Technology Stack for Basic Web Application

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Technology Stack for Basic Web Application

I'm going to build a basic web application, a pretty normal application with a db. Tell me if this stack seems ok, some of the items I am not familiar with yet, i'm trying to establish a list of technologies/products that I will eventually need:

Spring (note, NO EJBs) Hibernate Either Oracle or MySQL (not sure yet which) ActiveMQ Flash/ActionScript (will I need a presentation framework if i do Flash?) jQuery Dojo (do I need if I want to do AJAX if I already am using Flex?) I will be working with a graphic designer, should I consider Adobe Flash Catalyst(I heard its good to use when java and graphic people need to work together?) If I use Flash, is it easy/normal to have it work with Spring/Java?

I'm thinking of using Flash because I am under the impression that it makes better UIs, and once one knows it, its easier to do so, any opinion from someone who has experience with Flash?

Thanks

+3 A:

It sounds like a list of buzzwords you picked out of a hat. You're approaching the problem the wrong way around. What exactly is it you're trying to build? If it's, as you say, a "normal" application with a DB, you probably don't need any more than php and working knowledge of HTML/CSS. Keep it simple, yeah? Stick with things you're familiar with, and you may have a chance of finishing on time and on budget.

As for flash making better ui's, that's like saying that brand X hammers design better buildings. It's nonsensical. Architects design buildings. UI designers design UI's.

Start with your requirements, and select your technology based on that. NEVER the other way around.

Do you have any special requirements that would necessitate any of that technology?

Breton 2009-05-22 02:24:04

here is my reasoning.to begin with, my current skill set is: Java, Oracle and MySQL, Spring, Hibernate, HTML, CSS, and basic javascript (i do not know PHP).Although I do not know Flash, I thought Flash, once able to program with it, builds quicker and nicer/cleaner(?) GUIs over using HTML/CSS (its more automated when using Flex Builder?).If this is true, is it common, has it been done, using Flash/Spring/Java?

2009-05-22 03:17:53

While I will say that your thoughts on flash are probably not uncommon, they are incredibly misguided. Your choice of gui tools has much less to do with the quality of your result than say, user testing, or reading several books on the subject, or hiring a professional to design it. If we're talking about pure technology, it might be faster/easier to build guis with flash/flex, but they won't be "nicer/better" automatically. In fact, there's a considerable amount of usability drawbacks to putting your interface inside a shitty plugin that hogs most of the CPU, and breaks the browser's "back".

Breton 2009-05-22 03:48:23

That said there's certain things that flash can do, that javascript/html simply can't (yet). Most of those things are only really useful if you're building a videogame. things such as realtime 3d rendering, playing sounds, software sound synthesis, video playback, fast per/pixel modifiable image buffer (canvas tag is slow by comparison) and.. .well, that's about the extent that I can think of.

Breton 2009-05-22 03:53:46

I will also point out that Adobe has much better PR people than "plain old html and javascript" have. Don't let this fool you.

Breton 2009-05-22 04:02:53

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Technology Stack for Basic Web Application

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