GWT - What is it and how I use it in my project - Tutorials

   Now I am working on a document system project. Requirements - web interface, desktop alike application, document upload, viewing, editing, security and so on. So I needed a framework, which could satisfy those requirements. Of course everything can be made in pure PHP and javascript, but the web is developing, so I decided to use some kind of a new technology. Gmail is created with GWT, and maybe even this blogging site.

   In short about GWT - It's Google's project, where you can write Web application in Java and then it is compiled to pure JavaScript. 

                                     http://code.google.com/webtoolkit/overview.html

               Advantages:

• Use (Eclipse or NetBeans) IDE - syntax check, auto complete, debugging, compile time error checking.
• Source code is compiled as small as possible (with variables a, aa...).
• JavaScript is compiled for each browser separately, so you don't have to worry about that. And the code is using each browser's specific functions, so it is faster.
• Page (application) is loaded only once, everything else - pure Ajax
• JUnit testing (haven't used it myself)
• Can work without JavaScript knowledge
• Can include third party libraries (I am using SmartGWT), jQuery is possible
• Server side can be Java, PHP or other
• Use of designer (drag and drop Widgets)
• ...............

                Disadvantages:

• Not so straightforward including pure JavaScript (at first)
• GWT default Widgets lack of richness - must implement yourself (or use extra library)

   In other words, I highly recommend using GWT in your projects...maybe because I haven't used other frameworks...but why should I, if I'm not disappointed :)