Engineering Excellence with Moses: Sustaining Creativity and Innovation

Tag: prototypes

  • TypeScript is Great, But Sometimes You Just Want Java

    TypeScript is Great, But Sometimes You Just Want Java

    TypeScript has become the de facto language for Angular development, and for good reason—it’s easy to learn, strongly typed, and less error-prone than JavaScript. But what if you prefer Java for its mature tooling, strong object-oriented features, and familiarity? Enter Angular2Boot—a framework built on Angular 2, GWT, and Spring Boot that lets you write Angular 2 apps in Java 8.

    This guide walks you through setting up and running an Angular 2 app in Java 8 using Angular2Boot.

    Why Angular2Boot?

    Angular2Boot bridges the gap between modern frontend development and Java’s robust backend ecosystem. It’s particularly useful for smaller applications where splitting the app into multiple tiers (WebClient, Service, Backend REST API) might feel like overkill.

    Key Benefits

    1. Stronger Typing: Java provides even stronger type-checking compared to TypeScript.
    2. Mature Tooling: Java offers tried-and-tested tools and IDEs for streamlined development.
    3. Simplified Deployment: Package everything into one Spring Boot jar for production-ready builds.
    4. Robustness: Java remains a go-to language for building scalable, enterprise-grade applications.

    Getting Started with Angular2Boot

    Step 1: Create the Project

    Generate an Angular and GWT app using Maven archetype:

    mvn archetype:generate 
  -DarchetypeGroupId=fr.lteconsulting 
  -DarchetypeArtifactId=angular2-gwt.archetype 
  -DarchetypeVersion=1.6

    During the setup process, provide the following details:

    • Group ID: com.mosesmansaray.play
    • Artifact ID: angular-gwt-in-java8-example
    • Version: 1.0-SNAPSHOT
    • Package Name: com.mosesmansaray.play

    This will create a project scaffold with all the necessary dependencies and configurations.

    Step 2: Install Dependencies

    Build the project to install all required dependencies and produce an executable JAR file:

    mvn clean install

    The resulting JAR file will be located in your target folder:

    /angular-gwt-in-java8-example/target/angular-gwt-in-java8-example-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar

    Step 3: Run the Application

    Run the fat JAR file to start your application:

    java -jar target/angular-gwt-in-java8-example-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar

    Step 4: Development with Live Reload

    During development, you can enable live reload for both backend and frontend:

    Backend:

    mvn spring-boot:run

    Frontend:

    mvn gwt:run-codeserver

    This ensures a seamless development workflow with real-time updates.

    Resources for Further Exploration

    1. Library Source Code: Explore the codebase.
    2. GWT con 2016 Talk: Watch here
    3. Speaker Deck Slides: A great overview of Angular2Boot.
    4. Code Demos:

    Conclusion

    Angular2Boot allows developers to harness the power of Angular 2 while benefiting from Java’s strong typing, mature tooling, and simplified deployment. Brilliant for when you’re prototyping or building enterprise-grade systems, Angular2Boot bridges the gap between modern frontend frameworks and Java’s backend ecosystem.

    Try it and experience the best of both worlds! Let me know what you think.