Grails is an open-source web application framework that's all about getting things done. Grails combines best-of-breed Java technologies (including Hibernate and Spring), convention over configuration, and the powerful and dynamic Groovy language. Together with these elements and Groovy's ability to seamlessly integrate with your existing Java code, Grails finally legitimizes rapid web application development for the Java platform.

In this presentation, we'll see first-hand how to use Grails to build a fully-functioning and flexible web application in minimal time. As we develop the application, we'll explore the Grails project structure, its MVC elements, and the power of dynamic methods. We'll see how Groovy's highly-expressive nature allows us to write concise code, and Grails' use of sensible defaults (á la convention over configuration) saves us from much of the coding and configuration we'd otherwise face with many traditional frameworks.