This is part five in a series of articles on how best to design an application metrics monitoring library, in particular its API, providing versatility both in terms of application of the library across domains & environments and in its implementation by one or more vendors.

Welcome to another installment of This Week in Spring! As usual, we've got a lot to cover, so let's get to it. The SpringSource Tool Suite has been open sourced! And, two different versions of it are now available, supporting two different developers: the Spring developer, served by the Spring Tool Suite, and the Groovy and Grails developer, served by the Groovy/Grails Tool Suite. For more on this fantastic news, check out Tool Suites-lead Martin Lippert's blog. Spring Security lead Rob Winch announced the latest version of Spring Security, version 3.1.2, has been released. The ZeroTurnaround blog has a really cool little blog on rapid development with Spring and Hibernate. Of course, Zero Turnaround has a handy little software agent that lets you reload Java classes on the fly. So that's a huge gain in productivity right there. That, coupled with XML-free Spring 3.1 and Hibernate 4.1, and you have yourself a really awesome combination. To learn more, check out the blog! The example he illustrates are also well represented in this sample project on GitHub. The example even includes web.xml, even though it isn't required, just as was done in that blog post, specifically because it's more reliable on the buggy versions of JBoss 7 and Servlet 3 environments aren't ubiquitous, yet. This is a seriously cool blog post, be sure to read the followups! Joseph Kulandai has a nice, introductory blog post on the Spring ApplicationContext, including some tidbits about it that I'd long since forgotten! Very nicely done, Joseph! We talked about this before, but InfoQ's coverage is pretty awesome, too. IG Group Open-Sources RESTdoclet, which makes it dead simple to generate documentation for Spring-based RESTful services. REST, for better or for worse, does not have something like SOAP's WSDL, which enumerates the interface contract for clients connecting to SOAP-based web services. This technology fills that gap. Paxcel Labs has an interesting blog post on that attempts to demystify IoC (inversion of control) and how Spring supports the concept. The Hybris blog has been on a roll recently with their posts on consuming OAuth from the client perspective, but this post, in particular, introducing how to setup Spring Security OAuth is the one I've been waiting for! It's a very nice read, and I'm glad they've shared it with us, complete with working code and a blow-by-blow breakdown of the pieces. OAuth is complex, Spring Security OAuth (not yet GA!) makes it much simpler, but it's still nice to have guidance. Speaking of Spring Security, the Java Code Geeks have a blog post with a classic recipe (an oldie but a goodie): how to implement a UserDetails object backed by Hibernate entities (of your own design). Biju Kunjummen has a great blog post introducing some of the nuances of using Java-based configuration . Specifically, he reminds us to let Spring provide the lifecycle callbacks by routing things through @Bean methods, instead of instatiating the objects directly. If you use Spring.NET, and want to take advantage of AOP method interception, check out this post! Spring Data Neo4j lead Michael Hunger, fresh off his very cool Spring Data Neo4J webinar (find more great content like that on our YouTube channel!), has put together a followup blog with helpful resources like the location of the slides. Thanks, Michael! Partha Bhattacharjee continues his blog series introducing Spring Integration. This time, he talks about Spring Integration's gateways, which make request/reply semantic exchanges dead simple! Captain Debug has a wonderful post on using Spring 3.1's profiles to define environment-specific beans in XML. The Halycon code blog has a post on using Spring's sub-contexts to let you take advantage of Spring's property-placeholder resolution in import statements. Normally, these statements are not able to see the property placeholders of the current application context, but nested contexts can see the property placeholders of the parent contexts. Solution? Simply instantiate everything in a child context so that the import statement can use the parent context's properties! This trick's kind of sneaky! I like it. Remember, child contexts provide scoping - beans defined in one child can't see beans defined in another. This makes it very useful for things like Spring Batch Admin, which lets you upload and launch new Spring Batch jobs (which themselves are based on Spring configuration) on the fly. The Java Assist blog has a nice post on using Spring MVC bean validation in 3.0 or later. Cool! The Intelligrape blog has a quick post about using Grails' support for Spring beans, and exploiting Spring's lifecycle callbacks, particularly InitializingBean#afterPropertiesSet. The Middleware magic blog has a nice, complete post on configuring Spring to talk to a JBoss AS 7-managed JMS instance. The example is particularly involved because of all the work required to setup JBoss and to build up a client connection to it.

