Jaxcent from Desiderata Software is a Java API for accessing
and modifying the Document Object Model (DOM) of the browser.
Version 1 of Jaxcent worked entirely on the client side.
While it explored some possibilities of doing AJAX-style operations in Java, it
was best suited for intranets and special scenarios such as automated testing and
automated browsing.
Version 2 of Jaxcent is an unrestricted Java API for doing
full-fledged AJAX
operations. It can be run on the open Internet instead of being restricted to
intranets. The Java of Jaxcent now runs on the server side, and still gives the
Java programmer full control over the client's DOM hierarchy. On the client
side, all that is required is to add a single JavaScript include statement to existing HTML content and
then the resulting page can communicate with Jaxcent on the server.
On the server side, Jaxcent works with standard Java servlet
containers and provides classes that correspond to elements of the Document
Object Model (DOM), and that can be instantiated to match HTML elements
existing (or dynamically created) on the page. These classes provide methods
for interacting with the HTML elements, and for receiving events originating from
the HTML elements, all in Java. In addition to dynamic interactions with the
HTML elements, Jaxcent also provides access to the session and application context, as well as entirely automatic session
data management.
It is not necessary
to rewrite existing applications to take advantage of Jaxcent. Using Jaxcent,
as needed, one or more AJAX
features can be added piecemeal to one or more pages without any need to modify
the structure or specifics of the overall application.
For new web applications the entire framework can be built
using Jaxcent, taking full advantage of its dynamic capabilities.
Jaxcent works with AJAX
capable browsers, such as Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox.
Jaxcent is written entirely in Java and JavaScript, and therefore is OS
independent.
Jaxcent programmers do not need to work in JavaScript.
Jaxcent will work with any existing JavaScript code, and it provides features
to take advantage of JavaScript if desired, but primarily Jaxcent programming
is all-Java and no-JavaScript programming.
Jaxcent Version 2 is
available free from Desiderata Software, at http://www.jaxcent.com/
Version 1 of Jaxcent will no longer be available. For those
who need it for its non-AJAX features such as automated testing or automated
browsing, Desiderata's EZ JCom product (http://www.ezjcom.com) can be used. EZ JCom builds bridges
between Java and COM, or Java and .NET. It can be used to automate - among
other things - Internet Explorer from Java.