Book Review: Data-Centric Applications with Vaadin 8

Good news for Vaadin enthusiasts: A new book about Vaadin is available now! In Data-Centric Applications with Vaadin 8, Vaadin Advocate Alejandro Duarte explores how to create functional web apps, where data management is a key concern. Unlike many IT manuals, which only offer an introduction to the technology, in his book, Alejandro guides developers to the next level by presenting elegant explanations of how Vaadin can be used with selected data-related concepts found in many modern applications.

One of Vaadin Framework’s key strengths is how simply it integrates with Java’s rich ecosystem. Developers new to Vaadin often ask “how do I do <magic thing> in Vaadin?” (as if it was a well-kept secret), but the good news is that once developers have a basic understanding of Vaadin, they discover that many of their other favorite Java tools work right along with it–the best of both worlds! This means that most of the concepts explained in the book are also valid in the upcoming generation of the full-stack Java framework: Vaadin Flow.

Some of the topics discussed in Data-Centric Applications with Vaadin 8 include:

• Modularization with Maven – generify and package your Vaadin components for use by any app
• Best practices for Internationalization with Vaadin
• How to decouple your Views from authorization & authentication code; and the difference between Component-based and Request/Response-based frameworks
• Working with JDBC & ORM libraries (JPA/Hibernate, MyBatis, jOOQ), and most importantly, how to optimize your views using Vaadin’s lazy-loading capabilities. Alejandro leads the reader through the steps needed in both the backend and UI layers
• Several ways to design CRUD user interfaces for improved UX
• …and more practical ideas for great looking apps

More than just the clearly explained topics mentioned above, the book presents other Java libraries and concepts that work well with Vaadin. Alejandro achieves this with handy tips of the trade offered throughout:

• Have you considered Project Lombok?
• How about bean validation with Hibernate Validation?
• Tried Streams in Java 8 yet?

Data-Centric Applications with Vaadin 8 serves as a good springboard to explore other tools to aid in your Vaadin application pursuits. If you’re looking for a great resource that goes beyond the basics, join the Fight For Simplicity and take full advantage of Vaadin 8, with the tools every modern Java developer ought to know!