JSP application framew orks What are application frameworks: A framework is a reusable, semi-complete application that can be specialized to produce custom applications [Johnson]. Like people, software applications are more alike than they are different. They run on the same computers, expect input from the same devices, output to the same displays, and save data to the same hard disks. Developers working on conventional desktop applications are accustomed to toolkits and development environments that leverage the sameness between applications. Application frameworks build on this common ground to provide developers with a reusable structure that can serve as the foundation for their own products. A framework provides developers with a set of backbone components that have the following characteristics: 1.They are known to work well in other applications. 2. They are ready to use with the next project. 3. They can also be used by other teams in the organization. Frameworks are the classic build-versus-buy proposition. If you build it, you will understand it when you are done—but how long will it be before you can roll your own? If you buy it, you will have to climb the learning curve—and how long is that going to take? There is no right answer here, but most observers would agree that frameworks such as Struts provide a significant return on investment compared to starting from scratch, especially for larger projects. Other types of frameworks: The idea of a framework applies not only to applications but to application componentsas well. Throughout this article, we introduce other types of frameworks that you can use with Struts. These include the Lucene search engine, the Scaffold toolkit, the ...
