Google releases GWT for JavaScript 2
The Google Web Toolkit has long been a bastion of Java developers who are able to chant "We don't want your stinking JavaScript!"
GWT is a lot more than a client side framework that allows you to write code in Java. It is a productivity tool that lets you developer and test a solution that performs well and works cross browser (huge wins). In fact, when I talk to people that are using GWT, the most common comment that I hear is how happy they are with:
- How the application just works cross browser
- How great it is to get a new version of GWT, run the new compiler, and get substantive performance improvements
Why should this just live in a Java world? Today, it breaks out. Google has released GWT for JavaScript 2.
With the upcoming birth of JavaScript 2 hopefully hitting our browsers, wouldn't it be nice to build your Ajax applications using JavaScript, but also having the cross browser helpfulness that GWT gets you.
How does it work?
You write an application using JavaScript 2, and you then run it through a compiler which spits out the same optimized JavaScript source code that works for the various browsers.
Why write cross browser JavaScript when you can just write JavaScript?
This fits in perfectly with Steve Yegge releasing js2-mode, a new JavaScript 2 module for Emacs that has a lot of great features:
- Asynchronous highlighting
- Code folding
- Comment and string filling
- Syntax errors
- Strict warnings
- jsdoc highlighting
Also, Didier has posted the news that GWT has been submitted to the JCP as JSR 404.
You do realise that this was an April 1st joke released on the GWT web site?
Anonymous said...
April 6, 2008 5:35 PM