Experience on MSAccess of a JSP Programmer 1

[neltan]

2nd Hand Clothes is my 1st Access Application. I gain much solid experience on VB like application.

Pros:
+ rich GUI
+ simple, strict forward, easy, quick
+ quick development with all-in-one helping tools.
e.g. query, wizard, UI designer, report designer
+ quick deployment help to gather requirement from user
++ Programmer really focus on application logic

Cons:
- poor design structure -> modularizing project is a waste of time (only increase complexity)
-> complexity grow much when scale increase ~ big O square
- difficult to maintain esp. copy & paste coding
- functionality limited by language and tools
esp. MSAccess - multi-thread, multi-user, version, Chinese & English,
Window - Local Settings affect date format, currency format

My conclusion:
Microsoft really did a good job on GUI, usability on IT!
I'm a web programmer. The MSAccess really impress me.
Web development tools should move toward MS's usability & simpleness!

I am a web developer. Java is being more & more complex, make me feeling uncomfortable.
Struts, Spring, Hibernate, EJB, JDO, JSF... They are too much & too difficult for a 1 person project!!

 

[jemminger]

all the cons you stated of access are why you would use java, especially with a good framework.

check out tapestry

http://jakarta.apache.org/tapestry/

very well designed framework, promotes component reuse. easy to make complex applications once you get the hang of it. buy the book "tapestry in action" at

http://www.manning.com

- it will help a lot

=========================================================
-jeff

http://www.jeffemminger.com

try { succeed(); } catch(E) { tryAgain(); } finally { rtfm(); }

 

[sedj]

If you are just one developer, and don't feel comfortable with JSP/servlet frameworks like Struts or JSF etc, then don't bother with them - just stick with JSP & simple servlets.

In my opinion, frameworks are often not worth the the hassle unless you are working on a massive webapp project with many developers.

Don't be sucked in by the hype - go with what you know, and what feels right.

As for EJB - its a massive overhead that can often slow db access - stick with stored procedures on a database like Oracle, or if you cannot afford Oracle, then Postgres or MySQL, which now support stored procedures.

Java, IMO, is getting worse & worse at developing wrappred, slower, frameworks. Personally, I'm trying to move awa from this "wrapped" world, and move back into C/C++ wherever I can !

A connection pool, is obviously though, a benefit that will speed up your application




--------------------------------------------------
Free Database Connection Pooling Software

http://www.primrose.org.uk

 

[neltan]

jemminger,

Thanks! I will try tapestry.

What's the meaning of rtfm()?

 

[neltan]

sedj,

Thank you for you reply! I'm just venting.

I hope that J2EE would be more simple and not more complex! Webapp framework seem to help programmer, but it tighten our code.

I was a ASP programmer and now JSP. Just feeling that I have just escape from the ugly VB code. But now face a giant and growing elephant!!

Here is an interesting cartoon

http://www.theserverside.com/cartoons/Frameworks/frameworks.jpg

 

[sedj]

Read The Fine Manual,

or

Read The F****** Manual

depending on your level of annoyance !



--------------------------------------------------
Free Database Connection Pooling Software

http://www.primrose.org.uk

 

[sedj]

PS, above was reply to neltan's question about jemminger's signature - "What's the meaning of rtfm()?" - not a slur !!!



--------------------------------------------------
Free Database Connection Pooling Software

http://www.primrose.org.uk

 

[neltan]

sorry sedj, I don't know the meaning of "Read The Fine Manual". Would you please explain a little :>

And I found a dhtml site, it is excellent to me!

http://www.blueshoes.org/en/javascript/

Hope that JSF can do this after N years!

 

[neltan]

sedj, I get it now!
"Read the fine manual" - go back and study again!

 

[jemminger]

if your project is small and won't be worked on by a team, follow sedj's advice and keep it simple with just jsp & servlets.

if it is more complex and / or needs to be modular and highly extensible, frameworks can help keep the code consistent.

i recommend lurking in the tapestry user forum for a while to see what people have to say about it:
subscribe: mailto:tapestry-user-subscribe@jakarta.apache.org

or read online:

http://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.java.tapestry.user/

=========================================================
-jeff

http://www.jeffemminger.com

try { succeed(); } catch(E) { tryAgain(); } finally { rtfm(); }

 

[neltan]

Thanks sedj & jemminger,

You are light to me, when I'm frustrate by those frameworks!