Viren/0

Current state of Java based UI frameworks

2012-01-29T23:30:00.001-05:00

How many different ways can you build your user interface in a typically Java application?

Old fashioned JSPs and tag libraries with frameworks like struts, webwork etc.
Recent frameworks like wicket, Grails etc.
Purely HTML+CSS+Javascript, no Java code for UI. Here the UI elements talks to the server using RESTful services.

If I have to build a new framework from start, what would I want?

Clear separation of UI from backend
Ability to use the best UI designer out there (and it is unlikely anyone would know how to code in Java)
Be able to write code behind in Java (because that is where my backend developers are most experienced, also most of the integration points are in Java)
Be able to write UI using pure HTML, CSS and Javascript allowing:

Easy portability across various devices
Be able to outsource (not necessarily offshore) UI to someone who is good at developing user interface
Put frameworks like ExtJS or jQuery at use in developing interactive apps

Coding by convention, no XML based configuration.
Automatic bindings of data models to form/UI elements
Easy to write and integrate with server side code for:

Access control of the UI elements
Events that interact with server side
Pushing events from server to client