ADF

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Web Application Development Using ADF Faces
Karsten Schulz Senior Principal Consultant Oracle
Denmark
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Agenda

• Application Developer Framework (ADF)
  introduction
• Java Server Faces (JSF) introduction
• Short on ADF Faces
• Using JSF/ADF Faces in a development case
• Q/A

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Challenges Faced when Building J2EE Applications

• Building J2EE applications can be complex.
• Development time can be extensive.
• Choosing and implementing appropriate design
  patterns can be overwhelming.
• Do it yourself applications often repeat
  existing application code.
• A large portion of do it yourself code is
  dedicated to common tasks.
• The more code you write, the greater the chance
  of errors.
• An application framework is needed.

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Oracle Application Development Framework

• Reduces the complexity of J2EE development by
  providing visual and declarative development
• Increases development productivity
• Less coding, more reuse
• Focus on the application, not the plumbing
• Provides a flexible and extensible environment by
  allowing multiple technology choices and
  development styles
• Encourages J2EE best practices by implementing
  standard J2EE design patterns

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Oracle ADFEnd-to-end J2EE Framework

• Implements standard J2EE best practices
• Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern
• Focus on the application, not the plumbing
• Consolidation and evolution of previous frameworks

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Oracle ADFVisual and Declarative Development

• End-to-end Application Development
• J2EE Services
• Visual
• WYSIWYG editors
• UML modelers
• Structure pane
• Declarative
• Structure pane
• Property inspector
• Code View/Design View Synchronization
• No separate generation step - always synchronized
• Underlying code always accessible

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J2EE Architecture (Simplified)
EnterpriseJavaBeans
ADF Business Components
Web Services
Java Objects
Business Services
Clients
Database
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No Standard API for Client Binding
EnterpriseJavaBeans
ADF Business Components
?
JDBC
Web Services
Java Objects
Business Services
Clients
Database
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ADF Model

• Data Controls
• Data Binding
• JSR-227 A Standard Data Binding Data Access
  Facility for J2EE

BusinessComponent
Web Service
TopLink
Model
EJB
JavaClass
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ADF Model Architecture

• Data control describes the values and actions
  defined by the business service

• Bindings define how UI components use the values
  and actions in the data model

Client
Bindings
Data Control
Business Service
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ADF Model Architecture

• Decouples client and business service layers
• Client code contains no references to the
  business service
• Better design practice
• Code is more maintainable
• Architecture can be extended to add more types of
  business services

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Drag-and-Drop Binding

• Data Control Palette
• Expose any business service
• Available to any client

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ADF Productivity With Choice
Rich Client
Web / Wireless
View
JSF/ADF FACES
ADF UIX
Swing / JClient
Swing / JClient
JSP
ADF UIX
Controller
Struts/JSF
ADF Bindings
ADF Bindings
Model
ADF Data Control
ADF Data Control
BusinessServices
ADF Business ComponentsService Object
JavaClasses
EJBSessionBeans
WebServices
ADF Metadata Services
ADF Metadata Services
ADF Business ComponentsQuery Object
JDBC
TopLinkQueries
EJBFinders
DataAccess
ADF Business ComponentsEntity Object
PersistentBusinessObjects
Java Classes
EJB Entity Beans
TopLink Mapping
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JavaServer Faces (JSF)Overview

• Developed through Java Community Process as JSR
  127
• Nickname Faces
• Goal Simplify creation of Java Server GUIs
• Started May 2001
• First relase March 2004
• Oracle is a primary contributor

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JavaServer Faces (JSF)Overview - Why JSF?

• So whats all the fuss about?
• What makes JSF so compelling?
• Why are IBM, Sun and Oracle devoting serious
  resources to JSF?
• Why another framework?

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JavaServer Faces (JSF)Overview - Here is why!
JSF brings backing of a standard specification
JSR 127
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JavaServer Faces (JSF)Overview

• JSF is a natural evolution of J2EE Web development

Again, too low level
Finally, a comprehensive, standard API for J2EE
Web applications!
Not standard
Easier butscriptlets
Too low level
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JSF Architecture

Front Controller
BackendCode
HTML render kit
WML render kit
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JSF Architecture
Renderer
UI Component
Expr. Language

• UIComponent is rendered through Renderer class
• Expression Language Value Binding is used to
  access managed bean also know as a "backing bean"
• Managed bean accesses J2EE persistence layer

Managed bean
JSF Page
J2EE Persistence Layer / JDBC
RDBMS
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JavaServer Faces (JSF)Oracle ADF Faces

• Built on top of JSF APIs
• A large component set gt100 different components
• Far more advanced and interesting components
• Partial-page rendering, etc.
• ADF model support out-of-the-box
• ADF Faces skins (Look and Feel)
• ADF Databinding (JSR 227)
• Open Source per January 2006
• http//www.oracle.com/technology/products/jdev/htd
  ocs/faq_adffaces_apache.html

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JavaServer Faces (JSF)Oracle ADF Faces
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JavaServer Faces (JSF)Oracle ADF Faces

• ADF Faces also includes many of the framework
  features most needed by JSF developers today
• File upload support is integrated at a component
  level
• Client-side validation is automatically derived
  from Validators and Converters for an improved
  user experience
• A pageFlow scope makes it easier to pass values
  from one page to another
• A new hybrid state saving strategy gives
  developers the best of both client and
  server-side state saving

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JSF Architecture with ADF
Renderer
UI Component
Expr. Language

• EL accesses bindings object to value bind UI
  components
• ADF bindings object is set through ADF Filter
  in web.xml
• Bindings object accesses ADF Binding container,
  which then accesses DataControl
• Business Services provide access to various data
  sources

ADF bindings Object
JSF Page
ADF Binding
ADF DataControl
BusinessService 3
BusinessService 2
BusinessService 1
XML
URL
RDBMS
WS
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JavaServer Faces (JSF)Oracle ADF Faces Extend
the JSF life cycle
Happens through a registered phase- listener