The Definitive Guide to Grails

As modern web application developers, most of us have experienced one or many of the so-called web application frameworks that promise much, but often deliver so little. The frustration of verbose configuration and anemic APIs has led many, particularly in the Java[Trademark] community, in search of greener fields.

The aim of this book is to introduce one of those greener fields that is not so far from home. In fact, its roots are very much embedded in the Java platform that we all know and love. Grails could well be the web application framework that you've been searching for. Here, I provide you with all the information that you need to get productive quickly.

You will learn how to use the Groovy language with Grails to rapidly prototype applications, develop dynamic tag libraries, create rich domain models, and provide reusable services. If you're from a background of building applications with existing Java frameworks, such as Spring, Hibernate, and Quartz, you'll be able to build on that knowledge, because Grails leverages each of these well-known frameworks to provide a full stack experience. If you're not, Grails shields you from the technicalities of those framework APIs, leaving you to focus on what's important: the business logic in your application.

I wrote this book to spread the news that there are robust, dynamic alternatives to traditional Java web application frameworks, and to show you how you can use dynamic and statically typed code that will complement one another where appropriate.

Groovy is an incredibly powerful language, but until recently much of its power was largely undocumented. The development of Grails provides a shining example of what Groovy iscapable of when its full range of features is harnessed.