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InfoQ Homepage News Oracle Launches Free Version of Application Development Framework

Oracle Launches Free Version of Application Development Framework

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Oracle has today made a free, cut-down version of their Java EE based Application Development Framework (ADF) available for download through the Oracle Technology Network. The free version, called ADF Essentials, includes:

  1. Oracle ADF Faces: A set of more than 150 web user interface (UI) components based on JavaServer Faces (JSF).
  2. Oracle ADF Controller: An extension of the JSF controller layer that helps build reusable process flows, and includes capabilities to create dynamic regions with changing content in web pages.
  3. Oracle ADF Binding: An XML-based, meta-data abstraction layer for connecting UI components to business services.
  4. Oracle ADF Business Components: declaratively-configured, reusable components for working with relational databases.

The primary differences between ADF Essentials and its full counterpart are in the view layer. ADF is geared towards developing multi-channel applications, whilst ADF Essentials is aimed squarely at web applications. As a result, Essentials excludes the ADF Swing, Office and Mobile components. In addition, Essentials excludes ADF Security, the JAAS-based authentication and authorisation service provider for Oracle Fusion applications, Business Process Management/BPL integration, and support for embedding business intelligence objects in applications.

ADF depends on WebLogic Server, but with the free version Oracle is looking to change this. The initial version is certified to run on Oracle’s GlassFish Server Open Source Edition, but Bill Pataky, vice president Tools and Middleware Product Management at Oracle, told InfoQ that it should run on any Java EE compliant server.

Oracle's JDeveloper IDE provides visual and declarative development capabilities for ADF Essentials now, and the vendor also told us that it plans to add support to Oracle's Enterprise Pack for Eclipse in a release that should be out before the end of the year.

The product is offered under a proprietary (non-open source) license which you can see here. Oracle's technical support organisation will not provide technical support, phone support, or updates, but these can be purchased from Oracle separately.

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