Beginning Spring Framework 2 shows beginning Java developers how to build serverside Java applications using the latest 2.0 release of the Spring Framework. The book does not assume any previous knowledge of J2EE--in fact, the authors argue that beginners learn more quickly by starting directly with Spring.

The authors show readers how to build a working web application using Spring with other open source tools and technologies, all of which can be freely downloaded and installed via the Internet. Each chapter builds a portion of the application. All the Spring concepts and construction techniques are introduced during the design and coding of this application. (With minor adaptation, the resulting code can be re-used by readers in their own working applications.)

Developing server-side applications with Java Enterprise Edition can be complex and time consuming. The Spring Framework is designed from the ground up to make it easier than ever. With this book as your guide, you quickly learn how to use the latest features of Spring 2 and other open-source tools, such as JUnit, Ant, and Hibernate®, that can be downloaded for free on the web.

With this book you hit the ground running and work with a server-side Spring example within the first chapter. You become quickly familiarized with the technology pieces and the lingo of Spring 2 that facilitate creation of Java server applications. In each subsequent chapter, you explore in more depth afundamental area of Spring application design and development by walking through the steps involved in building a larger production-scale example.

What you will learn from this book

* How to utilize the Spring 2 Framework and associated APIs in building your applications
* How to implement core best practices including inversion of control, dependency injection, and aspect oriented programming
* How to code and test POJO (Plain Old Java Object) centric design and development, enabling business logic
* How to support data access to and from relational database servers using the Java Persistence API (JPA)
* How to create maintainable Java server applications that decouple the user interface from the business logic by using Spring MVC
* How to create applications that generate RSS for web syndication, and PDFs for portable reports
* How to build Web Services interoperability features that enable your server applications to exchange data and information with Microsoft .NET based systems
* How to improve system robustness by adding transactional support to Spring applications

Who this book is for
This book is for Java developers who want tobuild server-side applications utilizing the Spring Framework and associated open-sourcetools. Developers already working with existingJ2EE or Java EE servers will also find useful information on techniques in transitioning to the lightweight Spring Framework.