Earlier today, we announced (among other things) the availability of JDK 7 Update 6. This release contains an update to the Mac OS X port, as well as the addition of a new JDK port to Linux ARM. The Java 7 port to Mac OS X has been long in the making. We have been working on it in OpenJDK with Apple since November 2010, and it has been quite a lot of work both in the JDK/JRE and in OS X to get to this point. A lot of work has been done behind the scenes on seemingly trivial but time-consuming tasks such as extending the build & test infrastructure and figuring out how to decouple the Java and OS release cycles. Anyway; with the 7u6 release we are finally completing the feature set by adding a desktop JRE and making it available for download on java.oracle.com and (in a week or so) on java.com. With JDK 7u6 we are also adding a general-purpose port of the JDK (but not a desktop JRE) to Linux ARM, and making it available under the same licensing terms as Oracle Java for other platforms. This JDK release is aimed at the emerging ARM server market, and for the community working on development boards such as the BeagleBoard, PandaBoard and the Raspberry Pi. This port provides 32-bit binary for ARMv6 and v7, with full support for Swing/AWT, both client (C1) and server (C2) compilers and runs on most Linux distributions. One caveat is that the current binary is softfloat ABI only, so it won't work with (for example) the Raspbian distribution which uses the hardfloat ABI. We are planning to add hardfloat support in an upcoming JDK release, as well as support for JavaFX on ARM. I anticipate quite a few questions about the ARM port, so here are a few FAQs to start with: What is the relation between Java SE Embedded and the JDK for ARM? Java SE Embedded is a Java SE compliant runtime optimized for small footprint devices, available for multiple architectures including ARM v5/6/7, x86 and PPC. It is a product that Oracle licenses commercially for embedded use. Is the ARM JDK free (gratis) or does it require a commercial license? Like all general-purpose JDK and JRE binaries, the ARM JDK is free for development and production use on general-purpose hardware, and can be redistributed for free with applications targeting a general-purpose computer. See the end-user license for the exact license grants & restrictions. To take a couple of examples, an ARM server deployed in your datacenter running Tomcat or Glassfish is general-purpose, as is a Raspberry Pi board when you use it like a PC. An industrial controller or a kiosk appliance is not general purpose, and both would require a commercial license. Is the Oracle JDK port to ARM available in OpenJDK? No, and we are not planning on open sourcing it at this point. I own a Raspberry Pi/BeagleBoard/PandaBoard. How do I get Java running on it? Make sure that you use a Linux distribution that uses the softfloat ABI, then download and install the Oracle JDK on it. Why is Oracle investing in an ARM port and then giving it away for free? We have a super-secret agenda. The idea is to enable Java developers so that Java can continue to thrive, and maybe sell some middleware on ARM servers down the line.

A new article by Java Champion Adam Bien, now up on otn/java, titled "Enterprise JavaFX Deployment with LightView: Part 3," explores ways to use Maven 3 to build and deploy the LightView application in all available deployment modes. In addition, Bien shows how to sign and deploy LightView with a Java EE 6 application.Bien explains the basics:"LightView uses the HTTP (REST) protocol to communicate with the back-end server. For the realization of back-end communication, an external library-the Jersey client-is used. LightView connects with the back end (LightFish) at startup time, so it is not suitable to lazy-load the Jersey dependencies for optimization purposes. Furthermore, multiple JAR files are hard to handle for standalone applications; you have to set up the class path correctly and keep all the moving parts consistent. The most convenient way to deploy Java (and JavaFX) applications is simply by starting them with java -jar my-killer-app.jar and deploying a single file that contains all the dependencies."He shows how the class files are packaged with the javafxpackager, which is shipped with the JavaFX 2 SDK, using the exec-maven-plugin and explains the core tasks achieved by Maven and describes the what javafxpackager does behind the scenes. He then shows how the LightView application operates and interacts with LightFish. Bien concludes by emphasizing that the richness of JavaFX lies in the fact that it is another Java library. "Because JavaFX is 'just' an additional Java library, all of the established build, test, and deployment infrastructure can be reused. You can develop JavaFX applications using any integrated development environment (IDE) you like. And best of all, you can use a single language in a project, from the Java EE back end to the JavaFX front end."Check out the article here.

Oracle announced the availability of Java Platform, Standard Edition 7 Update 6 (Java SE 7 Update 6) and other new Java releases. - Oracle has announced the availability of several Java updates, including Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) 7 Update 6 and more. In addition to Java Platform, Standard Edition 7 Update 6, Oracle announced JavaFX 2.2, as well as the first release of JavaFX Scene Builder. With this release, Or...

Kresten Krab Thorup discusses bringing Riak to mobile. He covers Riak's data model, BucketDB - a Riak client-, and the protocol used to synchronize the data on the device between BucketDB and Riak. By Kresten Krab Thorup

This article will provide you with 8 ways to improve your production support skills which may help you better enjoy your IT support job and ultimately become a Java EE production support guru.

