Client-Side UIs with Thorax and Lumbar

Model View Controller (MVC) is often thought of in terms of server-side frameworks such as Spring MVC and Struts. But as web applications become more interactive, it becomes important to apply the same principles in the client. Roll-your-own MVC in JavaScript is possible, but as was the case with server-side MVC frameworks, it can get messy and is often better to seek out help from established frameworks.

One of the most popular Javascript frameworks in this space is Backbone.js. Although Backbone has a strong following and is used in many successful applications, it is still missing a few useful features and doesn't present a very good “getting started” story for a developer new to Backbone or any developer starting out on a new application.

In this session, we'll take a look at Thorax, an opinionated extension to the Backbone framework that helps you build clean and robust Backbone applications. We'll also look at Lumbar, a build tool for Javascript from the makers of Thorax, that enables you to target your build to a variety of clients, both mobile devices and traditional browsers.

About Craig Walls

Craig Walls is a Principal Engineer, Java Champion, Alexa Champion, and the author of Spring AI in Action, Spring in Action, and Build Talking Apps. He's a zealous promoter of the Spring Framework, speaking frequently at local user groups and conferences and writing about Spring. When he's not slinging code, Craig is planning his next trip to Disney World or Disneyland and spending as much time as he can with his wife, two daughters, 1 bird and 2 dogs.

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