… and where to go from here

Could I ask what you think, Mr. Pichlík, or what others think I should learn next, given that I know J2SE and have learned JSP? I realize it’s best to know everything, and that it depends on the task and choosing the right technology, but there must still be “better” and “worse” technologies. Please don’t take this as an attempt to start a flame war. It’s just a beginner’s curiosity. I’ve downloaded pretty much everything Interval has on J2EE, but I’d still like your opinion.

One thing from school has lodged deep in my memory. It may sound strange, but it was a motto attributed to Friedrich von Hayek, “Knowledge only makes sense when it is put to use.” In other words, there’s little point in learning something you’ll never use.

I’m reluctant to make sweeping judgments about what’s better or worse without knowing the exact situation that calls for a technical solution. A few technologies, or rather approaches, are taking the lead now and will continue to do so. At least that’s how I see it.

1. AJAX and RIA

AJAX a RIA as a general direction for building the next generation of web applications.

2. Lightweight J2EE containers

Lightweight J2EE containers such as RIFE or Spring (Spring Framework, an introduction to a lightweight J2EE container) are taking the lead and will continue to do so 
and push EJB to the margins. Or they’ll force EJB to change radically, making the changes planned in EJB 3.0 look mild by comparison.

3. Component-based, event-driven frameworks

Component-based, event-driven frameworks for building the view layer are gaining ground. Some build on the standardized JSF, and others use proprietary approaches such as Tapestry, Wicket or Shale.

4. Continuations

Using continuations to build web applications

5. The broader direction of the Java platform

Java as a platform is healthy, strong and stable. In the near future we’ll look for ways to extend it to make development more efficient, with a particular focus on productivity. Someone with more standing than me, Bruce A. Tate, offers a forward-looking view in Beyond Java and published an accompanying article, Technologies to Watch: A Look at Four That May Challenge Java’s Development Dominance (discussion on TheServerSide). The new watchword is surely Ruby on Rails — What Is Ruby on Rails.