I've spent some time fixing (recoding?) a proprietary framework which worked exactly like JSF's component driven nature (In fact, I wrote their grid control. Craig- all you had to do was ask :P ). Let me say it has some very clear appeal to the developer, even though that implementation was very agricultrual (ugly when you get close, but gets the job done).
Fact is, working with components can be great, *really* great. And to have it as a standard as such in the form of JSF means it's definitely worth an honest look. Even with our framework as it was, overall it was a joy to use, and quickly assembled a complex app that's been out there and running since late last year. Honestly, some aspects of working with components will just have you beside yourself with how cool it is. But the interface isn't really where Struts' value-add is. Other developers have shared the same opinion. So to this, Struts should look at integrating as well as it can to the JSF etc. For the future of Struts, IMHO, it seems it may be taking a step back off the front line to bring in more value-adds to application composition and management of the interface tier. It possibly (opionally?), wont be the first line of interaction, but the engine that drives the next layer. To that end, many people see persistence as the next layer after the interface (like those that use the <sql> jsp tags), to them it will replace Struts. For most, it will be another handy layer of abstraction. As for specifics... it's anyone's guess. Thing is though, innovation will happen in a project like Struts or [insert any other open source project] before it will happen in some specification consortium. So to take your eye off the OSS space in this area would be as dangerous as not having at least a play with JSF's component driven initiative. The JSF integration library is propbably a good initial way to keep your foot on either side of the fence. Arron. > On Sat, 7 Jun 2003, Bill Johnson wrote: > > > Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2003 13:39:13 -0700 (PDT) > > From: Bill Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Reply-To: Struts Developers List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: Struts Developers List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: What's next for Struts? > > > > Thanks for passing that on. I have read it now. So I > > can infer that Struts will likely become an > > implementation of JSF. > > I don't know the basis for you inferring that this is "likely" -- but it > is certainly feasible, and might very well be a very great idea -- but > that's up to the Struts developer community to decide. > > > That makes total sense given > > its popularity. It seems though that there will be a > > fair amount of overlap and that the version of Struts > > that implements the JSF spec will be quite different > > from the Struts we know today. > > > > Not necessarily. > > It's quite clear already that you can treat JavaServer Faces as a > rendering library nad continue to use existing Struts based application > design architectures. Enabling this was the whole point of my developing > the Struts-Faces integration library. > > http://jakarta.apache.org/builds/jakarta-struts/release/struts-faces/ > > > It also infers that companies like BEA and IBM will > > have implementations of JSF > > Having more than one implementation of JavaServer Faces in the world seems > pretty much assured already. Next week, being JavaOne week, seems like a > likely candidate for announcements in this regard :-). But you'll have to > ask individual companies for their own plans regarding JavaServer Faces. > > > and that JSF will be a > > requirement of the J2EE spec. Can anyone confirm that > > JSF will be a requirement of the J2EE spec for app > > server vendors, etc? > > JavaServer Faces is *not* part of the J2EE 1.4 specification. Whether it > will or will not be part of of J2EE 1.5 depends on what the expert group > for J2EE 1.5's JSR decides to do. Nobody knows at this point. > > > > > Ted, you're one of the better known Struts people > > right? What do you think of JSF? For that matter, > > what do all of the Struts devs think of JSF? > > > > I'm not Ted, but I am the original developer of the Struts Framework. As > it happens, part of my "day job" is to be the co-spec-lead for JavaServer > Faces, so I have more than a little bit to do with how that turns out :-). > Trust me ... Struts oriented developers and users *definitely* need to pay > attention to what is going on with JavaServer Faces. > > > I think there should be more discussion on this topic > > as I'm sure its on the minds of many more people than > > those at my company. I've CCed user list for that > > input. > > > > By the way, thanks for creating a great software > > framework! > > > > Regards, > > > > Bill > > Craig McClanahan > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
