webjavenue.com — Java web development made easier without JSP

Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Setting Goals
2. Defining Structure And Layout

2.1. Planting The Tree
2.2. Deciding On High-level Layout
2.3. Sketching Out Branches And Leaves

3. Mocking Up Static Pages
4. Now Onto Some Java, But Not The Part You Were Thinking Of
5. Building Standalone Application Server
6. Getting Database-Savvy
7. Making Application Database-Aware
8. Standalone Application Server Revisited
9. Crafting Web Interface... Finally
10. Putting It All Together
11. Adding Interactivity
12. Getting Ready For Production
13. What's Next?

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Your First Website In Java: Easier Than You Think

2. Defining Structure And Layout

This tutorial is a work in progress: new chapters are published as they become available. The author welcomes readers' input and will greatly appreciate any comments, suggestions or criticism sent to: bruno at webjavenue dot com. In the meantime, please feel free to check out the demo application this tutorial is based upon.

Published: Apr 21, 2006

Now that we have a general idea of what our website will be like functionality-wise, we can get more specific about its topical organization and appearance. In the next few sections we will create the information backbone for our future website: we will identify its elements, map them onto an addressing scheme, and then put them into a visual perspective.

This is going to be an easy job that does not involve a lot of technical knowledge. All that's needed to get it done is common sense and a basic understanding of web interface elements. While simple in nature, this part of the site building process is absolutely essential for the success of the entire project, as many of the technical decisions we will have to make later on will be based on what we come up with at this early stage. It is important, therefore, that we get it right from the very beginning.

bruno at webjavenue dot com