Ruby on Rails enchanted the web development community last year. It demonstrated how quickly you could bootstrap a first-class web application using "Convention over Configuration" and scaffolding. The problem, for Java developers at least, is that it doesn't run on the JVM. Familiar libraries like JDOM are replaced by comparable APIs like REXML. For greenfield development, this doesn't pose a problem. However, for companies with large investments in legacy Java applications, this is a bit of a stumbling block. Enter Grails.

Grails isn't just a "me, too" framework. It embodies the spirit of Rails, while staying grounded in solid, proven Java technologies. De-facto standards like Spring and Hibernate are front and center, although the XML jockeying you might normally associate with getting them configured is noticeably absent. Grails is a full application stack in a box, including a web server (Jetty) and an embedded database (HSQLDB). Of course, you can create a WAR that can be deployed to Tomcat or JBoss. You can point to any external database that Hibernate supports. Grails also supports the latest in Ajax frameworks, shipping with Prototype, script.aculo.us, Yahoo UI, and Dojo.

Come hear Davis' first-hand experience running a production Grails web site http://aboutGroovy.com. You'll see how to use a Captcha, create an Atom feed, even include a Google Map. You'll have a core system up and running in minutes, but that's only the beginning. The technology forms a solid foundation for future growth that will be familiar to any seasoned Java web developer.