Course Description:

Fast Track to JavaServer Faces (JSF) : Using JSF to Build J2EE Web Apps

JSF is a J2EE technology that focuses on simplifying the building of Web based user interfaces in Java. It builds on existing technologies, such as Servlets and JSP, but solves many of the issues that arise when using them directly. It does this by providing a standard component based user interface (UI) framework that can be leveraged by tools to provide a rich and easy to use development environment.

This course will get you up to speed with JSF in a very short time. It includes all the important concepts, as well as numerous hands on labs that will have you building working JSF applications very quickly. It covers all the important architectural concepts, as well as providing practical instruction on how to use the many capabilities of the JSF framework.

The course includes a broad coverage of the most important JSF capabilities, including the JSF architecture, working with managed beans, the JSF Expression Language, the JSF core and HTML tag libraries, data tables, validation, and conversion. It also includes overview of advanced technologies, such as using JSF and Ajax. After learning this material, you'll be ready to use JSF to create your own solutions in the most demanding situations.

All labs are done with the Eclipse IDE Java EE version deploying to the Tomcat server, and the lab instructions include detailed directions for using them.

Course Information

Duration: 3 days

Hands-on: 50% hands-on, 50% lecture

Supported Platforms:

Skills Gained:

Understand the shortcomings of servlets/JSP, and the need for a framework like JSF
Understand MVC and the JSF architecture
Create & configure applications using JSF, including the FacesServlet, and the faces-config.xml file
Understand and use Managed Beans to manage application data
Configure navigation rules for your Web application
Create Web pages using the JSF core and html tags and the JSF expression language
Lay out tables using the JSF h:datatable and associated tags
Handle action events, value change events, and data model events
Use JSF Validators to validate your input data
Understand and use JSF data conversion
Understand the JSF request lifecycle, and write phase listeners
Understand how Ajax and JSF can be used together

Course Details:

Session 1: Overview of Java EE and Java Web Applications

Java EE and Web App Overview
Servlet, Servlet Scopes
JSPs, JSP Lifecycle
Custom Tags, Tag Libraries, taglib directive
Model View Controller

Session 2: Getting started with JSF

JSF Overview
- Purpose and Goals
- JSF Architecture
- JSF Views, Managed Beans, Controler, configuration
Downloading and Installing JSF
Your first JSF Application - setup, configuration, deployment
Server setup and use

Session 3: Managed Beans

Defining a Managed Bean
Managed Bean Lifecycle
<managed-bean> elements in faces-config.xml
Managed Beans and JSF Forms
Managed Beans as Value Binding Expressions
JSF Expression Language (EL) & the Unified EL (JSF 1.2)
Value Binding Expressions
Method Binding Expressions
Implicit Objects

Session 4: JSF Navigation

<navigation-rule> configuration issues
<navigation-case> and nested elements
How to use the navigation rules

Session 5: The JSF Tag Libraries

JSF Tag Library Overview
JSF Core tags <f:tagName>
JSF HTML tags <h:tagName>
Using the Most Common Form controls – TextFields, Buttons, Links …

Session 6: h:dataTable

<h:dataTable> tag and nested tags <h:column> etc.
Working with collections of type List or array
Table headers and footers, f:facet

Session 7: More about JSF Tags

Using <h:commandLink> and <h:outputLink>
Using the h:selectXxx Tags (e.g h:selectManyListbox)
JSF Event Model (Action, Value Change, and Data Model Listeners)

Session 8: JSF Validation

Standard Validators
required, validateDoubleRange, validateLongRange
Creating, configuring, and using Custom Validators

Session 9: JSF Conversion

Standard JSF Converters
convertDateTime, convertNumber - configuration and usage
Custom Converters

Session 10: JSF Lifecycle

Lifecycle Overview
Initial requests and postbacks
Restore View, Apply Request Values, Process Events, Process Validations, Update Model Values, Invoke Application, Render Response
renderResponse() and renderComplete()
Phase listeners

Session 11: Additional Topics

Backing Beans / UIComponents
JSF and CSS
JSF and JavaScript
Localization and Resource Bundles
Ajax4jsf - Using Ajax with JSF