Google web toolkit (GWT) – A big move for Ajax

Google released GWT which automatically converts a Java based UI to Ajax last week. This obviates the need for the developer to learn Javascript – a key ingredient of Ajax.  This could significantly accelerate the move to Ajax especially for Enterprises which have a lot of J2EE app developers. Excerpt from Internet News:

By way of example, it took Google, which has a sizable share of JavaScript programmers, more than a month to get Google Maps working properly in Apple’s Safari browser, even though it worked just fine in Internet Explorer and Firefox, said Taylor.

GWT works with any standard Java IDE (define) to convert a full-blown Java application to JavaScript, while paring down the application and removing classes and functions not allowed in
the more restricted browser environment. JavaScript applications, for instance, don’t have access to the computer’s file system, while Java does.

The problem of developing of cross-browser compatible apps in javascript has always been a big pain for web developers and GWT promises to eliminate that. All in all, this could be a tipping point for Ajax? References:
1. Just so you don’t get carried away, check out the comments on this Ajaxian post. Helps build some perspective. 2. Arstechnica on GWT comments that this is similar to Microsoft’s Atlas Toolkit for .NET.
3. Google also has started a blog dedicated to GWT.

Comments

  1. Anonymous said May 22, 2006, 8:53 pm:

    Maybe this is what US Airways used to convert their rudimentary website into AJAX enabled one over the weekend 🙂

    Now, they have made it very friendly. Hard to believe that there are still websites, especially, in the hospitality business not using AJAX and using a lot of round trips to the server only to give out error messages.