Standalone Java application with HTML front end - java

I want to develop a standalone java application, with web browser as front end. This application will run locally and won't be making any remote server calls. I'm essentially using java, as web-browser cannot perform file operations.
I want this application to be portable: no need of installation. Just copying a folder should be enough. I want to know how it can be done, how will javascript communicate with java code.

In continuation of #Quentin's answer.
Yes, you need web server.
There are 2 principal architectures:
Create stand alone application with embedded web server
Create ordinary web application and run it on proprietary web server.
IMHO I think that the second approach is better, however it strongly depend on your application functionality.
You can take jetty or grizzly as a web container. Both can run as in embedded or stand alone modes. You are welcome to share other details of your application with the community if you need concrete advises concerning to the design of your application.

The application would need to implement an HTTP server. Then all communication would be done over HTTP.

Write a small web application as you need and Deploy it using Jetty. Jetty is a pure Java-based HTTP server and Java Servlet container. You can use it by embedded mode also.
Deployment is so easy if you use Jetty-Runner
java -jar jetty-runner.jar my.war

You don't need a local web server. Take JavaFX (embedded webkit) and implement a URL protocol handler for say "myprotocol". Then you can access it from the browser using something myprotocol://xxx.yyy.zzz

Related

Nginx usage - java jetty + angular2 node.js

I have no idea if it is possible but I heard that the best practice is to create a frontend project and a backend project as two independence projects. To do that, I should use Nginx, right? But how exactly do that and how exactly is it works?
I just create an angular2 project with node.js and start the server to listen to for example 80 port.
Then I create a java project with jetty and start the server to listen to for example 90 port.
Then, should I in some way create Nginx project to merge frontend and backend? I need help cause I'm afraid I can't understant how to do that.
It looks like you're mixing up a few things here:
In general it would make sense that your project is either written in JavaScript, and is running in Node.js, or written in Java (or a JVM language) as a Servlet, in which case it will run inside a Servlet Container like Jetty or Tomcat.
A web server like nginx or Apache httpd can be placed in front of the backend service in order to handle static content, provide caching, security, load balancing etc.

what is the role of apache server in java swing application (3 tier)?

I have made a Java Swing application, in the GUI the user can select the type of element and choose a date then the element's informations will be shown on a JTable.i used easyPHP to create the DB.
so what is the role of apache server in this case!
can i consider it like an application server ?
A Java swing application (AFAIK out of the box, for alternatives see below) is not available over HTTP/S (and is therefore not classified as a web application) and Apache is a web server (with features such as proxy, TLS terminator etc.). Therefore there would be no need for a web server such as Apache to front your Swing application.
Apache web server is not an application server for a Swing application per se. Although it can run applications in different programming languages such as php through loading of modules. It however does not run Java web applications.
An application server in a Java perspective would be Tomcat, Glassfish, JBoss, WebLogic etc. An application server hosts an application and could provide a set of services such as Naming, HTTP processing and so on.
Perhaps you are referring to Apache Tomcat instead of Apache Web Server. If so, you would be right on the mark as that is an application server for Java web applications.
If you would like to make your application available through HTTP and enjoy the myriad and expansive benefits of an application server, I would recommend you to rethink on using Swing and utilize a technology built over Java Servlets such as JSPs, Spring MVC and so on.
If you would still like to make the Swing application available through a web server (through HTTP/S) there are some solutions out there but I have not tried any of those. Please do a search on "Swing available on HTTP" in that case. I have also provided a link as well.
You can read up on Application Servers on this wiki link.
You can read up on an HTTP end point for a Swing application here.
This Apache is not used in your application. You installed easyPHP so Apache comes with that to provide PHP programming environment.
Moreover Apache is a web server. So any web based application can be deploy here. PHP is a web programming language sot it requires Apache or any other web server.
But your application is standalone developed with JAVA SWING. So you can stop Apache server and check everything is running fine or not.

For J2EE project to run on different Computer what does it need?

