[Baypiggies] off topic: JavaScript: DOM vs. innerHTML, Server-driven vs. Client-driven

[Shannon -jj Behrens]

On Fri, Aug 21, 2009 at 1:37 AM, Bill Katz<billkatz at gmail.com> wrote:
> I agree with Alex's comment.  If you have sufficiently complex use
> cases, it makes sense to build a rich javascript client-side "app"
> that communicates via JSON with well-defined server-side resources.
> First, you have the option of untethering it from the server using
> Google Gears, Adobe Air, or some other framework that makes your
> browser-based javascript act more like a local application.  This
> could be a big win for users on planes, deadspots, etc.  Second, you
> can handle server-side timeouts and other issues more robustly from a
> user perspective.

The potential to use Google Gears is definitely a good argument.

> If you do go the rich client-side app approach, there are a number of
> frameworks that specialize in building apps compared to just
> sprinkling AJAX into HTML.  I think Extjs has the best looking
> widgets, especially their grids, and that's what I'm using for my
> stuff.  There are Template classes that let you manipulate DOM in a
> more elegant way than just writing strings to innerHTML.

Ok, that's interesting.  I wonder who's using that and how they like
it.  I remember my buddy wrote one called Midgit or something--it was
modeled after Genshi.

> GWT looks really solid, if you're OK with coding Java for the most
> part, and you can drop down to javascript when necessary.

Naturally, I'd use Pyjamas ;)

> The Google
> Wave client shows how sharp programmers can make GWT really shine.
> Cappuccino (http://cappuccino.org/) is an interesting framework that's
> like Cocoa for browsers but uses Objective-J.  In the near future,
> both Extjs and Cappuccino will release very slick GUI builders that
> generate code.

Interesting.  If only I knew more people who were using that approach :-/

Thanks!
-jj

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