Jakarta Faces
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| Jakarta Faces | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jakarta Faces |
| Developer | Jakarta EE Working Group |
| Initial release | 1999 (as JavaServer Faces) |
| Stable release | Jakarta Faces 4.0 (example) |
| Programming language | Java |
| Platform | Jakarta EE, Java SE |
| License | Eclipse Foundation TLP |
Jakarta Faces is a component-based user interface framework for building web applications on the Jakarta EE platform. It provides a server-side component model, lifecycle management, event handling, and a set of reusable UI components that integrate with templating and state management facilities. Jakarta Faces is commonly used with web containers and application servers to create interactive applications for enterprise environments.
Overview
Jakarta Faces defines a component model and request processing lifecycle that tie together UI components, event handling, and navigation for web applications. Implementations interoperate with specifications such as Jakarta EE, Servlet API, Expression Language, Contexts and Dependency Injection (CDI), and Bean Validation. Popular implementations include Eclipse Mojarra and Apache MyFaces, while distribution and testing often involve GlassFish, WildFly, Payara, TomEE, and OpenLiberty.
History and Development
Jakarta Faces originated as JavaServer Faces under the Java Community Process and the Java Platform, Enterprise Edition ecosystem, evolving through versions standardized by the Java Specification Request process. After the transition of Java EE to the Eclipse Foundation, stewardship moved to the Jakarta EE Working Group, and the specification was renamed. Key milestones align with releases of the Java EE platform, the formation of the Eclipse Foundation, and corporate contributors such as Oracle, IBM, Red Hat, Apache Software Foundation, and Oracle Corporation engineers.
Major implementation projects include Eclipse Mojarra (original reference implementation) and Apache MyFaces (community implementation). Test suites and compatibility work reference the Technology Compatibility Kit process and involve vendors like Payara Services, WildFly Community, Eclipse Foundation members, Tomitribe, and cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure for deployment guidance.
Architecture and Core Concepts
The core architecture centers on a component tree, a multi-phase lifecycle, and a set of renderers. The lifecycle phases align with Servlet API request handling and include Restore View, Apply Request Values, Process Validations, Update Model Values, Invoke Application, and Render Response. Jakarta Faces leverages Expression Language for binding, Contexts and Dependency Injection (CDI) for managed beans, and Bean Validation (JSR 380) for model constraints. Navigation is configured by navigation handlers and outcomes, and view state can be stored server-side or client-side with support from containers like GlassFish and WildFly.
Rendering is pluggable via renderer classes and themes provided by component libraries. Event handling maps UI events to server-side listeners and action methods defined on CDI or managed beans, interoperating with tools such as Maven, Gradle, Eclipse IDE, IntelliJ IDEA, and NetBeans for build and development.
Components and UI Frameworks
Jakarta Faces is often used with component libraries and UI frameworks that supply rich controls, layouts, and themes. Notable libraries include PrimeFaces, RichFaces, Apache MyFaces Tobago, OmniFaces, BootsFaces, ButterFaces, ICEfaces, and Vaadin (when integrating server-side UI paradigms). Component suites provide widgets such as data tables, calendars, charts, and modal dialogs and integrate with client-side libraries like jQuery, Bootstrap, AngularJS, React, and Vue.js for enhanced behavior.
Server-side component sets interoperate with resource handling and AJAX support defined in the specification; libraries like PrimeFaces add push/Realtime features via WebSocket and server push integrations that work with Apache Tomcat, Jetty, and other servlet containers. Accessibility and theming reference standards such as WAI-ARIA and CSS3.
Configuration and Deployment
Jakarta Faces applications are packaged as WAR or EAR artifacts and deployed to Jakarta EE-compatible servers such as GlassFish, WildFly, Payara, TomEE, Apache Tomcat (with added Jakarta EE libraries), and OpenLiberty. Configuration involves web.xml, faces-config.xml, and runtime annotations for CDI and servlet mapping. Build and dependency management use Maven Central, Maven, and Gradle with group IDs for implementations like org.eclipse.ee4j or org.apache.myfaces.
Session and view state management can be tuned for clustering with technologies like Hazelcast, Infinispan, Redis, or application server session replication features. Continuous integration and delivery pipelines commonly integrate Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, and containerization platforms such as Docker and orchestration via Kubernetes for cloud deployments on Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure.
Security and Best Practices
Security best practices include protecting against cross-site scripting and cross-site request forgery, integrating authentication and authorization with Java Authentication and Authorization Service, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and enterprise identity providers like Keycloak, Okta, Azure Active Directory, and LDAP directories. Input validation should use Bean Validation constraints, while output encoding leverages renderer facilities and libraries to prevent injection vulnerabilities. Secure transport uses TLS configured at the servlet container or reverse proxy such as NGINX or Apache HTTP Server.
Operational practices include monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana, logging integration with Log4j, SLF4J, and ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana), and employing dependency scanning using tools like OWASP Dependency-Check and Snyk.
Comparisons and Alternatives
Jakarta Faces occupies the server-side component-driven niche and is often compared with component or page-centric alternatives. Alternatives include server-side frameworks such as Spring MVC, Spring Web Flow, Thymeleaf, Struts, and GWT; client-side SPA stacks like Angular, React, Vue.js combined with REST or GraphQL backends; and integrated platforms such as Vaadin and Play Framework. Choice depends on factors like developer skillsets, integration with Jakarta EE technologies, stateful view management needs, and ecosystem support from vendors like Red Hat, Oracle Corporation, IBM, and community projects such as the Apache Software Foundation.