Java web application development kit recommendation

Question

I'm looking for good java MVC web application development kit (or framework), with servlet engine, database persistence layer and viewer layer included and ready to go? One example is TDK (Turbine Development Kit), but it's kinda outdated, and their M.E.T.A. is very hard to work with (it uses maven 1.0). Thanks,

David

• Rogel Garcia: Be careful with these code generation stuff. It creates a false perception of fast development. What really takes time in the development of a system is its maintenance. In the maintenance area what will separate a good system from a poor one is not the tool you use but the system's internal architecture. This good architecture a super fast code generation tool almost never provides to you.
• Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen: What do you need that is not included in the Java EE 6 Web Profile?
• Rogel Garcia: I think that he wants a ready to use architecture. Download a zip.. uncompress.. create a eclipse project.. copy some files.. deploy and voilá .. there is a system running in a few minutes. Am I right?
• David Zhao: yes, sir. I don't need code generation stuff, just something quick to get started, so I can start working on the business logic rather than spending time on configuring, such as database persistency, serlvet/view layer, etc. apache TDK is a good example of what I need, but just something with newer technology.

Answer 1

There's AppFuse and Roo if you're looking for "make it go".

If you're not dead-set on Java, there's Grails (and JRuby on Rails).

• David Zhao: I think I'll give Sprint Roo a try, especially after reading the answer to this question: stackoverflow.com/questions/1536268/…

Answer 2

Give a shot to AppFuse. It will leverage either Struts 2 or Spring MVC for you, with a nice persistence layer.

Answer 3

There are many good 'stacks' that you could use, some of which have already been mentioned.

They all have their own strengths & weaknesses, and you really need to select a stack that best fits your requirements.

The Spring/Roo, AppFuse & Seam are all great, but they do come with a certain amount of... errm... bloat.

You may find that picking and mixing technologies actually provides you with a lighter weight and more performant solution, so long as the technologies you choose integrate relatively seamlessly.

If you're looking to package a full execution environment including the servlet engine as part of your application, Jetty is a good choice, and you can easily integrate it into a Maven build environment.

You may also want to investigate using HyperSQL for your database, which will allow you to prototype using an SQL compliant database without having to worry about installing a full database manager such as MySQL or PostgreSQL.

• Dave Newton: HyperSQL is as much a DB as MySql and Postgres are; I don't understand the differentiation. The "bloat" of which you speak is the cruft necessary to create an app without doing everything by hand. Convenience comes at a price, the question is when it will be paid, for how long, and by who.
• Lee: @DaveNewton you're quite right, HyperSQL is a full blown database, but I would hesitate to use in in mission critical applications where you want a rock solid database with numerous scalability options.
• Muhammad Nadeem: I have an application developed using Developer 6i, forms and reports, along with Oracle Database 10g for a school. The application consist of student information, fee collection, and sms sending to parents. There are alot of problems, with this application, DB is very heavy as I am using Oracle DB 10g, The developer 6i installtion on latest windows is another headache etc. Now I want to shift the application to some latest technologies, but want these to be light weight. Can I develop a light weight application with ADF web application? Also I want to use mysql as database.