I know for a Java Program to run on another Computer it needs JRE(Java Runtime Environment). But for a J2EE application (Serlvet-JSP) or Struts2 framework application or Hibernate framework application or any Framework application of Java what are need to Run it Successfully on another computer where it is not developed....
I know JRE is required for both type of Application. and JDK is for developing an application.
I also know that for Mobile application to run on device it needs an Emulator that supports the particular OS (Android, iOS, etc). Just like an Standalone Java Application.
But for running J2EE application is there any other requirements than JRE??
For Example:- I have made a site called SocialMash.com I want to have a working prototype to deliver to user (User meaning like we all use Stackoverflow and other sites). What will I require to configure the site.
I know I will require a server like Tomcat/JBOSS/GlassFish but that all will be on my side (server side/ development side) but Do the Users to use the site will require anything among JDK, JRE, Server, or anything to use SocialMash.com or just URL will be enough?????
You need to have a JavaEE application server. It runs on top of JRE. You can check this open-source reference implementation (full-profile, my favourite):
https://glassfish.java.net/
or if you want to have only web-profile:
http://tomcat.apache.org/download-80.cgi
Web profile is different from full profile in that web profile supports only Servlet-JSP, but not JPA (or hibernate as stated in your question).
Users will not require anything except for the browser in case you write a web application (Servlets+JSP, Struts, JSF, etc. - just give them a web reference). But you can go further than that. You can write a Java SE desktop client for EJB, or SOAP service (they will be placed in full-profile server like Glassfish), and distribute for your customers. In this way they will not require any browser, but your custom desktop program.
Some of the libraries require to be added to your application server and configured manually. Like Struts. In this case you first need to decide which framework/library you would like to use, then go to their web site, and follow the tutorial on its installation.
To host an J2EE application, a webserver is required that has servlet container. servers included in XAMPP/LAMP/WAMPP will do for php based application. But for J2EE application servlet container is rquired which is there in TOMCAT/GLASSFISH/JBOSS.
On the user side, the user sees pure HTML with additional js/css. He does not see the jsp scriplets/servlet code written in your J2EE application. so no java technology is required on the user system. He only needs a browser.
A J2EE project intends to create a web service. In order to run this project on your computer, you need a local server.
Any IDE can provide you a local server like Tomcat or Glassfish, you just need to try to run this project to get these options.
If you don't need to access the code on the other computer, two options:
You compile your project to get a .war file, which you can deploy on your Tomcat server, or any else.
You put this on a server of yours, and share the url.
Assuming that you are in charge of the app hosting:
If that the app is running on your own remote server, you just need to share the app url and your user can access it with his browser (nothing more is needed).
If you run it in your own computer, as localhost, he won't be able to access it, and I recommand the usage of a host like Openshift to make it accessible (that's a free solution).

Alternatives to browser for Java EE applications?

My client wants a Java EE application server but doesn't want to access it using a web browser. They don't want to have the "web page" look but rather something like a stand-alone client.
I don't really know how to do it or even what to google.
I was considering defining a Swing client reacting to web services but I don't really know if this is the best way to do it.
I don't want something like RIA.
I guess my question is "how to build a Java EE client outside a web browser?"
GlassFish allows for having a thick "application client" started with Java WebStart which has easy access to the various things like EJBs inside the server while running on the client.
This might be what your client wants?
http://netbeans.org/kb/docs/javaee/entappclient.html
http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/J2EE/jws-glassfish/part2.html
I've found the Glassfish 3.1 server very easy to work with as a deployment platform on both Windows and Linux.
This is not so unusual. Define your service interface and expose as EJB's. Create your client (GUI) via Swing, Eclipse RCP (http://wiki.eclipse.org/index.php/Rich_Client_Platform), or other RCP technology. Your client(s), possibly running on multiple workstations, will communicate with centralized services via the EJB client interface.
See http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/J2EE/appclient/

Creating a simple web page using Java without using Servlet and Tomcat

I want to create a simple server application which runs on the desktop, and when I type my ip and port on the web browser, it connects to the server client which then opens a webpage with appropriate displays coded on the server application.
I read online that I need to use servlet and Apache Tomcat to make a webpage using Java.
I am wondering if there are any easier way to make a simple webpage which can contain buttons without using servlet and Apache Tomcat?
For example, I can use sockets to communicate between server and client applications. Could I change this client into typing the ip address and port on the web browser which will display a webpage created and contained in the server application and remove the need for servlet and tomcat? If so, how do I create a button on the server application so that web browser can see the button when connecting to the server application?
Thank you very much.
If I understand you correctly, you want to have a web page, but you don't want to use Tomcat (or any other servlet engine).
Although it is technically possible to write your own little web server (using server sockets etc), but what you're basically doing then is rewriting Tomcat. Writing a good web server is a daunting job, and should not be taken lightly. I think you are underestimating that. Instead, use what is already there. Tomcat is really quite easy get running.
Creating the server piece could be done with raw sockets, but I would look at at an embedded server like Jetty. I think it will save you a lot of time and headache.
http://docs.codehaus.org/display/JETTY/Embedding+Jetty
You should look into Play Framework. It will be easier then implementing Tomcat or Apache.
Version 1.2.4 is stable and feature-complete for Java, version 2.x is focused on Scala and doesn't have all the features of 1.2.4 yet.
You don't have to create a servlet. But, you need something that can parse a jsp page - it could be tomcat or some other server which has the same capabilities as tomcat. Though I am not sure if I understood your question correctly.

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