An application architecture describes a consistent approach for building a software application. It is both design patterns and software frameworks that ensure that all code for a software development project is of high quality and consistent. Good application architectures package several useful features and functions to solve recurring software development challenges and to insulate the developers from the technical architecture, allowing developers to focus on solving business problems, not technical problems.

An application server vender such as IBM or BEA supplies a technical architecture. A technical architecture provides a scalable environment in which applications can be deployed. Technical architectures, however, do not provide specifics on how to build an application. An application architecture, like HorizonJ, is used to hide the complex interactions with the technical architecture in a way that easy for application developers to understand.

If it is your goal to build applications that will be easily extensible and maintainable, a solid application framework is critical.

Simply buying a Java application server isn't enough. Software development projects that don't define an application framework end up with code that is inconsistent and takes longer to develop. Quite often, it becomes an unwanted challenge for one developer to maintain and integrate with code developed by another developer. By the time management recognizes the need for a consistent approach, it is too late -- the project is over budget and the software is riddled with defects.

HorizonJ simplifies Java application development by defining the parameters to which an application should be built. HorizonJ simplifies such tasks as object oriented programming, designing and interacting with relational databases, developing user interfaces, controlling application flow, and distributed object design. Because HorizonJ uses no proprietary application server or database features, applications built with HorizonJ can be deployed on several application servers and databases.

HorizonJ provides a number of built-in application components, intended to make application development easier. Extensions include User/Role based authorizations, application integration components, auditing/personalization, and a rules engine. All extensions are built using the HorizonJ base application framework.

HorizonJ provides a framework for defining business objects, attributes, and relationships, allowing an intuitive path from UML diagrams to Java code. Smart attributes ensure that business rules are encapsulated in the business objects and relationships let you easily traverse a network of objects.

HorizonJ has a built-in persistence manager that dynamically generates SQL to add, update, delete and retrieve business objects from a relational database. With HorizonJ, there are no mapping tools, no SQL code generators, and no awkward database mapping configuration files. Developing your objects is all you need to do. The HorizonJ persistence manager can even do complex tasks such as multi-table joins. See the HorizonJ feature list for more details.

A common complaint about JSP technology is that it is very easy to ignore the well-known Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern and create applications that are unmanageable. HorizonJ solves this problem by providing components and frameworks for each logical tier.