor"
        title="Permanent link to this weblog entry"
        class="entrypermalink">Permalink</a>
    #if ($pageHelper.isUserAuthorizedToEdit())
        [<a href="$pageHelper.getEntryEditUrl($entry)">Edit</a>]
    #end

JSF 1.0 - Proposed Final Draft Spec and Beta Reference Implementation

From Craig McClanahan on the struts-dev mailing list:

I'm pleased to announce that the Proposed Final Draft version of the JavaServer Faces 1.0 Specification, and a corresponding Beta release of the Reference Implementation, is now available at:

http://java.sun.com/j2ee/javaserverfaces/download.html

Please send any feedback and comments strictly about JavaServer Faces to [email protected].

I'm also finishing up an update to the Struts-Faces Integration Library, and will be making it available (via nightly builds) very soon. Feel free to ask any questions about how to use Struts and JavaServer Faces here on the STRUTS-USER list.

Sweet! It's almost time to try JSF in a webapp. I'd love to offer a web layer for AppFuse in JSF. But then again, I'd like to offer WW2 and Tapestry options too. I just need to figure out how to give the developer that option when building. The main problem is it'd probably be a pain in the ass to maintain all 4 implementations. But then again, that's what unit tests are for!

In other news, a nice patch has been proposed for the DisplayTag that would give it JSTL's EL support.