Target Audience

This course is designed for web developers with previous experience of Servlets and JSPs needing to gain a knowledge of JavaServer Faces.

Pre-requisites

The student should be familiar with J2EE programming. This knowledge can be gained by attending courses EC31, EC62.

Course Objectives

This course provides students with the skills to write web-based applications using the JavaServer Faces technology. The course covers syntax of the APIs and Custom tags, how they are used and the life cycle of JSF applications. During the course the student will use many features of JSF to write an application ensuring that the concepts and statements taught are fully understood and practical experience is gained. On completion of this course the student will be able to:

•     Understand the fundamentals of the JSF framework and life cycle.
•     Use many of the JSF custom tags and API.
•     Configure JSF applications.
•     Use the validation framework.
•     Understand and use the event handling features

Development can be performed using any of the following:

• Eclipse & Apache Tomcat
  
• Websphere Studio Application Developer
• Rational Application Developer
  
• NetBeans
  

Course Details

INTRODUCTION TO JAVASERVER FACES

JavaServer Faces - the new Standard?

Overview of JSF architecture & features

JSF vs Struts

Configuring JSF

A SIMPLE JSF APPLICATION

Creating and configuring the managed beans (model)

Creating the User Interface

Configuring the navigation

JSF REQUEST-PROCESSING LIFECYCLE

Life Cycle

Faces context

MANAGED BEANS

Defining Beans in faces-config.xml

Bean Properties

Value Binding Expressions

Backing Beans

NAVIGATION

Static Navigation

Dynamic Navigation

VIEW COMPONENTS

Core Tags

HTML Tags

Forms, Form Tags (Text Fields, CheckBoxes, etc)

APPLICATION PROPERTIES AND INTERNATIONALISATION

Resource Bundles

Using the loadBundle tag

DATA TABLES

Simple Tables, Headers and Footers

Row and Column Styles

Data Model

CONVERSION AND VALIDATION

Specifying Converters

Standard Converters

Standard Validators

Bypassing Conversion and Validation

Displaying Conversion and Validation Error Messages

ERRORS AND MESSAGES

Global Error Messages

Component Specific Error Messages

EVENT HANDLING

Actions and navigation

Working with forms

Events and listeners

Immediate Components & bypassing conversion and validation

Value Change Listeners

TILES

Templates

Definitions

Course Format

Practical sessions make up a large part of the course, allowing delegates to demonstrate and reinforce the lectures given. Examples are used extensively, ranging from simple code 'snippets' to full applications with complete ‘real world’ functionality. These are supplied at the start of the course and it is encouraged that the delegates execute and ‘experiment’ with these under the instructor’s guidance as they are introduced. These examples are available to take away, along with the delegate’s own work. The comprehensive Student Guide supplied is fully indexed serving as a useful reference tool long after the course has finished. Delegates will also be able to access a free help-line with technical questions relating to topics covered on the course.