Waxing Cerebral

Turns out that as recently as May this year Google has released an API called the Google Web Toolkit for designing Ajax sites using Java and Google's own 'Java-to-JavaScript Compiler'. Interesting stuff; this of course enables full debugging within suites like Eclipse, plus source management and a variety of Java tools. O'Reilly's xml.com has a great tutorial on getting this running using Mac OS X.

I have my reservations about this, however.

• The final code appearing on the site is whatever Google has opted to implement, meaning there is less flexibility is the choice of Ajax components and not necessarily my desired solution. Their Grid class, for example, uses html tables to align page elements! Urrghh!.


• Scores of sites will be based on this same easy-to-access code, making the technology less unique.


• It keeps me removed from the base Ajax code meaning that I don't pick up new skills in this area.

...but they have opted to release it under an open source Apache license, it does look like a stunningly clever idea, and it does have the popularity of Google behind it, so if it is well adopted, the toolkit could quickly expand.
There are discussions at Ajaxian, an interview at O'Reilly...


I want control. I'm not going with the toolkit.