Java Reference
In-Depth Information
Developing Web Applications
Using JavaServer Faces 2.2
JavaServer Faces is the standard Java EE framework for building web applications. In
this chapter, we will see how using JSF can simplify web application development.
The following topics will be covered in this chapter:
• Creating a JSF project with NetBeans
• Laying out JSF tags by taking advantage of the JSF
<h:panelGrid>
tag
• Using static and dynamic navigation to define navigation between pages
• Developing CDI named beans to encapsulate data and application logic
• Implementing custom JSF validators
• How to easily generate JSF 2.2 templates via NetBeans wizards
• How to easily create JSF 2.2 composite components with NetBeans
Introduction to JavaServer Faces
Before JSF existed, most Java web applications were typically developed using
nonstandard (as in, not part of the Java EE specification) web application frameworks
such as Apache Struts, Tapestry, and Spring Web MVC, among others. These
frameworks are built on top of the Servlet and JSP standards and automate a lot
of functionality that needs to be manually coded when using these APIs directly.
Having a wide variety of web application frameworks available often resulted
in
analysis paralysis
, that is, developers often spent an inordinate amount of time
evaluating frameworks for their applications.
