Good news for Java developers – Google have announced that its highly successful Google Web Toolkit (GWT) has now been taken out of beta with the official release of version 1.4.60. The toolkit is a Java development framework that allows developers to escape the matrix of technologies that make writing AJAX applications so difficult and error prone. With GWT, you can develop and debug AJAX applications in the Java language using the Java development tools of your choice. When you deploy your application to production, the GWT compiler also translates your Java application to browser-compliant JavaScript and HTML.
There are several updates and new features in the official release mainly in the form of new widgets and libraries and new deployment of options and optimisations. In terms of widgets and libraries, this means a new RichTextArea, HorizontalSplitPanel and VerticalSplitPanel, SuggestBox, DisclosurePanel, PushButton, ToggleButton, and an enhanced Image widget. In the area of deployment, one of the most notable features for developers is the possibility to ass GWT modules to an HTML page by simply adding a script tag.
This is excellent news for Java developers that are still taking their first tentative steps into the world of AJAX. Judging by the way the beta version has been received by the development community, it seems that it’s already gone a long way in simplifying the transition for many. For those that are already initiated, GWT can dramatically enhance the time it takes to complete AJAX projects so if you’ve never tried it, download it now.
