Do you need GWT on Rails?

Author: Jimmy

10 Jan

Oh, my first thought was “It’s silly to add Java to Rails” because normally GWT uses the Java language to generate JavaScript. But I changed my mind after reading Jon Crosby’s answers to a short interview from InfoQ:

Most of Java’s weight comes from JEE, which is not part of GWT on Rails. Client side GWT uses the Java language to generate JavaScript; The heavy server side platform never makes it into the picture. In the past, using GWT may have been associated with Java on the server side too, but GWT on Rails breaks this connection. Of course, I’m not the first to do this. JanRain used GWT on the client and a Python/Rails mix on the server side to build Pibb.

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For projects that are mostly forms-based with a little Ajax sprinkled in for effect, GWT on Rails may be overkill. For those wishing to push the boundaries of JavaScript-based web applications, I think GWT on Rails is worth consideration.

So, with this plugin you can use great GWT components in Rails (no need to include Java) - really good news. Probably, I’ll give it a try in near future.

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