Tapestry is a powerful, open-source, all-Java framework for creating leading edge web applications in Java.

"Tapestry reconceptualizes web application development in terms of objects, methods and properties instead of URLs and query parameters."

Tapestry is an alternative to scripting environments such as JavaServer Pages or Velocity. Tapestry goes far further, providing a complete framework for creating extremely dynamic applications with minimal amounts of coding.

Tapestry's approach, using a component object model similar to a traditional GUI, provides the following benefits:

Very high level of reuse, within and between projects
Everything in Tapestry is a reusable component
Frees developers from writing boring, buggy code
Code in terms of objects, methods and properties, not URLs and query parameters
Allows applications' complexity to scale well
Framework does all the URL building and message dispatching, transparently
Easy Internationalization/Localization
Framework selects localized version of text, templates and images
Extremely robust applications
Less code is less bugs
Sophisticated built-in exception reporting
Line precise error reporting
Easy team integration
Graphic designers and Java developers can work together without having to know each other's jobs

Tapestry exploits the dynamic nature of the Java language, leveraging the JavaBeans API, as well as servlets and other J2EE technology. Tapestry applications are fast, scalable, robust and powerful.

Tapestry components are a combination of a specification file (in XML), an HTML template and a Java class (extending a framework class, with simple additions). Tapestry components are combined together to form larger components or complete Tapestry pages.

The Tapestry project began in January, 2000. It was released onto SourceForge in July, 2000. Release 1.0.0 occurred in May, 2001 and Release 2.0.0 in April, 2002.

Tapestry moved to The Jakarta Project in January, 2003.

Tapestry has been described in the print journal The Java Report in the September 2001 issue. Other articles includes the on-line journal OnJava, in November 2001.

Tapestry in Action, a definitive introduction to Tapestry written Howard M. Lewis Ship is to be published by Manning Publications in early Fall 2003.

Downloads

Tapestry is now available directly from the Apache mirrors as standard source and binary distributions.

Mailing Lists

Tapestry has a very active User mailing list, with archives. This is the list for getting help with using the framework.

The Developer mailing list is for Tapestry committers and other power users to discuss enhancements to the framework. It also has archives.

A Wiki has been set up to discuss Tapestry and plan new features.