GWT Framework

Question

As I use more and more the GWT framework, I face the need to create a custom code for some basic GUI tasks like screen transition, code organization and transmission of data between widgets. Some GUI frameworks, as the JSR-292 for Swing, resolves theses issues for specific plataforms. Do exist any framework like that for GWT?

Answer 1

JSR 292: Supporting Dynamically Typed Languages on the JavaTM Platform? You've lost me on that one.

Is your question about how to communicate between widgets or build frameworks and organise code? If your talking about organising code then you don't need a framework, you organise it into logical areas just like you would in any swing application.

In terms of inter-widget communication are these widgets different GWT projects on the same page, or all part of one GWT project? If they are one project, then there's always Observer/Observable. It works well in Swing, and just as well in GWT. If they are different GWT projects (modules) on the same page, then you can hook them up using JSNI quite easily. You can still use the observer/observable thing or just have them call each other directly.

Answer 2

You can find a very nice presentation on best practices on GWT Application Architecture on http://code.google.com/events/io/sessions/GoogleWebToolkitBestPractices.html

Answer 3

The GWT Portlets Framework is designed to solve the problems you mentioned:

http://code.google.com/p/gwtportlets/

It defines a very simple but powerful programming model, defines the layout of "pages" in XML files, has an event broadcast mechanism for communication between components etc etc.