[shale] JSF AJAX components using Shale

[rwallace]

Hey everyone,

I hope you don't mind the cross post, but I just wanted to point this
out to everyone.

https://blueprints.dev.java.net/ajaxcomponents.html

The AJAX components use Dojo for the client-side and build on
Shale-remoting for the server-side.  I had a similar idea and was even
working on creating some components in my spare time, but hadn't gotten
this far.  I know there are also some components in MyFaces sandbox, but
I don't think those are as far along as these either.

Very cool and exciting stuff.  I especially like the AJAX fileupload and
the validator.  The progress bar is cool too, but I can't see any way to
use it in cases where the progress is indeterminate like processing a
credit card or some other task that you don't know how long it's going
to take.

Rich

[Matthias Wessendorf-4]

Hi Rich,

the screens of the ajax components from blueprints look interesting.
Using dojo on client sounds resonable. The state of dojo integration
is *early*, but on going.

Using Shale-Remoting on the server side is interesting. It allows you
to invoke an "action" method on a backing bean (aka view controller).

The given usecase example contains an url like
/dynamic/remoting$business/cityAndStateForZip.faces?zip=VALUE

Here, remoting$business is a backing bean and cityAndStateForZip is a
method which looks up the "zip" http parameter (see [1] for the bean code)

What I don't like on that bean is, that it creates via
javax.faces.context.ResponseWriter the markup (here a xml list). Just
my $0.02

-Matthias

[1] http://tinyurl.com/jar73

On 4/20/06, Richard Wallace <rwallace@...> wrote:

> Hey everyone,
>
> I hope you don't mind the cross post, but I just wanted to point this
> out to everyone.
>
> https://blueprints.dev.java.net/ajaxcomponents.html
>
> The AJAX components use Dojo for the client-side and build on
> Shale-remoting for the server-side.  I had a similar idea and was even
> working on creating some components in my spare time, but hadn't gotten
> this far.  I know there are also some components in MyFaces sandbox, but
> I don't think those are as far along as these either.
>
> Very cool and exciting stuff.  I especially like the AJAX fileupload and
> the validator.  The progress bar is cool too, but I can't see any way to
> use it in cases where the progress is indeterminate like processing a
> credit card or some other task that you don't know how long it's going
> to take.
>
> Rich
>

--
Matthias Wessendorf
Aechterhoek 18
48282 Emsdetten
http://jroller.com/page/mwessendorf
mwessendorf-at-gmail-dot-com

[Werner Punz]

Richard Wallace schrieb:

> Hey everyone,
>
> I hope you don't mind the cross post, but I just wanted to point this
> out to everyone.
> https://blueprints.dev.java.net/ajaxcomponents.html
>
> The AJAX components use Dojo for the client-side and build on
> Shale-remoting for the server-side.  I had a similar idea and was even
> working on creating some components in my spare time, but hadn't gotten
> this far.  I know there are also some components in MyFaces sandbox, but
> I don't think those are as far along as these either.
>

Neat, I was aware that Sun was looking into Dojo, but I was not aware
that they have started to use it.

[Werner Punz]

Werner Punz schrieb:

> Richard Wallace schrieb:
>> Hey everyone,
>>
>> I hope you don't mind the cross post, but I just wanted to point this
>> out to everyone.
>> https://blueprints.dev.java.net/ajaxcomponents.html
>>
>> The AJAX components use Dojo for the client-side and build on
>> Shale-remoting for the server-side.  I had a similar idea and was even
>> working on creating some components in my spare time, but hadn't gotten
>> this far.  I know there are also some components in MyFaces sandbox, but
>> I don't think those are as far along as these either.
>>
>

http://wuerg.kicks-ass.net:8080/spellchecker

;-) not in the sandbox yet, but soon
Also check out our port of the dojo fisheye, and the table select.

;-)
Our emphasis has been on different things.

[craigmcc]

On 4/20/06, Matthias Wessendorf <matzew@...> wrote:

[snip]
What I don't like on that bean is, that it creates via
javax.faces.context.ResponseWriter the markup (here a xml list). Just
my $0.02

Just FYI, using a response writer is optional.  The handler function has the responsibility to create the response -- whatever technique you want to use is fine.  But if you *are* emitting dynamically constructed XML, response writer is handy for the same reasons it is handy when writing a renderer.  Most importantly, it deals with all the stuff like embedded quote characters in attribute values.

-Matthias

Craig

[craigmcc]

On 4/21/06, Werner Punz <werpu@...> wrote:

Richard Wallace schrieb:

> Hey everyone,
>
> I hope you don't mind the cross post, but I just wanted to point this
> out to everyone.
> https://blueprints.dev.java.net/ajaxcomponents.html
>
> The AJAX components use Dojo for the client-side and build on
> Shale-remoting for the server-side.  I had a similar idea and was even
> working on creating some components in my spare time, but hadn't gotten
> this far.  I know there are also some components in MyFaces sandbox, but
> I don't think those are as far along as these either.
>

Neat, I was aware that Sun was looking into Dojo, but I was not aware
that they have started to use it.

