Single developer using JBoss

[pualee]

Hey all,

Im a developer with a few years using Microsoft Visual Studio and Active X / OLE technology. I am currently working on a Masters degree and starting Java development. I use the Ecplipse IDE and am familiar with the Sun White pages.

My question is, would it be possible for a single developer to learn JBoss and develop / deploy a small J2EE application based on the JBoss AS? This is a proof of concept type thing.

I would have to learn most of the technology from an entry level standpoint, but the app design is simple and it would run in a controlled environment. I know there are other less complicated ways to implement this, but the idea is to learn how to set up and run the JBoss AS, and then have a demo program on it.

I would probably put in about 20 hrs/wk for the next 6 months. Anyone think this is possible? Is the online documentation adequate? What kinds of problems should I expect?

Thanks in advance,

Pualee

[neelixx]

If you already have object-oriented programming experience, then picking up Java won't be extremely hard.

I, myself, am a single developer learning J2EE on JBoss. After 2 months, I am at a point where my helpdesk system is kicking of nicely for my company at an enterprise level.

Can you do it? With motivation and perserverence, absolutely!

Read the JBoss Get Started Guides and the Administrator's Guide, and you'll be on your way! Just like me.

[peterj]

I recommend also getting the book JBoss - A Developer's Notebook by Richards and Griffith. Its first chapter (or was it second, don't have the book with me) has you up and running with a simple web application on JBoss within an hour.

[norman.richards]

Thanks. I appreciate the recommendation. :)

Our goal with the book isn't to teach J2EE. We assume the reader has some level of familiarity with enterprise Java. Chapter 2, for example, assumes you have good enough understanding of EJBs to understand what the files XDoclet is generating are.

Assuming you have a resource to teach you J2EE (Head Girst EJB is probably a safe bet for a beginner), then the JBoss notebook will be a perfect choice (in my obviously-biased opinion) for learning how to apply that knowledge to JBoss.

[neelixx]

I love that book! Read it from cover to cover.

The security and logging portions were the best!

[pualee]

Thank you for the recommendations. Its exciting to see that nobody thinks this job is impossible. I am currently in a class doing some simple client/server Java apps, and we are beginning to dive into enterprise Java beans. I will of course be taking this farther than the class, and will definitely price those books today (looking for cheap used copies since I am a poor student ;-) )

Anyway, I have started reading the online documentation, and am going to try to get some school hardware next week to start this project. I am still bias to Windows platforms, but may be stuck in UNIX/LINUX.

Hopefully in another month or two, I can start answering questions for other newbies on this forum :-) Its good to see there is a solid community

Pualee