2. Introduction to Red Hat JBoss Web Framework Kit
2.1. About Red Hat JBoss Web Framework Kit
Red Hat JBoss Web Framework Kit is a set of enterprise-ready versions of popular open source frameworks. Together, these frameworks provide a solution for developing light and rich Java-based web applications.
JBoss Web Framework Kit comprises enterprise distributions of JBoss community web application frameworks and tested third-party frameworks. These leading frameworks support fast and easy client-side and server-side application development and testing, with frameworks including RichFaces, jQuery, jQuery Mobile, Hibernate Search, Spring, and Arquillian.
The breadth of JBoss Web Framework Kit frameworks provides choice for Java application development. Each framework has been tested and certified for use in applications deployed to Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform, Red Hat JBoss Web Server, or Red Hat OpenShift JBoss EAP cartridge. Inclusion in JBoss Web Framework Kit ensures stable versions of frameworks are available over long-term enterprise product life cycles, with regular releases for fixes and nonintrusive feature updates. Further, Red Hat JBoss Developer Studio (an Eclipse-based development environment) provides integrated project templates, quickstarts and tooling for many of the JBoss Web Framework Kit frameworks.
For the complete list of the frameworks composing JBoss Web Framework Kit and the certified platform and framework configurations, see https://access.redhat.com/site/articles/112543 on the Red Hat Customer Portal.
2.2. About the JBoss Web Framework Kit Tiers
The frameworks composing JBoss Web Framework Kit are categorized in four distinct tiers. A description of each tier and the associated Red Hat support is detailed here.
- Tier 1 - Included Components
- These are components that are based wholly or partly on open source technologies that support broad collaboration and where Red Hat maintains a leadership role; as such Red Hat is able to support these components and provide upgrades and fixes under our standard support terms and conditions.
- Tier 2 - Tested Frameworks
- These are third-party frameworks where Red Hat does not have sufficient influence and does not provide upgrades and fixes under our standard support terms and conditions. Commercially reasonable support is provided by Red Hat Global Support Services for these frameworks.
- Tier 3 - Frameworks in Tested Examples
- These are third-party frameworks where Red Hat does not have sufficient influence and does not provide upgrades and fixes under our standard support terms and conditions. Red Hat supports the examples these frameworks are used in and the generic use cases that these examples intend to demonstrate.
- Tier 4 - Confirmed Frameworks
- These are third-party frameworks that do not receive any support from Red Hat, but Red Hat verifies that the frameworks run successfully on Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform. Frameworks and versions not listed here have not been explicitly tested and certified, and thus may be subject to support limitations.
For a list of JBoss Web Framework Kit frameworks by tier, see https://access.redhat.com/site/articles/112543 on the Red Hat Customer Portal.
2.3. About the JBoss Web Framework Kit Distribution
The frameworks composing JBoss Web Framework Kit are distributed from a range of sources and in a variety of formats:
- The component frameworks are available from the Red Hat Customer Portal. They are distributed in two alternative formats: a binary for each framework or together as one Maven repository. In addition, the source code for each framework is provided for inspection.
- The third party frameworks are not distributed by Red Hat and each must be obtained from its own source.
A number of defined Maven JBoss stacks are provided as part of the JBoss Web Framework Kit distribution. All of the BOMs defining the JBoss stacks are available in the Maven repository
.zip file available to download from the Red Hat Customer Portal or from http://www.jboss.org/developer-materials/ on the JBoss Developer Framework website.
An extensive set of examples are also provided as part of the JBoss Web Framework Kit distribution:
All of these examples are available from the Red Hat Customer Portal, with TicketMonster, the quickstarts, and the Maven archetypes also available from http://www.jboss.org/developer-materials/ on the JBoss Developer Framework website.
- TicketMonster is a moderately complex application demonstrating a number of the JBoss Web Framework Kit frameworks working together.
- Quickstarts and Maven archeypes illustrate subsets of the JBoss Web Framework Kit frameworks used to create simple applications.
- RichFaces, Snowdrop and Seam demonstrations showcase the power of each framework in web application development.