Ajax Training for Java Developers

Delivery Options

• Customized Onsite Training (5 days): Request a Proposal

Class Description

Class Overview

Class Goals

• Use JavaScript in web pages to respond to user events.
• Manipulate an HTML page dynamically using the DOM.
• Make HTTP requests to the server side of an application from JavaScript, without causing the browser to reload the page.
• Use script libraries such as Prototype and Dojo to simplify coding tasks and improve UI functionality.
• Identify architectural and design challenges inherent in the use of Ajax for Java applications.
• Define a request-handling path that best addresses the needs of a given Java web application.
• Manage script content and bind scripts to graphical widgets using JSP.
• Use JSP tag files to consolidate presentation chunks such that they can be shared between pages and Ajax responses.
• Process and generate various Ajax wire formats, including text, HTML fragments, XML, and JSON, both client-side and server-side.
• Understand the impact of Ajax processing on session management and security.
• Use RMI frameworks including DWR and jabsorb to provide direct connectivity to Java domain and/or service classes.
• Use JSF componentn libraries including RichFaces and Trinidad to model Ajax functionality as part of the usual JSF UI model and processing lifecycle.

Class Outline

1. Ajax Programming
   1. Overview of Ajax
      1. What is Ajax?
      2. Desktop vs. Browser-Based Applications
      3. Page Request/Response Issues
      4. The XMLHttpRequest Object
      5. Ajax Processing
      6. Client-Side Frameworks
      7. Server-Side Frameworks
      8. Criticism of Ajax
   2. JavaScript
      1. Syntax
      2. Variables
      3. Data Types
      4. Arithmetic and String Operators
      5. Conditionals and Loops
      6. Logical and Comparison Operators
      7. Functions
      8. Variables Scope
      9. Objects and Encapsulation
      10. Constructors
      11. Prototypes
      12. Closures
      13. Arrays
   3. The Document Object Model
      1. The Document Object Model
      2. The DOM Node Tree
      3. The Document and Window Objects
      4. Elements
      5. Attributes
      6. Text Nodes
      7. Walking the Tree
      8. DOM Events
      9. Modifying the DOM
      10. Using innerHTML
   4. Cascading Style Sheets
      1. Styling an Element
      2. Cascading Styles
      3. Elements, Classes, and IDs
      4. The Box Model
      5. CSS2 Positioning
      6. Controlling Visibility
   5. Making Remote Requests
      1. iFrames vs. XMLHttpRequest
      2. Getting an XHR Instance
      3. XHR Methods and Properties
      4. Synchronous vs. Asynchronous
      5. Data Formats
      6. Extensible Markup Language (XML)
      7. Receiving XML
      8. Building and Sending XML
      9. JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)
   6. Prototype & Co.
      1. Client-Side Frameworks
      2. Script Libraries
      3. Ajax Issues
      4. Prototype
      5. A Review of prototype.js
      6. Ajax.Request
      7. The Options Object
      8. The $ Function
      9. Other Convenience Functions
      10. String Functions
      11. Algorithmic Programming
   7. Dojo
      1. The Dojo Toolkit
      2. Architecture
      3. Dojo Namespaces
      4. Simplified DOM Manipulation
      5. dojo.xhrGet and dojo.xhrPost
      6. Response Content Types
      7. The Dojo Event System
      8. Event Registration
      9. Disconnecting Event Handlers
      10. Chaining Event Handlers
      11. The Dojo Widget System
      12. Built-In Widgets
      13. Custom Widgets
      14. Drag-and-Drop Support
2. Ajax in Java Applications
   1. Ajax Strategies
      1. The Simplest Solution
      2. Issues with Ajax Processing
      3. Model/View/Controller for Ajax
      4. Rendering Ajax Responses
      5. RMI Frameworks
      6. Ajax/JSF Frameworks
   2. Ajax Custom Tags
      1. JSP Custom Tags
      2. Tag Files
      3. Encapsulating UI Fragments
      4. Encapsulating Scripts
      5. Delivering Scripts Once
      6. Generating Unique Scripts
      7. Binding Scripts to Widgets
      8. Rendering Ajax Responses with JSP
   3. Handling Requests
      1. Ajax-Only Servlets
      2. Multi-Purpose Servlets
      3. Front Controllers
      4. Parsing Ajax Wire Formats
      5. Producing Ajax Wire Formats
      6. Session Management and Security
      7. Finding Domain Objects
      8. Impacts of Ajax on Page Processing
   4. RMI Frameworks
      1. Java Objects in JavaScript
      2. RMI for Ajax
      3. Direct Web Remoting
      4. jabsorb
      5. Serialization Issues
      6. Serialization vs. Remote Invocation
      7. Creating Objects on the Client Side
      8. Ajax RMI vs. Web Services
      9. Security Issues
   5. Introduction to JavaServer Faces
      1. MVC and Ajax
      2. JavaServer Faces
      3. UI Components
      4. The JSF Lifecycle
      5. What JSF Does for Ajax
   6. Facelets
      1. Issues with JSP and JSF
      2. JSP Custom Tags and JSF
      3. Facelets
   7. JSF Component Libraries
      1. Ajax Component Libraries
      2. RichFaces
      3. The Ajax4jsf Model
      4. Trinidad
      5. Partial Page Rendering
      6. Customizing Client-Side Logic
      7. Ajax-Aware Widgets
      8. Polling and Pushing
      9. JSF and User Events
   8. The State of the Art
      1. Comparison of Ajax Strategies
      2. Metrics: Code Efficiency
      3. Metrics: Runtime Efficiency
      4. Intangibles: Completeness and Correctness
      5. Intangibles: Ease of Development
      6. Whither Hence?

Class Materials

Each student in our Live Online and our Onsite classes receives a comprehensive set of materials, including course notes and all the class examples.

Class Prerequisites

Experience in the following areas is required:

• Significant Java programming experience is required.
• Basic servlets and JSP programming experience is required.
• JSF experience will be helpful for the final unit, but is not required.

Technical Requirements

Our computer technical requirements and setup process is easy, with support just a click away.

• Onsite course technical requirements and setup instructions.