1) Write the Clobtype User defined type

import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.io.Serializable;
import java.sql.PreparedStatement;
import java.sql.ResultSet;
import java.sql.SQLException;
import java.sql.Types;

public class ClobType implements UserType {

	public int[] sqlTypes() {
		return new int[] { Types.CLOB };
	}

	public Class returnedClass() {
		return String.class;
	}

	public boolean equals(Object arg0, Object arg1) throws HibernateException {
		boolean ret = false;
		if (arg0 == null || arg1 == null) {
			ret = false;
		} else if (!(arg0 instanceof String) || !(arg1 instanceof String)) {
			ret = false;
		} else {
			ret = ((String) arg0).equals((String) arg1);
		}
		return ret;
	}

	public int hashCode(Object arg0) throws HibernateException {
		return arg0.hashCode();
	}

	public Object nullSafeGet(ResultSet arg0, String[] arg1, Object arg2)
			throws HibernateException, SQLException {

		String ret = null;
		StringBuffer buffer = new StringBuffer();
		try {
			// First we get the stream
			InputStream is = arg0.getAsciiStream(arg1[0]);
			byte[] buf = new byte[1024];
			int read = -1;

			while (is != null && (read = is.read(buf)) > 0) {
				buffer.append(new String(buf, 0, read));
			}
			if (is != null) {
				is.close();
			}
		} catch (IOException ioe) {
			ioe.printStackTrace();
			throw new HibernateException("Unable to read from resultset", ioe);
		}
		ret = buffer.toString();
		return ret;
	}

	public void nullSafeSet(PreparedStatement pst, Object data, int index)
			throws HibernateException, SQLException {
		data = data == null ? new String() : data;
		String in = (String) data;

		byte[] buf = in.getBytes();
		int len = buf.length;

		ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(buf);

		pst.setAsciiStream(index, bais, len);

	}

	public Object deepCopy(Object arg0) throws HibernateException {
		String ret = null;
		arg0 = arg0 == null ? new String() : arg0;
		String in = (String) arg0;
		int len = in.length();
		char[] buf = new char[len];

		for (int i = 0; i < len; i++) {
			buf[i] = in.charAt(i);
		}
		ret = new String(buf);
		return ret;
	}

	public boolean isMutable() {
		return false;
	}

	public Serializable disassemble(Object arg0) throws HibernateException {
		return (String) arg0;
	}

	public Object assemble(Serializable arg0, Object arg1)
			throws HibernateException {
		return this.deepCopy(arg0);
	}

	public Object replace(Object arg0, Object arg1, Object arg2)
			throws HibernateException {
		return this.deepCopy(arg0);
	}

}

2) Hibernate mapping: Update the type in your hbm file or annotations accordingly. The example here maps a property “label” to oracle column “label”

<property name="label" type="com.cramer.ate.utility.ClobType"
     update="true" insert="true" access="property" column="Label" />

That’s it. Since there is no dependency to anything else, it should work in a Spring environment too.

Note to Oracle 9i users: You might get the following exception:
java.sql.SQLException: operation not allowed: streams type cannot be used in batching

Solution? Use use 10.1.x drivers. Oracle 9i drivers have a known issue regarding the same, which they only fixed in 10.x. It’s believed that Oracle’s 10.x drivers are downward compatible with Oracle 9i (unlike 11.x drivers).

What you will learn:

1. Configure dwr.xml with spring beans
2. Configure application contexts for dwr beans
3. The basic structure of the jsp for dwr
4. The necessary js that executes the ajax call along with the code for rendering the new drop down values
5. Finally, the facade (ajax handler) in Java, for the action

1. Configure dwr.xml with spring beans

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<dwr>
<allow>
	<create creator="spring" javascript="ListOptionsAjaxFacade">
		<param name="beanName" value="listOptionsAjaxFacade" />
	</create>
	<convert converter="bean" match="com.reverttoconsole.domain.*" />
</allow>
</dwr>

listOptionsAjaxFacade is the bean name you would want configure in Spring’s application context. The advantage of using beans and creator=”spring” here is that all your dependencies can be autowired by default with your existing Spring container. So if you have two dao dependencies in listOptionsAjaxFacade, you can now use your existing application context to resolve dependencies. Simply add autowire=”byType”. The converter=”bean” above ensures that all Types are converted to your domain object types. I assume a package structure for domain which are the only return types of my ajax handlers.

2.Configure application contexts for dwr beans

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<beans xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans"
	xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
	xsi:schemaLocation="
    http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-2.0.xsd">
	<description>
		This file defines DWR Ajax Facade Beans.
	</description>
	<bean id="listOptionsAjaxFacade" class="com.reverttoconsole.domain.ListOptionsAjaxFacade" autowire="byType"/>
</beans>

I assume, you already have an application context(s) for all your controller, dao, services beans etc

3.The basic structure of the jsp for dwr

<html>
<head>
<!-- dwr ajax scripts-->
<script src="\'dwr/interface/ListOptionsAjaxFacade.js\'"></script>
<script src="\'dwr/engine.js\'"></script>
<script src="\'dwr/util.js\'"></script>
</head>
<body>
// contents of your jsp

<select name="listOptions" id="listOptions">
    <c:forEach items="${listOptions}" var="item">
        <option value="${item.id}">${item.description}</option>
    </c:forEach>
</select>

<select name="groupBy" id="groupBy">
       <option value="name">first name</option>
       <option value="name">last name</option>
       <option value="name">age</option>
       <option value="name">city</option>
</select>
<input type="checkbox" name="isAscending"> Ascending
<input type="button" value="Refresh" onclick="processListOptions()"/>

// other parts of jsp
</body>
</html>

As you see, include 3 js files on the top of your jsp. The js ListOptionsAjaxFacade.js is actually the name of the handler that you
will see in a moment. The button ‘refresh’ has a js handler processListOptions.

