Part 1. Introducing Grails

Great strides have been made in the field of Java-based web application frameworks, but creating a new application with them still seems like a lot of work. Grails’ core strength is developing web applications quickly, so we’ll jump into writing our first application right away.

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

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

By the end of part 1, you’ll have a real feel for 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.