Knappsack Archetypes

Kickstart your Java EE 6 experience with the Knappsack Maven Archetypes

Get a head start on learning and developing with Java EE 6 using these Maven Archetypes developed specifically for Java EE 6. Simplify creating new projects or create one of the existing demo applications that showcases the features of Java EE 6 and provide you with an opportunity to learn and experiment.

Hit the ground running in your Java EE 6 journey with Knappsack.

While the configuration for Java EE 6 is minimal, it can still require some setup for the different components involved and these archetypes come complete with configuration for JSF, JPA, CDI and deployment into a Java EE 6 container. The Knappsack archetypes provide two initial Java EE 6 projects, one empty one, and another with some basic tests to ensure the projects and your environment is set up correctly. You can also try Java EE 6 without the commitment of installing an app server with archetypes use some of the core Java EE 6 technologies and can be run using an embedded Tomcat or Jetty container.

Smooth the Java EE 6 Learning Curve

Start learning Java EE 6 by using the sandbox archetype to create a fully configured Java EE 6 application complete with a JPA data model and test data to use as a learning sandbox while you investigate and experiment with the new features of Java EE 6.

Alternatively, the sandbox-demo archetype will create a brand new fully working CRUD demo project using only the features of Java EE 6 available out of the box. Use this application to explore the different features of Java EE 6, get and idea of how different pieces are implemented and even try out a few ideas of your own.

Java EE Archetypes Available

The following archetypes are available from the central repository with the following GAV :

<groupId>org.fluttercode.knappsack</groupId>
<artifactId>{artifact id}</artifactId>
<version>1.0.7</version>

The following artifact Ids are available :

Artifact Id	Description
jee6-basic-archetype	Empty application with just a bean that returns a message to a JSF page
jee6-minimal-archetype	Includes a sample page to test JPA, JSF and validation
jee6-sandbox-archetype	Comes with a JPA model pre-populated with data so you can experiment in a sandbox environment.
jee6-sandbox-demo-archetype	A working CRUD application project that shows off features of Java EE 6
jee6-servlet-demo-archetype	Simple bookmarking application that demonstrates the features of Java EE 6 in a servlet container.
jee6-servlet-basic-archetype	Empty application that verifies that JSF is configured and can be run with an embedded Tomcat or Jetty instance from the command line.
jee6-servlet-minimal-archetype	Small application that verifies that JSF, JPA, CDI and validation is working and can be run with an embedded Tomcat or Jetty instance from the command line.
jee6-servlet-sandbox-archetype	Comes with JPA, JSF, CDI and Validation pre-configured and a pre-populated database so you can experiment with Java EE 6 features with an existing populated data model.

These archetypes will also be used as a foundation for providing tutorial and documentation to developers. Tutorials can become tedious if you are creating a new project from scratch and documenting those steps to have the user reproduce the steps. The alternative is to not have the reader following along which can limit understanding without a working demo they can see and play with. Using these archetypes, the tutorials can start by creating a maven application in a single step and jump straight into the meat of the tutorial.

Developers can go ahead and see how different Java EE 6 pieces work by creating a new project based on the sandbox-demo archetype which is a full working application. Many times people get stuck because they are unsure of the best way to do something. Hopefully the sandbox-demo application will give you an idea or two on how to get things done in Java EE 6.

Next Steps