Flex vs. GWT Smackdown
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FLEX VS. GWT SMACKDOWN With Matt Raible and James Ward Images by Stuck in Customs - http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms
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Java developers can easily create Rich UIs with Google Web Toolkit (GWT) or Adobe Flex, so why would they choose one over the other? Come to this session to learn the pros and cons of each framework in an entertaining atmosphere. In one corner, we have UI consultant, Matt Raible with bright red GWT gloves. In the opposite corner, we have Adobe’s James Ward with his sinister black Flex gloves, ready to put a smackdown on the Open Web. In this session you learn about the pros and cons of both GWT and Flex, when it's appropriate to use each framework, and where each framework is headed in the future.
Transcript of Flex vs. GWT Smackdown
FLEX VS. GWT SMACKDOWNWith Matt Raible and James Ward
Images by Stuck in Customs - http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms
INTRODUCTIONS
Who is Matt Raible?
Who is using GWT?
Who is James Ward?
Who is using Flex?
What do you want to learn today?
What are Rich Internet Applications?
The Smackdown
Success Stories
Pitfalls
How to choose?
Q and A
SESSION AGENDA
According to Simon Whatley:
“[RIAs] combine the best user interface functionality of desktop software applications with the broad reach and low-cost deployment of Web applications and the best of interactive, multimedia communication.”
WHAT DEFINES RICH?
Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) are web applications that have most of the characteristics of desktop applications, typically delivered either by way of a standards-based web browser, via a browser plug-in, or independently via sandboxes or virtual machines. Examples of RIA frameworks include Ajax, Curl, GWT, Adobe Flash/Adobe Flex/AIR, Java/JavaFX, Apache Pivot, Mozilla's XUL, OpenLaszlo and Microsoft Silverlight.
WIKIPEDIA’S DEFINITION
OUR DEFINITION
A one-page application that doesn’t require a page
transition.
L E T ’ S G E T R E A D Y T O R U M B L E !
TEXTRight-to-left languages
unsupported in Flex
DRAWINGFlex can draw
PRINTINGFlex has issues printing
from the browser
DRAG N’ DROP
Flex has easy drag n’ drop support
CSSGWT has CSS support, not
like Flex’s proprietary support
VALIDATORS &
FORMATTERSFlex has effects, form layout, validators and
formatters
JSON SUPPORTGWT supports JSON out-
of-the-box
Flex works across all browsers
IE6 SUPPORT
IPHONE SUPPORT
GWT works on the iPhone
VIDEOFlash Video is the absolute number one video format
on the web
PERFORMANCEMaking your app “pop”
COMPONENTSTour de Flex
TOOLSSpeed Tracer
IDEs
PROGRAMMING MODEL
“GWT is nothing more than a JSP Tag Library”
-- Matt Raible
SUCCESS STORIES
Google Wave
Evite
Picnik
Mercedes-Benz USA
My Oracle Support
Others?
AVOID PITFALLS
Don’t load everything on the first page load.
Slower machines can mean slower clients. Know your users!
Don’t use for sites, only for applications.
HOW TO CHOOSE?
Prioritize a list of features that are important to your application.
Pick 3-4 frameworks and do a 1-week spike with each, developing the same application.
Document and rank each framework against your list of features.
Calculate and choose!
C O N C L U S I O NGWT and Flex are great technologies, use them wisely.
QUESTIONS?
Contact Information
http://raibledesigns.comhttp://jamesward.com
Download Presentation
http://slideshare.net/mraible
