Part 1. Introducing Grails

The field of Java-based web application frameworks has made great strides in usability, but creating an application with them is still hard work. Grails’s core strength is developing web applications quickly, so you’ll jump into writing your first application right away.

In chapter 1, we expose you to the core parts of Grails by developing a simple Quote of the Day (QOTD) application from scratch. You’ll store to and query from the database, develop business logic, write tests, and add Ajax functionality. By the end of it, you’ll have a feel for the parts of Grails.

To develop serious Grails applications, you need a firm grasp of Groovy—the underlying dynamic language that makes Grails tick. In chapter 2, we take you on a whirlwind tour of core Groovy concepts and introduce the syntax.

By the end of part 1, you’ll understand the power of Groovy and Grails and be ready to take on the world. Feel free to do so—Grails encourages experimentation. But you might want to stick around for part 2, where we take you deeper into the core parts of Grails.