Spring Web Flow boosts Web apps

By Paul Krill

June 21, 2007 12:00 PM ET

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InfoWorld - Spring Web Flow, a Web framework built on the popular Spring Java framework that integrates with such frameworks as Spring, Struts and JavaServer Faces (JSF), is being upgraded to improve the flow of activities in applications.

Developers of Spring Web Flow are working on Version 1.1 of the framework. Due later this year, it will feature the concept of flow composition and inheritance, in which application parts representing user functionality can be reused, said officials at Interface21, which oversees development of Spring technologies. This capability is of particular use in e-commerce applications and involves the embedding of application subflows into a master flow of functionality in an application.

Improved integration with the JSF framework also is planned. "It's much more natural now for those use to working with JSF," said Keith Donald, principal engineer at Interface21.

Key functions of Spring Web Flow include:

Navigation control, which can be used to define how a user interacts with a Web application.
Managing state associated with a Web application, including the management of transient data, such as passenger information, when booking a flight in an e-commerce system.
Modularity, in which processes can be broken into discreet units.

"The sweet sport for Web Flow is providing a really good framework for things like wizards," Donald said.

With Web Flow, Java developers can leverage object-oriented language concepts, said Neelan Choksi, senior vice president of Americas at Interface21.

While Web Flow handles user interactions in an application, Spring would deal with transactional processing, business logic and data access, said Donald.

Version 1.0.3 of Spring Web Flow was released a few weeks ago, while Version 1.0.4, featuring minor improvements and bug fixes, is due this week. Milestone, or preview, releases of Version 1.1 will be offered prior to the general release.

Spring Web Flow has been downloaded more than 100,000 times, most of which occurred after the release of the 1.0 version of the software in October 2006.

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