Oracle just announced the release of Java SE 7 Update 6. Notable in this release is the merging of JavaFX into the Oracle Java SE installation, Mac OS feature parity with JDK 7, the release of JavaFX 2.2 and the release of JavaFX Scene Builder 1.0.

Oracle just announced the release of Java SE 7 Update 6. Notable in this release is the merging of JavaFX into the Oracle Java SE installation, Mac OS feature parity with JDK 7, the release of JavaFX 2.2 and the release of JavaFX Scene Builder 1.0.Java SE 7 Update 6 provides the merging of JavaFX into the Oracle Java SE installation. JavaFX was a stand-alone product, and is now fully integrated in this release. On Windows, JavaFX and Java Access Bridge are now installed as part of the JRE or JDK. This provides convenience for end users and system administrators, who don't need to install and maintain JavaFX separately. Application developers can also be assured that from now on, JavaFX runtime libraries will be present on millions of desktops by default.Java SE 7 Update 6 marks Oracle's first full JDK and JRE release on Mac OS X. All of the features and functionality available for other OSs are now available on Mac, including the JavaFX rich client platform. Java developers using Macs can download Oracle's JDK for Mac OS X from the Oracle Technology Network (OTN). Consumers can now download the JRE for Mac from Java.com, just as they do for other operating systems. Oracle will continue releasing Mac versions simultaneously the other Java releases, keeping Mac users up to date with the most secure version of Java. Oracle's JRE on Mac will offer auto-updates at the same time as other supported platforms.Oracle also announced the general availability of JavaFX Scene Builder, a key component of the JavaFX development tool chain. JavaFX Scene Builder 1.0 provides a visual layout environment that lets users quickly design user interfaces for JavaFX applications, without coding. Check out the Getting Start with JavaFX Scene Builder video. Also, the improved Application packager allows developers to package JavaFX applications bundled with the JRE and JavaFX runtime libraries and create native installers for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.Other highlights for Java SE 7 Update 6 include: General support for Linux on ARM JavaFX support for touch-enabled monitors and touch pads Added support for JavaFX on Linux Read the Java SE 7 Update 6 Release Notes for additional details on the features and enhancements in this release. Downloads Java SE 7 Update 6 Java FX Scene Builder 1.0

SpringSource's latest major release of Eclipse-based tooling suites have arrived, not only bringing a raft of new features but a change of direction. Martin Lippert, the engineer behind the Spring flavour of Eclipse tools, revealed a number of fundamental changes aiming to revitalise Spring Tool Suite just after the release of Eclipse Juno. The biggest change arguably is a split of the core offering into two, keeping the core Spring Tool Suite but introducing a new option. Groovy/Grails Tool Suite is a full distribution of our Eclipse-based tooling tailored for Groovy development. As well as having Groovy-Eclipse pre-installed, Groovy developers can use specialised Grails tooling on top of the latest Eclipse Juno 4.2 release. This eliminates the tedious extensions that had to occur before you could start. With Groovy and Grails in from the start, it means developers can get up and running in no time.  The Spring Tool Suite remains a full Eclipse-based tooling distribution that links up to existing Spring projects. Here, we see enhanced support for the Spring Core framework and its related projects such as Spring Batch and Spring Data, but also updates to include rapid application development tool Spring Roo. Alongside this logical repackaging of STS comes an equally logical move. Keen to boast of their open source heritage, the decision to move to all parts of the two tool suites to Github (under an Eclipse Public License) could see more Spring developers pick it up. Projects have also been componentized into different parts at Github to create better modularisation across the board. These include the Spring IDE, Grails IDE, as well as others. This makes things for simpler by reducing the number of dependencies between the collection of projects. It also allows the user to consume what they want from a project, rather than needing a certain number of things to continue. With this Github olive branch being extended, developers can now take advantage of pull requests for these projects. This should instigate further innovation through using Git instead of JIRA. Why not contribute today? Check out all the Github projects here.

An interesting tutorial to dynamically load classes using Java Reflection and Properties.

