ActiveWeb is a Java web framework inspired by Ruby on Rails. It is optimized to be sustainable, productive, and familiar for Java developers.
- Convention over configuration: zero configuration is required to develop ActiveWeb applications, and some conventions are overridable.
- Highest degree of developer productivity: ActiveWeb allows developers to build real Java web projects without the need for the typical compile/package/deploy/start cycle. A container is started once, and development can continue. ActiveWeb will recompile controllers and reload them into a running container on the fly.
- Adherence to Java standards: ActiveWeb binds to core Java standards: JDBC and Servlets.
- First-rate built-in testing capabilities: ActiveWeb provides the ability to test every discrete business function, including data generated by business logic, the content and structure of generated HTML/JSON/XML/XYZ, and complex user scenarios, all without having to start a container. ActiveWeb is perfect for true TDD/BDD, and it promotes writing specifications (tests) before coding implementations.
- Full stack web development platform: unlike many other Java frameworks, such as JSF, Struts, Wicket, etc., which usually solve only one problem, ActiveWeb is a full stack development framework for the Web. It provides all features that are integrated together. This allows to start Java web projects very fast. Integrated dependency injection - ActiveWeb integrates Google Guice as a dependency injection container.
- ActiveWeb uses ActiveJDBC as ORM layer. This is a lightweight integration, and both frameworks work very well together. However, developers still have the option of using a different ORM package if desired.
- Built-in support for Unobtrusive JavaScript: this allows for the development of dynamic Ajax applications without having to write repetitive JavaScript code. Unobtrusive JavaScript does not clutter HTML pages as generated JavaScript would.
Watch a quick video on Youtube that demonstrates ActiveWeb's ability to add code to the application dynamically, at run time:
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YX1TAtuSqQE?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>All documentation is placed here: http://javalt.org/p/activeweb
September 20 2012: released version 1.5, which includes a fix for Issue 114
August 21 2012: Presented ActiveJDBC and ActiveWeb to San Diego Java User Group: http://www.sdjug.org/2012-08-21
August 13 2012: speaker at the That Conference presenting ActiveJDBC and ActiveWeb?: http://www.thatconference.com/Sessions/session_269
July 26 2012: new release 1.3 was pushed to Maven Central repository. It contains a defect fix for javalite#109. Anyone using custom routes are encouraged to switch to the latest version.
July 16 2012: new release 1.2 was pushed to Maven Central repository. It contains a few minor defects, as well as fix for javalite#5
March 20 2012: ActiveWeb and ActiveJDBC were presented to the Software Craftsmanship McHenry County - got great reception. Part of the presentation was to build a simple live application with test coverage.
January 25 2012: support for flexible routing model added.
January 5 2012: Igor Polevoy presented ActiveWeb to the Groupon Geekfest and got a warm welcome from the crowd. One group got so excited about ActiveJDBC that they offered a helping hand in adding MSSQL support, which they did a week later.
August 16 2011: Igor Polevoy presented ActiveWeb to the Chicago Java User Group. You can find slides of the presentation in SideShare.