In the Spotlight - Ted Goddard

ICEfaces currently uses XMLHttpRequest to implement Ajax Push, but will better networking capabilities be available in the future, such as WebSocket? Join us to discuss WebSocket, Ajax Push, and Comet at the Silicon Valley WebBuilder Panel on October 29, 2008.

The panel has a great lineup of people who don't always agree (this is a good thing for a panel):

• Alex Rusell (Dojo)
• Dion Almaer (ajaxian.com)
• John Fallows (Kaazing) :
• Ted Goddard (ICEfaces) :

ICEfaces and cometd take fairly different approaches to solving "push" on the web.

The cometd approach is to generalize messaging between JavaScript objects so that they can exchange arbitrary messages with each other (even if they're in different browsers). The server may act only as a reflector. In other words, JavaScript is regarded as first-class and messaging between distributed objects characterizes the application architecture.

The ICEfaces approach is to make Ajax fully asynchronous: with Ajax we can update the page incrementally (without a full page refresh); Ajax Push allows the application to issue incremental updates at any time, independently of user events. The result here is that the server is primary and JavaScript is used only to implement the page update mechanism. The standard Java web application architecture remains in force.

Will WebSocket help us implement such things? What about HTTP 1.1 pipelining for XMLHttpRequest? Please join us to find out.

We'll be bringing out more extensive video sessions on ICEfaces, Ajax Push, and Portlets recorded at JSFOne, but in the meantime, here are some short interviews that you may find of interest:

• Jeremy Geelan with SYS-CON TV (focusing on Ajax Push as a necessary part of Ajax and how it can allow you to make better business decisions through timely information)
• Andrew Glover with JavaWorld (a brief, but technical introduction to how ICEfaces is used and how it works)

ICEfaces applications are reported to work on the BlackBerry Simulator JDE v4.6.0; the question is whether they work on a real device. Has anyone had a chance to test the ICEfaces demos on a BlackBerry Bold?

Seam in Action is now available:

Seam is very powerful, but there's a lot to learn, so picking up a book like this really is essential. After using JavaServer Faces in a complex application, you will quickly find that the navigation and dependency injection capabilities in faces-config.xml just aren't sufficient. Seam is what you need.

The best chapter is, of course, Chapter 12 on Ajax. We really appreciate the time that Dan spent working with people at ICEfaces.org to enhance this chapter. In particular, Judy worked to port the Open18 application to ICEfaces. There is no question that the best information in print for ICEfaces is now found in Seam in Action.

I really only planned to mention Dan's book, but then this three legged dog showed up on our roof, and that's strange enough that I had to include it:

JSFOne is rapidly (if you account for summer vacation) approaching: September 4th - 6th, near Washington D.C. It looks to be the most comprehensive JavaServer Faces event yet and will be a good opportunity to learn about and discuss JSF 2.0. As an ICEfaces community member you are eligible for a substantial discount if you register before August 15th (let us know if you missed the email with the registration code). Here are some of the sessions on ICEfaces:

• Ajax Push and ICEfaces for Enterprise Collaboration: How to use Ajax Push (aka "Comet" with JavaServer Faces)
• Mobile Ajax with JSF: Development tips and demos for JavaServer Faces on mobile devices, such as the iPhone
• Filthy Rich Portlets with ICEfaces and Liferay: How to develop portlets with rich user interfaces and how to integrate them with each other through Ajax Push

We hope to see you there. Also, don't forget to check out Dan's new book, Seam in Action (especially the Ajax chapter).