It's been a stellar year for Apache Cassandra. The scalable NoSQL database solution, which can handle huge loads in real-time, quickly assumed the role of pacesetter in the Big Data race, after reaching its 1.0 version back in October. Since then, they've made strides into the enterprise world by entering production environments at Netflix, Disney and eBay, amongst others. Last week's Cassandra Summit 2012 in Santa Clara saw the community take stock on what had been done so far, but to also discuss the plans that lay ahead for Apache Cassandra. Jonathan Ellis, CTO at Datastax (the company behind the technology) and project chair for the Apache Cassandra project was the man with the answers for the enterprises using it in production. He revealed that Apache Cassandra's 1.2 version, set for an October release, wouldn't just be a footnote, upgrading the project with a concurrent schema change and virtual node capabilities. The idea behind this appears to be with their biggest clients in mind, making it possible for multiple clients to issue scheme changes alongside each other across a cluster safely. With more and more businesses looking for a database that can give you data in double-quick time, Cassandra needs to prepared to offer such agility in rapid transaction operations. Alongside the fundamental changes, Cassandra Query Language (CQL) 3 will have new features such as concatenation across data sets. However this won't include full backwards compatability, so CQL 2 users will have to make do with CQL 3 when adding on to their application. Cassandra Summit also gave a platform to many of the enterprises linking up with DataStax. The commercial arm behind Cassandra state that the number of enterprise Apache Cassandra users has doubled in the past year (no surprise given the first full version) so only now are we starting to see companies buddy up to further the project. Deals forged included an alliance with Actuate to create analytics solutions, Big Data connector specialists Simba Technologies and Jaspersoft, to deliver a native BI analytics connector. These partnerships will put Apache Cassandra in good stead as it moves forward to deal with new challenges. "The involved and impassioned community that has grown around Cassandra is a tremendous and distinctive asset," said DataStax Co-Founder and CTO Jonathan Ellis. "The advocacy, collective thinking and best practices emanating from this community empower others as they leverage the full potential of Cassandra. The energy we are seeing today at the 2012 Cassandra Summit is remarkable and bears out the fact that Cassandra is the superior NoSQL database well positioned to manage the massive big data generated by the enterprise." Originally created at Facebook in 2008, Apache Cassandra gained Top Level Status at Apache in 2010, before emerging last year with a first generally-available version.  Many bigger companies are no doubt banking on a combination of Cassandra's speed with the deep-style analytics of Hadoop. With assurances that Apache Cassandra is more than ready to deal with the newest enterprise hurdles, we're pretty sure next year's Cassandra Summit will be even bigger, with an enterprise surge imminent. 

Oracle Java SE 7 Programmer certifications gear up your knowledge in latest API /JSR changes and improves your career potential. The Java SE 7 Programmer (OCAJP & OCPJP) is a professional certification program offered by Oracle. These certifications tests candidates program knowledge Java SE at lighter (in OCA) and deeper (in OCP) levels. The OCA Java 7 is an entry level certification in Java. It helps the programmer who can have the basic knowledge of the essentials of the Java programming language. To handle the looping constructs and variables, and does not cover specific technologies such as GUI creation, Web or network programming. This certification exam tests how well a programmer has understood the language constructs and verify skillset in Java technologies.

In his presentation at JAXConf 2012, Eberhard Wolff of adesso discusses the impact of new platforms such as NoSQL, DevOps, and the cloud on the future of Enterprise Java. Java EE has long enjoyed broad support across the industry through companies like IBM, Oracle, and SAP, but Java developers need to be prepared to tackle the challenges and opportunities presented by new startup-fueled technologies. Image courtesy of iowa_spirit_walker on Flickr. Check out more JAXconf sessions and keynotes on Marakana

"There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things that we do not known we don't know." - From the poetry of Donald Rumsfeld In this presentation from JAXConf 2012, ThoughtWorks software architect Neal Ford investigates agile architecture and design, specifically addressing how big up-front architecture and design fail because of the unknown unknowns of a project.

The following article was originally written by Tony Hirst over at his blog, OUseful.Info. Preview Text: The data for this measurement was compiled from Wikipedia/DBpedia. Legacy Sponsored: unsponsored

I had the opportunity to participate in the Make the Future of Java Workshop last week, which was a lot of fun. Kids ages 13 and up got a chance to learn how to program using Alice and Greenfoot technologies. Preview Text: I had the opportunity to participate in the Make the Future of Java Workshop last week, which was a lot of fun. Kids ages...

My last blog was very simple as it covered my painless upgrade from Spring 3.0.x to Spring 3.1.x and I finished by mentioning that you can upgrade your Spring schemas to 3.1 to allow you to take advantage of Spring's newest features. In today's blog, I'm going to cover one of the coolest of these features: Spring profiles. Preview Text: ...

Ever wondered how you can write code like this in Java? if( ? ? ? == ? ? ? || ¢ + ?== ?) Background Underscores has long been using in C like language such as Java to distinguish fields and method names. Preview Text: Ever wondered how you can write code like this in Java? if( ? ? ? == ? ? ? || ¢ + ?==...

Let's take a quick look at what happened in AWS-land last week: Monday, August 6 AWS Elastic MapReduce now supports Hadoop 1.0.3 including HDFS over HTTP. Wednesday, August 8 We released some EBS Provisioned IOPS resources including a benchmarking guide....