JavaPolis: Closing Already

In the afternoon I attended a session about Phobos. Phobos is a web application framework that uses server-side scripting–JavaScript at first, but they’re already working on support for other languages like JRuby. Phobos’ programming model is less prescriptive than that of Rails, but familiar concepts can be recognized, like a fixed directory structure and a user-friendly url mapping system. There’s tight integration with Dojo and jMaki to generate pretty Ajax-rich scaffolds. Phobos also has an administration console, where you can inspect your deployed application (e.g. mapping rules and deployed scripts)–something that might be useful to Rails as well.

By now I am wondering who has the time to go and use all the stuff that I’ve seen over the last days. What Walhalla-like project will use even three of all those new libraries, frameworks and JSRs that have been presented? For me, after JavaPolis, it’s back to Java 1.4.2, Struts and Maven 1.2. Things like EJB3, JSF, GlassFish, Java 6 or even 5–it’s all purely restricted to hobby projects at home or at best to projects for interns that I’m coaching (they don’t know how lucky they are). Let alone Ruby and Rails. Like walking around in the chocolate factory, knowing you’ll be eating sprouts again tomorrow…

And now I’m off to (hopefully) another JavaPolis highlight: Neal Gafter on closures for Java. For some reason, a more detailed session of his on the subject has been scheduled tonight, at the same time that the JavaPolis movie (Casino Royale) starts. Doesn’t Neal like James? Or is it an intricate test to see who’s fanatic enough about Java to miss the movie? We’ll see…

2006-12-14. No responses.

Comments are closed at this time.