J2EE for idiots....

[ADB1]

Hello all,

I am very new to J2EE and was wondering if somebody could provide a small overview (in sort of non-technical terms) of J2EE and why it is used? What are the benefits?

Cheers.

A.

 

[sedj]

have a read of

http://java.sun.com/j2ee/index.jsp

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Free Java/J2EE Database Connection Pooling Software

http://www.primrose.org.uk

 

[ADB1]

Thanks Sedj.

I had a read, but dare I say it......this is still a bit technical!!!

Thanks.

A.

 

[sedj]

Well ... J2EE is a fairly technical subject !

There is no one technology called "J2EE" - it is a set of APIs that encompass many different technolgies - ranging from the JSP/Servlet API, JavaMail, JXTA, JNDI, to EJB.

As such, you cannot really say "this is the reason that people use J2EE" - you have a problem, you see if one of the J2EE APIs can solve that problem. You try it out, see if it fits/works and if so, then you use it.

Again, the "benefits" cannot really be explained either in such general terms. A technology is beneficial if it does something you can achieve no other way, or if it works better than some other technology, and ultimately if it meets your goals.

If you want to learn J2EE, then you need to start reading basically - or ask us a question on a specific technology.

--------------------------------------------------
Free Java/J2EE Database Connection Pooling Software

http://www.primrose.org.uk

 

[timw]

ADB1, the APIs forming J2EE in the main lie at the more 'advanced' end of Java. It helps to be pretty competent at 'Standard' Java first.

You don't tend to say things like 'Today I'm gonna learn J2EE'. As sedj said, you have a specific requirement and it turns out that one of the J2EE APIs will fulfill that need. So you learn how to use it.

For instance, you have two applications which need to talk to each other asynchronously. So you might want to achieve this with messaging queues. You notice that J2EE contains the JMS (Java Messaging Service) API, so you research it, get hold of an implementation (such as ActiveMQ or JBossMQ) and have a play.

I suppose you could line all the APIs up and 'learn' them one by one as an academic exercise. Most of us don't have that much spare time, unfortunately. It's usually a 'mad scramble' to soak up enough knowledge about something to solve the latest conundrum that your boss throws at you before the customer hits the fan. (Or at least it's like that for me, maybe I'm in the wrong job ).

Tim

 

[jemminger]

tim, i think we must work at the same place

-jeff

http://www.jeffemminger.com

lost: one sig, last seen here.

 

[timw]

Yes Jeff . Do you remember those 'one-man-band' performers? The ones with cymbals on their knees, drums on their backs etc? Most of the time I feel like the IT equivalent.

Tim