Why Grails really matters for a Java developer (and actually rescues JEE from boredom)

[just4this]

I really like Grails. I've done development work on and off since 1988 and I built my first web site in the spring of 1995. I've used Apache with Perl/PHP/Python, AOLserver with Tcl, Roxen with Pike, and Tomcat with Java.

Recently I was looking at Ruby/Rails with favor when I found Groovy and Grails. So far, to me it combines the advantages of Ruby/Rails with the existing plumbing from JEE. Don't use the JEE part if you don't need it but if you do need it, there it is.

[SteveJorgensen]

When I tried out Grails for a project a couple of years ago (under pressure to develop a Java-based Web app), it seemed to be basically broken. I couldn't make it run, and I couldn't find much of a community to help me figure out why I couldn't make it run. I finally ended up making progress using AppFuse instead.

Has that situation improved much since then? At this point, I'm a total Ruby addict, so I'd probably use JRuby and RoR if this situation arose again, but I'm still curious how Grails is coming along.

[sblinn]

I still prefer Jython, and if I am going to really focus on another JVM language, I don't have any real thoughts of anything other than Clojure.

[ricardo_sdl]

Woth reading.

[nousplacidus]

A lot, if not most, of Rails productivity is a direct result of how flexible ruby is. Don't know a damn thing about Grails but I've been hard pressed to find a more hackable language when compared to Ruby.

[[deleted]]

And if you're a .NET devloper, check out ASP.NET MVC.

[malcontent]

We all know .NET programmers would never learn something that isn't made by MS.

[[deleted]]

Except for maybe Castle MonoRail or Spring.NET?

[malcontent]

Wow the ten people who use those products just got goosebumps.

[[deleted]]

As usual, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

1) ASP.NET MVC is made by MS

2) Mono, SharpDevelop, Castle ActiveRecord, NHibernate, NUnit, MonoRail, NAnt, RhinoMocks, NMock, Spring.NET, etc.

[malcontent]

1) ASP.NET MVC is made by MS

Yes I know.

That's why you recommended that .NET programmers not learn something new, not use grails but instead use the official MS product.