FDAF (or F.D.A.F) is a free, open-source, MVC framework to build Java web applications and enterprise applications implementing Jakarta EE / Java EE. The MVC design of FDAF implements JSF (Jakarta Server Faces). It favors both convention and configuration, makes implementation and configuration to be more simple, lets the programmer write less of codes.

A Java web-application to handle dynamic contents basically a database access application relies on CRUD operations (Create - Read - Update - Delete). It applies the Model-View-Control or MVC architecture, in which the Model represents the business or database code, the View represents the page design code, and the Controller represents the navigational code.

In modern versions of Java EE, there's a default MVC framework called JSF (JavaServer Face). Following this framework, Facelets is used for the View and the Controller is given. But you don't need to implement Facelets, instead, you need to apply the concept called the backing bean (which is often referred to as the Model, but isn't a pure Model itself). The backing bean delegates to the real Model such as EJB services. The backing bean can also take up some Controller responsibilities, for example issuing a redirect, or putting a message in a kind of queue for the View to display.

The modern design of a Java web-application, also in FDAF fashion, applies the separation between web-tier (web-application itself) as the View and as the Controller over the business-tier as the Model. There are various technical considerations in applying this kind of design pattern, for example:

• Security matter: In order to achieve some security norms, the business layer has to reside in a more secure place that will not be exposed directly to Internet.

• Interactivity matter: A web-application must keep its function interactively without encountered total interruption whenever the business-tier fall in serious problem. For example, when business-tier encountered database-server problem, the web-tier will keep interact to the user by informing current states to let the user take reasonable decision in working with the web-application in current situation.

FDAF provides the gears to simplify the build of Java EE web application and business logic application:

• FDAF Web Application API's - abstraction to base and simplify web application backing beans, web application controllers, and web socket application.
• FDAF JSF Components - reusable JSF components to simplify creation of view layers such as data record list, data record viewer, data record editor, configuration editor board, and any web page models.
• FDAF Business Logic API's - abstraction to base business logic application or business tear that can be easy to integrate with the web tear.
• FDAF Compilation Tools:
  • Initializer - tool to initialize and organize the compilable source
  • Modeler - tool to model the JPA entity class based the primitive entity class
  • Build Invoker - tool to invoke build processes to finalize the compilable source into ready-to-deploy application

The distribution of FDAF includes the following ready-to-use web application modules source codes:

• Administrator Dashboard
• User Session Management Boards:
  • Login
  • User Account Registration
  • Password Reset
• Account Management Boards:
  • Add Administrator
  • Staff Invitation
  • User [1]
  • Department [1]
  • Role [1]
  • User Group [1]
  • User Group Member [1]
  • Employee [1]
  • User Login (User Login Administration Board) [2]
• Common Configuration Board
• Mailer Configuration Board
• File Manager

Modules marked as [1] are builtin with the following functions:

• listing (with search tool, ordering tool, pagination)
• editor (to add new record & alter)
• single record viewer
• single record removal
• search tool
• mass removal
• orphan data check

Modules marked as [2] are builtin with the following functions:

• listing (with search tool, ordering tool, pagination)
• single record viewer
• single record removal
• search tool
• mass removal

Besides the above listed builtin sources, you will find ready-to-use business-logic-application-modules source codes within FDAF.

FDAF supports the following application server platforms for deployment:

• WildFly
• Apache Tomee Plume >= V.8.x.x
• Thorntail

Notice:

• Thorntail development was discontinued, the support for Thorntail probably will be unexpectedly defective in the future.
• The newer GlashFish and Payara were removed from the list of supported application server, since they have bugs those prevent FDAF application to work with them.
• Due Apache Tomee Plus applies OpenJPA & MyFaces, it prevents FDAF application for working properly.

FDAF for this initial release supports only the following JPA providers:

• Hibernate
• EclipseLink

FDAF source code is available at GITHUB: https://github.com/heru-himawan-tl/fdaf

An FDAF application example source code is available at GITHUB: https://github.com/heru-himawan-tl/fdaf-application-example

Copyright (c) Heru Himawan Tejo Laksono. All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

3. Neither the name of the copyright holders nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

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