Exploring Google Web Toolkit

With YUI, Flex, TIBCO and Ext; somehow I managed to ignore Google Web Toolkit (GWT). It suddenly struck me that by making JavaScript generation Java based, GWT perhaps addresses two extremely important problems with new-generation UI code: maintainability and debugging. Since there are umpteen Java based IDEs, this should be interesting. I will have to explore it a little to assess how powerful and easy it can be compared to other solutions, but I think it does merit a thorough exploration. More when I am through with it!

New Developments in the Market

Simply could not wait to write about this: Ext is coming out with Ext Designer. This would be the first Javascript-focussed RIA building tool outside of Adobe Spry in Dreamweaver and TIBCO General Interface. And it reaffirms my conviction that an IDE to help developers make RIAs more effectively is desperately needed. This step by Ext is in the right direction. It remains to be seen how far they would be willing to take it. I, for one, would be keenly watching them.

Parallel to this development is Salesforce coming up with Chatter Collaboration Cloud to create create collaborative cloud-computing applications. Salesforce, above all, have a strong expertise in making web-based business applications. Yet their venture from CRM into collaborative development, on the face of it, does seem odd. I have no doubt about their technical prowess and their distribution network, but I am curious to understand how they will leverage their CRM experience and brand image to enter this arena. In fact, I feel their strong association with CRM may inhibit them. I understand that they are now promoting the "Force.com platform" with a strong desire to leverage cloud computing, but the CRM shadow may prove a bit hard to loose. For RIA, this development points out at an interesting alternative to desktop based IDEs. Definitely something to ponder upon. The not-so-new RIA by Autodesk and the current venture by Salesforce clearly demonstrates that it may be both technically feasible and perhaps even desirable. Definitely something to ponder about.

Future of Flex Revisited

I remember expressing my doubts about the Future of Flex and dissatisfaction with Adobe's work in RIA. So you can understand that I was intrigued to learn that Apple has decided to continue to not support Flash. In fact, it is alleged that Steve Jobs called Adobe a lazy company. Expectedly, the web was soon full of discussions and arguments between Flash lovers and Flash haters. Myself, I have used Flex for quite some time and now I am keenly following the HTML5 development. I feel that Flash does have a large reach. Even if one could use HTML5 for video streaming and delivering a variety of RIA applications, I will be keen to see how it manages to handle the challenge of drawing vector graphics and animation. Especially in analytics and similar applications, I don't see anybody replacing Flash based charts any time soon. Even most JavaScript based frameworks tap Flash for graphs and other highly interactive visual elements. Hence, with its reach and graphic potential, Flash remains a force to contend with. And Apple is simple not powerful enough to dislodge it, unless somebody can come up with a better alternative and promote it enough.

However, there is some truth to the charge that Adobe has gone a bit lazy. I, for one, will not question Adobe's technical competence. They are simply brilliant when it comes to desktop based graphics and multimedia development applications. In fact they make great IDEs for the same. But when it comes to the web-based application development, as an end user I am totally unhappy and unsatisfied with the way they have screwed up Flex development. They had a clear head-start but lost ground to JavaScript frameworks. This was, mind you, not due to their laziness but lack of closeness to customer needs. No wonder other technologies are fast elbowing it out. Apple may have gone a bit overboard, but it does point out that Adobe needs to change its approach towards RIA development or ultimately face being evicted out of this arena.