We've all learned a lot from the internet, and found a lot of useful software and documents available for download. We believe in giving back what we can for everyone to share, so here are some resources to help you:

Friki interactive web site

"Friki" is a "Wiki" - a web site where every page may be edited by anyone. It may sound anarchic, but it can be an immensely powerful online collaboration tool. The power and ideas of the Wiki concept are discussed in the definitive book on the subject "The Wiki Way - Quick Collaboration on the Web" by Bo Leuf and Ward Cunningham

Friki is one of several implementations of this idea, but it is one of the simplest to install and use, and it is in Java!

Click the link above for a live demonstration, or see the download page for a web application you can just drop in to your application server and run immediately.

The Golden Rules of Stress-Free Programming

A discussion of some of the things that make software development less productive and less fun than it need be, with some suggestions to help reduce the stress this causes.

Resin Application Server ( http://www.caucho.com/ )

Our favourite Java application server at the moment: standards-compliant, powerful fast, flexible, and easy to install. The source is available at no charge for developers, and the main product is pretty inexpensive for deployment.

WebMacro template framework ( http://www.webmacro.org/ )

One of the better page template systems. If you are fed up with the quirks of JSP and want easier page design and a more pure Model View Controller approach, checkout WebMacro. "What you don't need should get out of your face"

JUnit unit test framework ( http://www.junit.org/ )

A programmers' test tool. Write your unit tests in the same language you use to develop your code. Originally popularised by the Extreme Programming crowd, we now use this and its variants exclusively for testing code before release.

Ant build system ( http://jakarta.apache.org/ant/ )

Kind of like the venerable old "make" tool, but for the new generation of Java/XML programmers. Tons of built-in power, configured in XML, extensible in Java, what more could you want ?

The Java Ranch ( http://www.javaranch.com/ )

Our favourite Java resource; Java with an attitude. Interesting articles, lots of book reviews, and a community of hundreds of thousands of Java developers. In particular, check out the Big Moose Saloon - a great place to share knowledge and get your questions answered.

If you have found anything that you'd like added to this list, feel free to contact us at webmaster@efsol.com. Thanks.