Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Development

    JSF Enables AJAX with No JavaScript

    By
    Darryl K. Taft
    -
    March 26, 2007
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      LAS VEGAS—JavaServer Faces can be used to develop Asynchronous JavaScript and XML applications with no JavaScript coding, according to JSF experts.

      In a session at TheServerSide Java Symposium here March 22, Ed Burns, a senior staff engineer at Sun Microsystems, said JSF can enable developers to build enterprise-grade AJAX applications that are robust, reliable, well-tested and industry-proven, easy to use, and have good scalability.

      There are different approaches for using JSF and AJAX, he said. One is to use JSF and efforts such as Project Dynamic Faces or DynaFaces. With this approach, there is no JavaScript knowledge required, or users can “do more powerful stuff if you like JavaScript,” he said. Another approach is using AJAX-enabled JSF components, which requires a minimal awareness of AJAX, he said. Or developers can do naked AJAX or use an AJAX framework.

      In addition to Project Dynamic Faces, there are other options for using JSF with AJAX, including ICEsofts ICEfaces, Ajax2JSF, AjaxAnywhere and Backbase, Burns said.

      /zimages/1/28571.gifGoogles Adam Bosworth tells why AJAX failed—and then succeeded. Read about it here.

      Burns said the object-oriented design of JSF was ready for AJAX when AJAX wasnt cool. Indeed, key features of JSF that make it AJAX-friendly include a flexible and extensible component model, a well-defined Request Processing Lifecycle, and a flexible and extensible rendering model, he said.

      The concepts that enable AJAX include encapsulation, the ability to hide JavaScript from the page author but show it to the component author; and state management to easily keep client and server state in sync, Burns said.

      JSF with AJAX also solves the problem of cross-browser differences, Burns said.

      Meanwhile, Project Dynamic Faces brings the power of AJAX to existing and future JSF-developed applications, Burns said.

      Promoting the same theme as Burns, Kito Mann, principal consultant at Virtua, of Stamford, Conn., presented a talk titled “Look Ma, No JavaScript” at the AJAX World 2007 conference in New York. Manns thesis was that “you can build applications using JSF without having to write JavaScript.”

      JSF is a standard Web user interface framework for Java. The specification consists of a server-side user interface component and event model, a set of basic user interface components, and a basic application infrastructure, he said. Mann is also founder of JSFCentral.com, a community for managers, architects and developers working with JSF technology. In addition, he is a member of the Java Community Process JSF expert group, among others.

      JSF also provides extensive tool support and enables a RAD (rapid application development)-style approach to Java Web development, Mann said. Plus, it facilitates a third-party user interface component market and is built on top of the servlet API, he said.

      Overall, though, “JSF provides transparent AJAX support,” Mann said. “The idea here is that the JSF programming model can work with AJAX.”

      And JSF is supported in a variety of IDEs (integrated development environments), including Suns Java Studio Creator, BEA Workshop Studio, Oracle JDeveloper and Exadel Studio Pro (now under the JBoss umbrella), Mann said.

      Moreover, the JSF architecture makes it easy to add AJAX support, he said.

      Indeed, Mann said there are three primary AJAX integration strategies for JSF.

      One is to add AJAX support to existing components, a second is to integrate AJAX support directly into JSF components, and the third is to wrap existing AJAX widgets into a JSF component, Mann said.

      Technologies that deliver on the first approach include Exadels Ajax4JSF, Ideo Technologies open-source AjaxAnywhere offering and Suns DynaFaces, Mann said.

      Products or technologies that support the integration of AJAX directly into JSF components include Simplicas ECruiser, Infragistics NetAdvantage, Suns Project Woodstock, and technology from ICEsoft, Backbase and Exadel, Mann said.

      And for wrapping existing AJAX widgets into JSF, the two primary choices are Suns jMaki and the Dojo Foundations Dojo Faces, he said.

      /zimages/1/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, reviews and analysis in programming environments and developer tools.

      Darryl K. Taft
      Darryl K. Taft covers the development tools and developer-related issues beat from his office in Baltimore. He has more than 10 years of experience in the business and is always looking for the next scoop. Taft is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and was named 'one of the most active middleware reporters in the world' by The Middleware Co. He also has his own card in the 'Who's Who in Enterprise Java' deck.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Careers

      SThree’s Sunny Ackerman on Tech Hiring Trends

      James Maguire - June 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Sunny Ackerman, President/Americas for tech recruiter SThree, about the tight labor market in the tech sector, and much needed efforts to...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×