The free ebook open source, lightweight Google Web Toolkit (GWT) is a framework
that allows Java developers to build Rich Internet Applications (RIA), more recently
called Ajax applications, in Java. Typically, writing these applications requires a lot
of JavaScript development. However, Java and JavaScript are very distinctively
different languages (although the name suggests otherwise), therefore requiring
a different development process.

In Beginning Google Web Toolkit: From Novice to Professional, you’ll learn to
build rich, user–friendly web applications using a popular Java–based Ajax web
framework, the Google Web Toolkit. The authors will guide you through the
complete development of a GWT front end application with a no–nonsense, down–to
–earth approach.

BRAM SMEETS is a Java architect with more than eight years’ experience
in developing enterprise Java applications. Currently, Bram is technical
director at JTeam (www.jteam.nl), a Java software development company
based in the Netherlands, and senior consultant at SpringSource
(www.springsource.com). He is a regular speaker at technology-focused
conferences such as The Ajax Experience and SpringOne. Using GWT,
Bram has delivered several successful RIA projects at JTeam. He’s also
done Ajax and GWT training for several companies.
URI BONESS is a software engineer and architect with more than eight
years’ experience developing Java applications. Currently, Uri serves as
the chief scientist at JTeam. Over the years, Uri has contributed and
initiated several open source projects, including GWToolbox—a set of
GWT modules to help simplify the development of GWT applications.
Like Bram, Uri too delivered several GWT-based projects and gave
several training sessions on the subject. His main technology interests
are focused on search and RIA, which he considers to be the real backbone
of the new age of enterprise applications.
ROALD BANKRAS is a software engineer and project manager with more
than five years of Java experience. Roald has gathered his experience
running e-Procurement and custom back-office projects for mid- and
large-size companies in the Netherlands. During the last year, Roald has
put his knowledge to use implementing a complete fulfillment system
using GWT.

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This book walks the reader through all of the steps that a beginning user must tackle, including
which software to install, how to install it, and how to start writing code. It’s assumed that the
reader has some knowledge of how the web works and has worked with plain old HTML. The
differences between using Flex, HTML, and Ajax are dissected in easy-to-understand terms.
All the major starting points of developing RIAs in Flex are covered, including a
detailed description of the ActionScript programming language that forms the basis for
Flex applications. The Flex framework, which speeds application development time, is
discussed after you’ve learned about the Flex architecture and supporting languages. Each
step of the way is written to make sometimes complex concepts easy to understand.
Because Flex excels at working with media assets such as video and sound combined
with dynamic data to create a rich Web 2.0 experience, the book introduces the necessary
concepts to create these applications. Those concepts include working with sounds and
video as well as working with dynamic data sources such as an RSS feed. With a solid
starting point, the options for creating Flex applications are endless.
Finally, practical advice is provided to help debug and publish applications once you’re
cranking out applications that you’re ready to share with your friends and colleagues.

The source code for examples in the book is downloadable on the web from www.
mhprofessional.com. Any example of more than a few lines should be downloaded from
the source code to reduce the time required to type in the code and to avoid any errors from
typing in the code.
The source code and related media assets are split out by chapter number. For code
segments that have a heading with a listing number, the code is placed in a file called
Listing<chapter number>_<listing number>. ActionScript files are named the same as
the example’s class name, since Flex requires the filename to match the class definition.
MXML code listings that are not large enough to warrant their being referred as a listing
in the text are named Example<chapter number>_<description>, where description
provides guidance on which example is being reference in the text. Any media assets are
also named the same as their references in the text.
In general, MXML examples can be run in the same project as other examples from
the text. The ActionScript files that demonstrate importing sounds and SWF media assets
should be created as ActionScript projects for each example. Flex Builder automatically
places some default code when creating a new MXML or ActionScript file, but it’s okay
to overwrite this default code with the source from the files provided with the book.

About the Authors
Michele E. Davis has co-authored and authored more than 18 books and has a PhD
in English and French. Davis is a full-time consultant in Instructional Design, Technical
Writing, and Web Development and Training. She’s worked for General Mills, Toro,
Affiliated Computer Services, LookSmart, Medtronic, and many more corporations. Davis
is a career writer, having published her first poem for a fiver while in second grade. She
can be found on the web at www.krautgrrl.com.
Jon A. Phillips has a BS in Computer Science, having started programming in grade
school. This is the fifth book he’s written with Davis. He’s worked with numerous web
technologies as well as a substantial amount of database development from Oracle to
MySQL. Phillips is always looking for the best technologies to solve real-world
computing problems, which includes working with Flex. Phillips is also a full-time
consultant and has worked for Emerson Process, Siemens, Affiliated Computer Services,
The University of Minnesota, and Lockheed Martin. He can be found on the web at
www.krautboy.com.

