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Kick-start your Java apps

Free software, fast development

developerWorks

Level: Intermediate

Sing Li (westmakaha@yahoo.com), Author, Wrox Press

27 Feb 2006
Updated 05 Dec 2007

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To create, test, and deploy a Web-based application or Web service rapidly, you need a proven relational database, a standards-compliant Web application server, and a flexible IDE. Ideally, all these software packages are production-tested, simple to obtain, easy to use, and well integrated with one another. This tutorial shows you how to use IBM-backed open source and free software to kick-start your Java™ Web-based application development. You'll learn exactly where to download such components, install them, and get them working for you today.

In this tutorial

With the Kick-start your Java apps suite, IBM has put together a powerful combination of freely available software components for data, deployment, and development:

  • DB2 Express-C 9.5 database server

  • WebSphere Application Server Community Edition 2.0

  • The Eclipse IDE

This tutorial takes you along the shortest path to getting these software components — called the Kick-start your Java apps suite — downloaded and working, letting you discover their infinite possibilities while creating your next programming masterpiece. It assists you in installing and setting up the components and reveals how they are designed to work with one another. Toward this goal, the tutorial does not attempt to cover all possible features or configuration options available for the individual packages. You'll be able to discover each product's rich feature set at your own pace as you continue exploration and development.

In this tutorial, you will:

  • Downloading and installing DB2 Express-C 9.5

  • Creating databases and manipulating data with tools in DB2 Express-C 9.5

  • Downloading and installing Application Server 2.0

  • Managing Application Server through the Web console

  • Connecting Application Server to DB2 Express-C 9.5 using a JCA 1.5 connector

  • Downloading and installing Eclipse

  • Installing the Eclipse Web Tools Platform (WTP) server adapter for Application Server (formerly called the Application Server plug-in for Eclipse)

  • Managing, browsing, and editing DB2 Express-C 9.5 data through the Eclipse IDE

  • Testing Web applications in Eclipse using existing Application Server installation

  • Rapidly developing and testing a JSP/JSTL Web application in Eclipse, with data access to DB2 Express-C 9.5, and deploying it to Application Server

  • Configuring Application Server as a general Web server on the Internet

When you are done with this tutorial, don't forget to read Kick-start your Java apps, Part 2.


Prerequisites

You should be familiar with Java development in general and server-side Java development specifically. This tutorial assumes that you understand the general operations of a relational database and are familiar with basic Java EE concepts, such as deployment descriptors and WAR archives. Experience working with an application server and relational database is beneficial but not mandatory.


System requirements

To follow along and try out the code for this tutorial, you need a working installation of Sun's Java SE JDK 5 update 15 or the IBM SDK for Java Version 5 SR6.

The recommended system configuration for trying out the tutorial is:

  • A system supporting the JDK/JRE listed above with at least 1GB of main memory (2GB recommended)
  • At least 2GB of disk space to install the software components and examples

The instructions in the tutorial are based on a Windows™ operating system. All of the tools covered in the tutorial also work on Linux® and UNIX® systems.

If you need copies of the products used in this tutorial, you can download them for free:



Duration

2 hours


Formats

html, pdf


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