Adam Chace

Server-side Java continues to gain ground as the technology of choice for powering dynamic Web sites, but the goal of using Java to separate presentation from business logic has been a tough one to achieve. JavaServer Pages 1.1 addresses that goal with the introduction of custom JSP tag libraries. Java developers can now embed complex logic into middle-tier objects while exposing only simple, easy-to-use tags to the presentation layer. This frees Java developers to do what they do best while enabling presentation developers to focus on building good UIs. If you're already using JavaBeans and the bean tags introduced in JSP 1.0, you know that these tags still require tag users to have some basic understanding of Java. Custom JSP libraries can abstract the implementation away completely so page designers don't even know what language is used behind the scenes. Even be... (more)

ObjectAssembler 2.5 Enterprise Edition by ObjectVenture, Inc.

Recently, I had the opportunity to work with the latest version of Object-Venture's J2EE development tool: ObjectAssembler. ObjectVenture promotes ObjectAssembler 2.5 as a "smart" development tool that simplifies and accelerates J2EE development. This is a popular claim among Java tools, so I decided to put it to the test. My experience showed that ObjectAssembler lives up to the challenge. Features ObjectVenture offers two versions of their tool: Professional and Enterprise. I reviewed the full-featured Enterprise edition. ObjectAssembler Enterprise casts a broad net, offering ... (more)