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DAVID GOLDING began developing web sites in 1999 and first started
using CakePHP on a bet he couldn’t complete a web application
in five minutes. Golding has a degree in European Studies from
Brigham Young University and currently works in technology consulting
and freelance web development. He lives with his wife,
Camille, and his son, Kenny, in southern California and spends his
free time playing golf and studying history. His musings can be
found at www.davidgolding.net.

This guide is for beginners to CakePHP. Whether or not you have much experience with the
PHP scripting language, working in Cake will require some new methods you may or may not
have tried before. If you don’t know what a “has-and-belongs-to-many” relationship is, don’t
know how to build your own class object, or don’t know how to parse an array, then this book
is a perfect place to start when getting into Cake.
Most of the available online resources require some sort of prior knowledge of web
development to get a grasp on how to install and work in Cake. If you’re like me when I
started using Cake, you probably just want a handful of tutorials with code samples from
square one that can get you up and running quickly and lead you in the right direction for
more advanced techniques. In fact, when asking a question on forums or chat rooms, many
beginners get little help or confusing leads from the experts. Simple questions can get a
response like “Well, just read the online manual and API.” Sometimes novices need a very
simple approach to the software, and this guide is just that. As you begin to master Cake, this
guide will also provide tips and a reference for helping you quickly add more features to your
projects and catch errors.
This book will start by showing how to install Cake on a server and your own computer
and will provide some detailed code samples and visual snapshots to walk you through the
process. In Chapter 2, I’ll show how to build a simple Cake application. You’ll get used to the
Model-View-Controller (MVC) structure and how to organize your Cake applications effectively.
In Part 2, you’ll build more extensive web applications in Cake, and you’ll explore Cake’s
built-in helpers, including the Ajax helper, and work with more advanced features. By the end
of the book, you will be able to create your own helpers, plugins, and other useful features that
will reduce the overall amount of code to run your applications, and you’ll also have a solid
enough foundation to try other advanced features on your own.

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Mootools is a light, modular JavaScript framework that makes adding
Ajax, animations, and interactive elements to your site a breeze. But
it’s more than fancy effects and shortcuts; Mootools enhances the
JavaScript language and makes writing clean, object–oriented code almost
pleasant. Unlocking the power of Mootools, and therefore JavaScript,
isn’t that hard, but knowing where to start can be. Mootools Essentials
aims to help you accomplish that task with the following:
- Illustrations of nearly every class and function in the library
- Real–world examples of how to use them
- Written by Mootools user/contributor and Mootorial author, Aaron
Newton. You can see how Mootools makes JavaScript more powerful.

<h3>What you’ll learn</h3>
- Access the complete reference to the Mootools library.
- See how to use the library and understand how JavaScript/Mootools is
different from other programming languages.
- Get step–by–step code authoring examples.
- Explore real–world examples of how to accomplish common fundamental
tasks.
Who is this book for?
This firstPress book is for web developers who want to learn an easier
and productive way to develop/use JavaScript and Ajax.

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Ruby on Rails has shaken up the web development industry in a huge way—especially
when you consider that version 1.0 of Rails was only released in December 2005. The huge waves of enthusiasm for the new framework, originally in weblogs and later in the more traditional media, are probably the reason why this book is in your hands.
This book will lead you through the components that make up the Rails framework by building a clone of the popular story-sharing web site digg.com. This will give you a chance to get your feet wet building a simple, yet comprehensive web application
using Ruby on Rails.
While the first edition of this book hit the shelves shortly after Rails 1.2 was released, the Rails Core Team quickly hurried off to work on an even better and even more polished version of the framework—a version that was released in December of 2007 as Rails 2.0. Although seen as an evolutionary (rather than a revolutionary) update, Rails 2 features improvements in almost every corner of its comprehensive code base, hence the requirement to update this book. And the improvements continue:
as we go to press, the 2.1 release of Rails is imminent.
Without going into too many boring details, rest assured that with Rails 2 you have the fastest and most secure, concise, fun and rewarding version of Rails in existence. You get a secure web application almost out of the box; using the latest web technologies
such as Ajax has never been more accessible; and it’s just as easy to produce a well-tested application as it is not to do any automated testing.
If that’s all Klingon to you, don’t worry. I’ll get you started, and by the time you finish this book, you’ll be able to discuss all things Web 2.0 with your friends and coworkers, and impress your dentist with geeky vocabulary.

About the Author
Patrick Lenz has been developing web applications for more than ten years. Founder and lead developer of the freshmeat.net software portal, he and his Rails consultancy and web application development company, limited overload, are responsible for several community-driven web applications developed using Ruby on Rails. Patrick also authored some of the first articles to appear on the web about architecting and scaling larger Rails applications.
Patrick lives in Wiesbaden, Germany, with his wife Alice and his daughter Gwendolyn.
When not working in front of a computer, he can often be seen with a camera in his hand, either taking artsy pictures or documenting the progress of his baby girl conquering the world.1 He also enjoys cars, music, and extended weekend brunches with friends.
His weblog can be found at http://poocs.net/. Read the rest of this entry »