Introduction to JavaServer Faces using RAD

Overview

This course will integrate a combination of instructor-led discussions and interactive workshops to demonstrate the implementation of JavaServer Faces in a web application. This seminar will focus on: architecture of JSF application, Struts comparison, role of UI components, use of faces-config.xml file, role of managed beans, integration of JSF tags in JSP documents, dynamic and static navigation, role of listeners, use of validators and converters, use of Data tables and JSF expression language. All of these topics will be discussed using the Rational Application Developer as the primary development, implementation and testing tool.

Prerequisites

Each student should have a basic understanding of the internet and have been exposed to the Java programming language.

Class Format

Lecture and Lab

Audience

Java developers, web page designers and other professionals that will be designing, developing and implementing JavaServer Faces applicationsusing Rational Application Developer.

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the student should be able to:

Understand the role of JavaServer Faces applications

Explain the role of RAD for building and implementing JSF systems

Depict the use of the faces-config.xml file for managing JSF applications

Illustrate the definition and usage of managed beans

Understand the role of the many different JSF tags integrated into our JSP documents

Compare Struts and JSF applications

Illustrate the development of Service Data Objects (SDO) for accessing data fields and linking them to the interface.

Depict the role of JavaServer Faces for building web pages by assembling reusable components

Illustrate the use of both static and dynamic navigation

Deploy validation and conversion processes via multiple methods in our JSF applications

Depict the use of JSF Data tables for displaying relational data

Understand the usage of JSF expression language for accessing bean properties

Deploy JSF applications to the embedded WebSphere Application Server

Course Duration

3 Days

Course outline

Struts to JSF Evolution

MVC and Struts
Web application development
o Struts component
o ApplicationResources.properties
o Tag libraries
Action mappings
FORM beans
Struts to JSF comparison
o Advantages
o Disadvantates

JavaServer Faces

JSF framework
- UI components
- Validation
- Conversion
- Events and listeners
- Rendering
JSF Request cycle
- Faces context
- request processing lifecycle
Role of Faces servlet
Updates to web.xml file
JSF Application projects
- Structure
- Files
- Page code
- Web content
Building JSF via Web Diagram tool

Use of Managed Beans

Definition of Managed beans
Managed beans
o Definition
o Message bundles
o Configuration
o Value binding expressions
faces-config.xml file updates
Scope requirements
Defining attributes

JSF Navigation

Introduction to JSF navigation
Static vs Dynamic
Generating JSF outcomes
Event Handling
o Value change
o Action event
o Event listener tags
o Struts comparison

Use Service Data Objects

Service Data Objects
o Overview
o SDO vs JDO
o SDO vs ADO.NET
SDO objects
o Data objects
o Data graphs
o properties
Building SDO access via RAD
Integrating SDO with JSF applications

Defining Action Listeners

Illustrate role of listeners
Listener varieties
o Action
o Value changes
Actions and navigation
Integration with JSF forms
Listener placement
o JSF application
o Managed bean
o JSP document
ActionListener vs ValueChangeListener

Using JSP v2.0 Expression Language

Illustrate use of JSP v2.0
Use of properties files
o f:loadBundle
o properties file structure
faces-config updates
Integration with JSF input forms
Nested bean properties
Array notation
Accessing Collections
Implicit objects
EL Operators
o Arithmetic
o Relational
o Logical
Conditional Expressions

JSF Data Tables

Demonstrate use of Data Tables
h:dataTable
o var
o h:column
Headers and Footers
Integration with managed beans
Formatting tables and style sheets