In the world of Java enterprise web applications, frameworks make it easier to develop and maintain complex multi-tiered applications. The purpose of the JBoss Seam framework is to unify layers into one huge consistent project mainly by implementing annotations. On the other hand, the use of complicated XML configuration files has been intentionally reduced to a minimum. Seam follows the philosophy of convention over configuration, which allows to run a project without configuration, if developers stick to naming conventions. The examination of the framework covered in this book includes the most important technologies Seam is able to integrate (EJB3, JSF, JPA). Special emphasis is on the advantages and disadvantages of the framework and its core features, such as conversations and bijection. Furthermore, Seam s variant of aspect oriented programming is described, followed by a discussion of how to integrate further technologies such as Ajax and security concepts. To demonstrate the power of Seam, a sample application has been developed, and its framework is analysed with regard to performance, efficiency, scalability and economical aspects.
