Go to the main Jakarta website to check out all of the open-source code that is available to Java developers. As stated on the home page, The Jakarta Project creates and maintains open source solutions on the Java platform for distribution to the public at no charge.

What this means to you is that you don't have to reinvent the wheel like many companies think they need to do. Whether you need a solution for a UI Controller, Data Persistence, or web pages, it's already been done, and it's free.

In the software world, the phrase, "You get what you pay for" simply doesn't apply. There are tons of great software packages out there that are freely available which include the source code, so you can see exactly what's happening behind the scenes and don't have to wonder what's going on with your code.