We've been working on it for a while, just not talked a lot about it yet :-).  There's also a set of these AJAX components available that work nicely with Creator.

Craig

[rwallace]

Craig McClanahan wrote:

> On 4/21/06, *Werner Punz* <werpu@... <mailto:werpu@...>> wrote:
>
>     Richard Wallace schrieb:
>     > Hey everyone,
>     >
>     > I hope you don't mind the cross post, but I just wanted to point
>     this
>     > out to everyone.
>     > https://blueprints.dev.java.net/ajaxcomponents.html
>     >
>     > The AJAX components use Dojo for the client-side and build on
>     > Shale-remoting for the server-side.  I had a similar idea and
>     was even
>     > working on creating some components in my spare time, but hadn't
>     gotten
>     > this far.  I know there are also some components in MyFaces
>     sandbox, but
>     > I don't think those are as far along as these either.
>     >
>
>     Neat, I was aware that Sun was looking into Dojo, but I was not aware
>     that they have started to use it.
>
>
> We've been working on it for a while, just not talked a lot about it
> yet :-).  There's also a set of these AJAX components available that
> work nicely with Creator.
>
> Craig
>

That it's been in the works for a while is good news.  I'd love to have
more information.  This would surely help get the web designer at my
office off my back about wanting to add some cool ajax stuff to our
webapps.  I've been wanting to do that too, but just haven't had the
opportunity to actually write the components myself.

Any idea when we can expect more information about this stuff?

Rich

[craigmcc]

On 4/21/06, Richard Wallace <rwallace@...> wrote:

Craig McClanahan wrote:

> On 4/21/06, *Werner Punz* <werpu@... <mailto:werpu@...>> wrote:
>
>     Richard Wallace schrieb:
>     > Hey everyone,
>     >
>     > I hope you don't mind the cross post, but I just wanted to point
>     this
>     > out to everyone.
>     > https://blueprints.dev.java.net/ajaxcomponents.html
>     >
>     > The AJAX components use Dojo for the client-side and build on
>     > Shale-remoting for the server-side.  I had a similar idea and
>     was even
>     > working on creating some components in my spare time, but hadn't
>     gotten
>     > this far.  I know there are also some components in MyFaces
>     sandbox, but
>     > I don't think those are as far along as these either.
>     >
>
>     Neat, I was aware that Sun was looking into Dojo, but I was not aware
>     that they have started to use it.
>
>
> We've been working on it for a while, just not talked a lot about it
> yet :-).  There's also a set of these AJAX components available that
> work nicely with Creator.
>
> Craig
>

That it's been in the works for a while is good news.  I'd love to have
more information.  This would surely help get the web designer at my
office off my back about wanting to add some cool ajax stuff to our
webapps.  I've been wanting to do that too, but just haven't had the
opportunity to actually write the components myself.

Any idea when we can expect more information about this stuff?

The BluePrints Catalog components (based on JSF 1.2), as well as the JSF 1.1 set, are available at [1].  For Creator 2, simply connect to the Update Center after you install it, and you'll be able to download the newer version of the JSF 1.1 components.  You can download Creator by starting at [2], as well as access a bunch of tutorials about using the AJAX based components in a Creator based application.

Craig

[1] https://blueprints.dev.java.net/ajaxcomponents.html
[2] http://developers.sun.com/jscreator/

 

Rich

[rwallace]

Craig McClanahan wrote:

> On 4/21/06, *Richard Wallace* <rwallace@...
> <mailto:rwallace@...>> wrote:
>
>     Craig McClanahan wrote:
>     > On 4/21/06, *Werner Punz* <werpu@... <mailto:werpu@...>
>     <mailto:werpu@... <mailto:werpu@...>>> wrote:
>     >
>     >     Richard Wallace schrieb:
>     >     > Hey everyone,
>     >     >
>     >     > I hope you don't mind the cross post, but I just wanted to
>     point
>     >     this
>     >     > out to everyone.
>     >     > https://blueprints.dev.java.net/ajaxcomponents.html
>     >     >
>     >     > The AJAX components use Dojo for the client-side and build on
>     >     > Shale-remoting for the server-side.  I had a similar idea and
>     >     was even
>     >     > working on creating some components in my spare time, but
>     hadn't
>     >     gotten
>     >     > this far.  I know there are also some components in MyFaces
>     >     sandbox, but
>     >     > I don't think those are as far along as these either.
>     >     >
>     >
>     >     Neat, I was aware that Sun was looking into Dojo, but I was
>     not aware
>     >     that they have started to use it.
>     >
>     >
>     > We've been working on it for a while, just not talked a lot about it
>     > yet :-).  There's also a set of these AJAX components available that
>     > work nicely with Creator.
>     >
>     > Craig
>     >
>     That it's been in the works for a while is good news.  I'd love to
>     have
>     more information.  This would surely help get the web designer at my
>     office off my back about wanting to add some cool ajax stuff to our
>     webapps.  I've been wanting to do that too, but just haven't had the
>     opportunity to actually write the components myself.
>
>     Any idea when we can expect more information about this stuff?
>
>
> The BluePrints Catalog components (based on JSF 1.2), as well as the
> JSF 1.1 set, are available at [1].  For Creator 2, simply connect to
> the Update Center after you install it, and you'll be able to download
> the newer version of the JSF 1.1 components.  You can download Creator
> by starting at [2], as well as access a bunch of tutorials about using
> the AJAX based components in a Creator based application.
>
> Craig
>
> [1] https://blueprints.dev.java.net/ajaxcomponents.html
> [2] http://developers.sun.com/jscreator/ 
> <http://developers.sun.com/jscreator/>
>

