Version 1.2 of VelocityTools, a sub-project of Velocity, is now available for download. Velocity enables use of a template language to reference objects defined in Java code and can be used in Web development or to generate SQL, PostScript, and XML from templates.

"VelocityTools 1.2 offers a variety of improvements over the 1.1 release," said Nathan Bubna, who serves as lead on the Velocity Tools project, in an email. "In terms of infrastructure, the most significant is the ability to configure tool parameters via the toolbox definition file. There are also many new tools available for simplifying template development, including tools for working with lists and arrays transparently, sorting lists, alternating over value sets, and more."

"VelocityTools 1.2 also offers compatibility with the latest Struts releases for those using our Struts integration tools," Bubna said.

When used for Web applications, Velocity separates Java code from Web pages, making the Web site more maintainable and offering an alternative to JSP or PHP, according to the Apache Jakarta Project.

Asked why developers may seek alternatives to PHP or JSP, Bubna said there are many reasons.