We have already covered how Sun is taking Java in some new directions. Java is going AJAX but also Basic – yes Basic as in Bill Gates Basic. But the fundamental land rush that is on in the developer community is to capture the AJAX Gold of Web 2.0 Midas Development potentate. In that regard such varied players as Backbase, Icesoft, Nexaweb, Tibco, and others are starting to show their “next stuff”.
Take for example what Icesoft is doing. Icesoft allows developers to use JSF Java Server Faces but then implements the runtime in AJAX and has a sophisticated JavaScript+DOM component set to support that operation. Nexaweb uses XUL and SVG with J2EE for similar ends. And of course, Sun will be following up Java 6 with much bolstered JavaScript/AJAX capabilities in Java Studio Creator.
But as I have pointed out before, I think that so far JavaScript/AJAX tools development has been a helter-skelter land rush for a position in the fast evolving RIA world. The problem has been exacerbated by the fact that no JavaScript IDE came to the fore. But even more fundamental, all of these “solutions” are coming short on what will be the next wave of needs which the 6As model for RIA(this is required reading) says will be arriving shortly at a development shop near you – yours:
1-the need to develop Web apps for desktop, mobile, and in-between with one development framework and tool;
2-the need to have the apps run on any platform, any browser, anywhere;
3-the need to be able to quickly turn a Web app into a desktop app, again for any platform;
4-the need for some rationalization and standardization of the XML-resource/layout/UI-definition frameworks;
5-the need to support standalone/offline as well as online/connected/collaborating operation from the same app.
So before you commit to a particular UI development set, ask the vendor how well they meet the 6As and the above needs. It will be most interesting the answers you get I can assure you. Meantime I am sticking with my previous assessment – that Java will be at the core for 6As GUI development. However, I am open to suggestion. Because I cannot open up my comments because of the Poker and Drug greedy-guts – please send a note to me here for your RIA/GUI environ of choice (and for all you Canoo, Laszlo and Flex fans I am trying to find the time to sit down and work with them….).
(c) 2006 JBSurveyer