Any plans to make it easier to use these components without having to
have Creator and/or Glassfish is what I'm really wondering.  I prefer to
use just plain Tomcat when I can, and I've come to really like Eclipse
for my IDE.  But I do all my building, running of tests and deployment
using Maven.  Right now it seems like it would be very difficult for me
to even try and get a sample webapp up and running that uses these
components with my preferred development tools.

Rich

[craigmcc]

On 4/21/06, Richard Wallace <rwallace@...> wrote:

Craig McClanahan wrote:
> On 4/21/06, *Richard Wallace* <rwallace@...
> <mailto:rwallace@...>> wrote:
>
>     Craig McClanahan wrote:
>     > On 4/21/06, *Werner Punz* <werpu@... <mailto:werpu@...>
>     <mailto:werpu@... <mailto:werpu@...>>> wrote:

>     >
>     >     Richard Wallace schrieb:
>     >     > Hey everyone,
>     >     >
>     >     > I hope you don't mind the cross post, but I just wanted to
>     point
>     >     this
>     >     > out to everyone.
>     >     > https://blueprints.dev.java.net/ajaxcomponents.html
>     >     >
>     >     > The AJAX components use Dojo for the client-side and build on
>     >     > Shale-remoting for the server-side.  I had a similar idea and
>     >     was even
>     >     > working on creating some components in my spare time, but
>     hadn't
>     >     gotten
>     >     > this far.  I know there are also some components in MyFaces
>     >     sandbox, but
>     >     > I don't think those are as far along as these either.
>     >     >
>     >
>     >     Neat, I was aware that Sun was looking into Dojo, but I was
>     not aware
>     >     that they have started to use it.
>     >

>     >

>     > We've been working on it for a while, just not talked a lot about it
>     > yet :-).  There's also a set of these AJAX components available that
>     > work nicely with Creator.
>     >
>     > Craig
>     >
>     That it's been in the works for a while is good news.  I'd love to
>     have
>     more information.  This would surely help get the web designer at my
>     office off my back about wanting to add some cool ajax stuff to our
>     webapps.  I've been wanting to do that too, but just haven't had the
>     opportunity to actually write the components myself.
>
>     Any idea when we can expect more information about this stuff?
>
>
> The BluePrints Catalog components (based on JSF 1.2), as well as the
> JSF 1.1 set, are available at [1].  For Creator 2, simply connect to
> the Update Center after you install it, and you'll be able to download
> the newer version of the JSF 1.1 components.  You can download Creator
> by starting at [2], as well as access a bunch of tutorials about using
> the AJAX based components in a Creator based application.
>
> Craig
>
> [1] https://blueprints.dev.java.net/ajaxcomponents.html
> [2] http://developers.sun.com/jscreator/
> <http://developers.sun.com/jscreator/>
>

Any plans to make it easier to use these components without having to
have Creator and/or Glassfish is what I'm really wondering.  I prefer to
use just plain Tomcat when I can, and I've come to really like Eclipse
for my IDE.  But I do all my building, running of tests and deployment
using Maven.  Right now it seems like it would be very difficult for me
to even try and get a sample webapp up and running that uses these
components with my preferred development tools.

Well, you chose Eclipse, not me :-).

Actually, it's not all that bad.  Grab the components off of the Blueprints page referenced above [1], and you'll get the "plain JSF" component libraries with no  extra Creator based stuff.  Then, use them in a webapp you build with Eclipse, exactly like you would use any other JSF component library (such as Tomahawk).  There is nothing special about coding the source pages for these things ... the interesting magic all happens at runtime, and requires no additional configuration other than including shale-remoting.jar from a Shale release (or nightly build) along with the component library jar.

Rich

Craig