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Okay really stupid question but I am so burnt out from researching I cannot think straight anymore. I have a web application that currently uses jsp with struts tag libraries for the presentation. It is BORING and doesn't look that great.....I keep reading about AJAX and javascript libraries (jquery, extjs, etc) and I guess my question is how does it all work together. I am thinking that I would still have my jsp page right??? And AJAX is used so the page doesn't keep refreshing and the js libraries are to create cool widgets like menus and grid boxes and panels etc....is that right??? So if I wanted to recreate my web pages to give them a seamless, desktop 'look and feel' would I integrate these three ideas??? And I would still need my 'tag' libraries to handle my bean objects, correct???

I love the IT field but sometimes it's so darn confusing

Thanks for the help.

Jennifer

 
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Yeah, that's pretty much it.

Sometimes it's a bit of a pain to get client-side JavaScript to hook up with the Struts-generated HTML, but it's doable. You just need to understand what the Struts tags are doing.
 
Jennifer Moran
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Is there another way to handle the bean object in the jsp besides the struts tags???

Jennifer
 
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Yes. You can just use EL for this. You can also use the standard taglibs (JSTL) for this. Anything is doable with plain vanilla JSP/Servlet. Struts is just a MVC framework which runs on top of Servlet API, fully takes over the eventual work for the controller part of the MVC pattern and provides taglibs for use in JSP.
 
Jennifer Moran
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So I guess my question is that previous post said it's a bit of a pain to do it this way, is there an easier way??? Because really the struts tags, JSTL or EL are all the same basic principle right?? Just different syntax. So how can objects/data be passed from server to client for presentation if not in the form of a bean??

Thanks,

Jennifer
 
Bauke Scholtz
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I would add,

Jennifer Moran wrote:and doesn't look that great


styling in the client side is usually to be done with CSS. Are you familiar with it? It doesn't sound like so. Here you can find out what's all possible with CSS: http://www.csszengarden.com (checkout 'Choose a design' at right column, realize yourself, it is the same HTML page everytime, just another CSS, also see the page source). A basic CSS tutorial can be found at w3schools.com.
 
Bauke Scholtz
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Jennifer Moran wrote:So I guess my question is that previous post said it's a bit of a pain to do it this way, is there an easier way??? Because really the struts tags, JSTL or EL are all the same basic principle right?? Just different syntax. So how can objects/data be passed from server to client for presentation if not in the form of a bean??

As said, Struts takes over the controller part of the MVC so that you end up with beans and action classes and taglibs which can interact with them. If you don't use Struts, you have to write a page controller yourself (a Servlet) or a bunch of Servlets, maybe one for each page. You also have to write more "helper" classes yourself and you also have to write a lot more with JSTL/EL. Oh and you also have to write a validation and conversion framework yourself.

It's all about what you need and what it provides and whether you want to reinvent the wheel or not.
 
Jennifer Moran
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Okay got it, just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. I do use CSS and even though it is presentation, I think I was speaking more about the widgets and cool things that JS can give you on your presentation layer.

I was also researching JQuery vs ExtJS vs DOJO and it looks like ExtJS has WAY more stuff than JQuery and DOJO and what I am looking for is WAY more stuff, if you get my drift. But I also heard people complaining about ExtJS that it is too 'heavy'. Any thoughts on that???

Thanks,

Jennifer
 
Bear Bibeault
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Ext JS is generally not well regarded in the industry (at least among those I hobnob with) despite how much "stuff" it may have.

Go for what looks like it will be best to work with rather than what has the most "stuff".
 
Jennifer Moran
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What are some of the issues with ExtJS??? Just curious because I definitely take the advice given here VERY seriously
What are some of the javascript libraries that have a good reputation besides JQuery. I would at least like to have a few to compare, as long as they all have good reputations by those in the know.

Thanks,

Jennifer
 
Jennifer Moran
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Ah Bear I didn't realize you authored the JQuery in Action book. I don't suppose you are biased or anything
I think I may use JQuery after all and pick up a copy of your book. It was rated very high on Amazon.com which is another thing I look for when purchasing or researching things.

Thanks for all the help!!! I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Jennifer
 
Bear Bibeault
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I'd recommend either of jQuery or Dojo. I prefer jQuery because it's lighter weight and less invasive than Dojo.
 
Jennifer Moran
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Great -

Can I also build custom components in JQuery? Also, what is the biggest complaint that you hear about ExtJS??? Too heavy, buggy, hard to work with??? I am just curious.

Jennifer
 
Bear Bibeault
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Yes, jQuery is designed to be easily extended. That's one of the reasons that there's such a thriving plugin community for jQuery and a rich choice of plugins that already exist.

Let's just say the colleagues that have tried ExtJS reported that they were less than impressed.
 
Jennifer Moran
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Okay fair enough...JQuery look out here I come!!!

Jennifer
 
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