4.The necessary js that executes the ajax call along with the code for rendering the new drop down values
Add the following js in the jsp

<script>
     function processListOptions(){
     	// get sortBy, isAscending values from current jsp elements
	    ListOptionsAjaxFacade.processListOptions(sortBy, isAscending,function(data){
		dwr.util.removeAllOptions("listOptions");
		DWRUtil.addOptions("listOptions",data,"id","description");});
     }
</script>

It retrieves the values of groupBy and ascendingorder fields from the current jsp and calls the ajax method processListOptions. Once retrieved, it uses the handy dwr.util method to replace all the list options with the new values. Note the callback function(date) used for this. Dwr replaces the return call from processListOptions and puts them in data (The complete java object collection)

5.Finally, the facade (ajax handler) in Java, for the action

public class ListOptionsAjaxFacade {
      private PersonDao personDao;

      public List processListOptions(String sortBy, boolean isAscending) {
       	return personDao.getAll(sortBy, isAscending);
      }

      //setters & getters
}

Ofcourse, this is a happy-day-flow with no exception handling either in client side or server side, but you can add that later. Read the docs for DWR.
Thats it. You should now be able to retrieve the lists dynamically

Essential Reading:
Read more on dwr.util package. Just like drop down lists, you can pretty
much create any other dynamic form element. The basic structure remains the same as above. Try using scriptaculous for fancy js effects in combination with the above code. For instance, on click of Refresh, you can fade in fade out the dropdown box.
(and charge the customer an additional 8 hours for implementing the same)

In my opinion Trac does everything that XPlanner does plus includes about 10 more useful features… such as Subversion integration, Bugzilla integration, dozens of useful reports, exporting out of the box to comma-delimited and tab-delimited text files, ical integration, rss feeds… plus Trac can be deployed as a standalone app (as I have done on my desktop), or integrated with a number of different backends and frontends. XPlanner uses MySQL. I’m really beginning to think Java is far behind in web development, and the community is growing fatter and wider (re: hibernate+spring+whatever bloated front-end) rather than slimming down and actually innovating like Python & PHP (simple extensible frameworks)… but I digress… I’m really just here to talk about the first month of implementing my own managed process.

In short, Trac has helped me manage a list, but I still haven’t reached the managed process nirvana I strive for.

What I’ve done with Trac:

• I’ve separated my work projects into different Trac components. I am currently working on 3 different components. One is in QA, another is being maintained, and a 3rd is new development. So I’ve been successful at managing these components and managing my tasks for each.
• I’ve mapped the Iterations to Trac Milestones. This is really slick because Trac provides a nice RoadMap and Timeline reports for work by Milestone.
• Each task I call one of the three out of the box Trac types; either a defect, enhancement, or task.
• The only piece I haven’t really figured out the best way to use is the Trac version. Since where I’m currently working milestones/iterations are also versions, it’s not like I could have a version 2 of iteration 3. I tried to coordinate a version with a use case code, but that hasn’t turned out to be effective.
• I made use of Trac priorities, which create nice color-coded reports.
• I didn’t make enough use of the timing and estimation plugin. I need to do that next month.

Going forward:

Going forward I’m moving to a monthly milestone. Since XPlanner will track iterations, I’d like to use Trac to manage my own tasks and velocity. I see this as a shift away from a project planner, to more of a personal planner. I’d like to track my tasks, my own velocity on a project, and keep notes for each independent of what the project planning app is doing.

It’s obvious that they just don’t understand that version control is already keeping track of that for them.

But today, while painfully trying to get my build scripts to deploy a war to websphere, I actually found a developer that had checked in a java file into VSS:
HMigrator.java
and
HMigrator_old.java

I never thought I’d see that among supposedly senior developers… and just had to share, out of sheer frustration!

I’ve been experiencing similar issues on my current contract… I won’t name any names…

For example they have this webapp that automates the process of development telling testing that the current release is ready for testing. Today, a new Senior Business Systems Analyst sent an email asking everyone (broadcast of course) if everything was ready because she had her email all written and just needed to click send to tell QA everything was ready… I responded that we’d already sent the request via webapp… she responded that… (some other manager)“requested I send a “Prod like” release notes for all releases.”

Translation: She wants to arrogate the right to determine when builds are ready to go. Instead of the development team working with testers there needs to be yet another layer of managing. My team, for example, has 4 developers and 4 managers (a conservative estimate). How do big corps get this way?

I think maybe a better idea is to put a CVS repository on my flash drive? I’ve got 1Gb…

• Create a briefcase in the flash drive
• drag and drop your work dir into the briefcase, and be ready to wait a while… even with USB2 it can still take a while to add the files initially
• when you want to update, plug it back in, right-click the briefcase and select update

The only issue I’m aware of with this is that the synchronization feature will remove files that are deleted in the source dir in the briefcase as well. So if you accidentally delete something, this can be an issue.

This update process can work both ways.