JavaWorld Forums: Yes ban XML configuration from other framework

Hello,

What is misunderstood by XML advocates:

1) Struts and hibernate configuration is not configuration anymore, it is so complex and so bound to the application organization that it is real application coding. No administrator, no web-designer will risk his hands in it and only Java developers will struggle with these files. Let use XML configuration files for what the administrator will really do.

2) No, java coding is not obscene, and yes complex XML coding create a paradigm break into Java applications. All configurable applications are incredibly complex and the thing you want to modify is often not configurable.

3) If you want to modify an application behavior in an unattended way: It's programmer's job and you shall test it. Thinking that on the fly XML configuration can be done without testing is not a rigorous approach. The rebuild and repackage is now easily done by ant scripts.

4) Porting applications is not a matter of configuration.

I try to ban all XML or properties files that are not clearly made for server administrators. I only bear JSP (I compile in servlets before release). The HTML is not for Dreamweaver web-designer anymore as production of a page is not done in a single HTML template. They can still work on CSS and Javascript and propose HTML modifications to the programmer.

A lot of framework elements can be programmatically "configured" in Java. For Struts have to subclass ActionServlet and overload initModuleConfig method to create an instance of your class implementing ModuleConfig . You have to declare your new ActionServlet in the web.xml.

I am working on dooing the same with hibernate and tiles.

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