J2EE - which techno/framework client to cover this need ?

[no]

Hello,
We are going to build an application that will be deployed on a J2EE
1.4 application server (that 's the only point we are positive about)
and accessed only within the intranet.

The issue here is regarding the interface :
Basically, the need can be schematized like this :
We need to fill some piece of information.
Each screen are made of many combos. The available choices in one combo
depends on the choice made in the previous ones. So I suppose, after
each choice on the page, we will have an interaction with the server.

I was thinking about different options, in order to make this
application user-friendly and not to expensive to build :

- traditional web 1.0 application : won't it be painful to use ?
- multiples iframes : is that compatible with Struts ? JSF ?
- using AJAX : which framework ? isn't it a bit risky, complex
javascript -> high dependence on the browser version
- swing / webstart ?
- flash techno -> need of a proprietary IDE ?

thanks for experience feedbacks.

 

[aerotops]

If I was you and if time was short, I would just go ahead and use
JavaScript. If I needed something fancier, I would AJAX. I am not too
good with AJAX and if this is a big application, I might look into some
AJAX library, preferrably something written in Java (since I am very
comfortable with it). I would not go Swing or Webstart. Just for the
simple reason that I am not very good at Swing.
Flash is a good idea but think of all the remoting you will probably
have to do. Might be easier in struts etc. Maybe have a bunch of forms
and associate an onEvent() javascript for a combo box with a call to an
action.

 

[josh.s17]

The application you are building sounds a bit like a wizard. For that
type of application I have found spring webflow is a better fit than
struts.