GWT Widget Library - Moving Fast

Dietrich Kappe, Thursday, June 8, 2006 @ 9:00 am

That didn't take long. Google just announced it's Google Web Toolkit (GWT) at JavaOne in mid May and a scant week later we already have the GWT Widget Library. This library wraps the Scriptaculous effects, adds image buttons (with support for PNG's in IE 5.5 and 6) and allows one to wrap existing HTML elements as widgets. There's a nice demo of using the effects with GWT here.

Also, if you haven't visited the GWT blog and the developer forums, you really should. Developer action is heating up and people are already starting to push the boundaries of the toolkit.

While writing Java to produce Javascript may offend purists, it is hard to argue with success. Google has delivered some of the most popular applications on the web using this technology. However, the two evaluation projects I've done so far with GWT have been somewhat disconcerting, with my guessing at exactly how the Javascript would be rendered. Also, 38k of Javascript for a simple little email submission widget seems obscene, but it and it's validation logic was a breeze to write and debug, though the equivalent raw DHTML and Javascript clocks in at under 1k.

Update 1: Here is another GWT-based widget library. Some overlap, but also some other things, like the rounded corners.

agile ajax

Comments: 1 so far

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1. 

   Nice article.
   I wouldn’t argue about the size of gwt.js needed in each GWT app (even for “simple email submission”), but you know, each technology has its pros and cons. These 38k of gwt.js lets you easily create reach HTML apps with very little knowledge of JavaScript, thus Google brings the horde of server-side Java developers a bit closer to rich HTML development.
   Respect to Google team!

   Comment by Arsen A, Gutsal, Thursday, November 30, 2006 @ 3:26 pm

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