Conclusion

In this short cut, we have explored implemeting Ajax with JSF, from a simple example that implements Ajax by hand to coverage of the Ajax4jsf open source framework.

Simple Ajax interactions are pretty easy to implement, and in fact, do not even require much knowledge of how JSF works. However, for more complicated cases, you really need to have a good grasp of JSF fundamentals, especially familiarity with the JSF life cycle.

The popular Ajax4jsf open source framework lets you easily add Ajax functionality to JSF applications. But as we saw in the last example of this short cut, that ease-of-use does not obviate your need to understand the fundamentals of the JSF life cycle.

Rich, interactive user interfaces are undoubtedly the future of Web applications, and in fact, such interfaces should be commonplace in short order. If you want to stay current with Web application development technology, now is the time to learn how to take advantage of this compelling technology. Armed with a good understanding of the JSF life cycle and a capable framework such as Ajax4jsf, you will be able to develop compelling user interfaces for your Web applications.