Part 1. Starting Spring apps rapidly with Roo

Spring Roo is an excellent framework for the rapid development of Spring-based Java applications. With a simple command-line shell, it can create and manage Spring applications, adding and configuring components in all of the application architecture layers from SQL to URL, so to say.

We start exploring Roo with chapter 1, “What is Spring Roo?” explaining how Roo works and how it helps with creating the various configuration files required for a typical Spring application. You’ll also learn how to install and launch the Roo shell. We’ll look at a simple application by running one of the sample scripts provided in the Roo installation package.

Chapter 2, “Getting started with Roo,” will show you how to create applications from scratch with the Roo shell. You’ll also learn the details of Roo project layout and architecture. We discuss one of the new concepts Roo introduces, called AspectJ ITDs that plays an important role in the overall Roo architecture. As developers, you need tools to take advantage of new technologies and frameworks. Roo comes with integration in the form of the SpringSource Tool Suite (STS) IDE tool, which is also discussed in this chapter. We wrap up the chapter with a discussion on refactoring Roo code and leaving Roo behind if, for some reason, you want to remove Roo from your project.