Re: [Springframework-developer] Petclinic, skeletons, and sample apps

[Ken K. <kk...@kk...>]

Lars Fischer wrote:

>Ken,
>
>first of all it's good that Petclinic exists !
>
>I would prefer to have smaller examples to get started (especially
>regarding the configuration stuff). If the skeletons would provide
>the examples they refer to it would be enough for me.
>  
>
I like this approach myself.

>What I would like to be improved in Petclinic:
>
>- Provide the features mentioned in the skeleton of applicationContext.xml
>   (transaction and business object)
>- Maybe add one or more use cases where a business object makes sense
>- A Hibernate version would be nice  - remember this should be possible just
>with a 
>  different configuration :-)
>  
>
I'll see if I get any more feedback and think about it. I've got an idea 
for a rather contrived use case that could demonstrate a transaction 
and  a WizardFormController, i.e. transferring a Pet from one Owner to 
another. Anybody else got a better idea for a use case ???

As to Hibernate, I've never used it and am not sure if/when I'll get 
around to tackling that learning curve. There's just not enough time for 
me to do everything I'd like to, heavy sigh. :-(

>There's one general question I have:
>
>Petclinic provides *one* screen/form where an owner can be inserted or
>updated
>(owner id == 0 --> insert, owner id != null --> update)
>Is this a preferred approach ? In my last project I've provided separate
>screens 
>for insert and update.
>  
>
No, this was simply "my" preferred approach because like all good 
software developers I hate duplication and this approach allows the 
forms to share the same jsp. This approach is OK if the insert and 
update forms are very nearly the same but if they aren't it's probably 
more hassle than it's worth. There certainly are other good ways to 
minimize the duplication.

>One thing I'd like to be improved in Spring (not Petclinic) is the
>configuration
>of the MVC part. It seems just too much to configure.
>
Perhaps this will not seem as bad as the documentation improves and the 
defaults and what you can and can't do with them becomes more apparent.

>Feel free to show no mercy ;-)
>I hope it didn't hit you too hard :-)
>  
>

Softballs :-) .

Did you find the tutorial text useful ??

Ken


>Regards,
>Lars
>
>  
>
>>Lars,
>>
>>Regarding your ongoing questions about Petclinic and the skeletons:
>>
>>It was decided quite some time ago that the 1st iteration of Petclinic 
>>would focus on the more rudimentary aspects of using Spring: beans, 
>>context, jdbc, and web mvc. That is why there are no examples of aop, 
>>transactions, or ejb in it. Its purpose is simply to help developers get 
>>started.
>>
>>The current version of Petclinic does not not have a separation of 
>>business and persistence layers because the business layer is soooo very 
>>thin. At one point it was separated but this was removed because the 
>>business API was almost a duplicate of the persistence API. As it stands 
>>now, it really is only about data access.
>>
>>The skeletons themselves actually came along after most of Petclinic had 
>>been done. As of now the skeletons are simply starting points for 
>>configuration files.
>>
>>I would be interested in your feedback (and that of anybody else) on:
>>- how well does the ****current**** version of Petclinic help developers 
>>get started with Spring ? Is it effective and  what do you think should 
>>be done to improve it. Feel free to show no mercy ;-) .
>>- what would you want to see in a next version of Petclinic, preferably 
>>with suggestions for use cases to implement ?
>>- do you think it would best to morph the skeletons into actual tiny 
>>sample apps or roll associated demonstrations into bigger sample apps ?
>>
>>Ken
>>
>>
>>    
>>
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>  
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