The browser and desktop are fundamentally different environments, and GWT is optimized for the browser.
Java can get pretty close to what you're asking for: You can make a Java desktop application share GUI code with a Java applet in a browser. It's been almost nine years since I converted a simple Java GUI application into a browser applet. I'm not sure, however, if you can pull off any DHTML tricks with Java applets, as I never became enthusiastic about them. You can, however, deploy a Java application on Windows, Mac, BSD, Linux, ect, ect, ect; and have part of it also accessible from a browser. This might be pretty close to what you're looking for. Just remember that Java and .Net both promised some kind of "cross- platform" GUI widgets; yet they never fully succeeded. What they really deliver is write once, test everywhere. If you want to have some way of turning a GWT application into a desktop application; it will probably exist at some point. (Cough AIR Cough) You will, however, need to test your application on every operating system that you plan on supporting; and potentially write special cases for specific differences in each operating system that you support. If you need to write an embedded web server, I'm a fan of Jetty. On Oct 26, 12:12 pm, lkcl <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Oct 26, 4:18 am, GWBasic <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > I don't see the point. GWT is designed to run in a browser; > > it's designed to run in a browser - and with a little bit of work, > can be turned into a _desktop_ widget-set with an *identical* > interface. > > > if you > > want to do a true desktop application, there are plenty of desktop > > development systems that are much better. > > do such desktop development systems also allow you to compile the > same source code into javascript - unmodified - for running the same > application - unmodified - in all major web browsers? > > > C#, Java, Objective C... > > They're a dime a dozen. > > i repeat: do these dime-a-dozen [desktop] development systems also > allow the same apps to run in web browsers, unmodified? > > > If all you're looking to do is get rid of the browser chrome and give > > a GWT application full-control of the window, > > no. i'm not looking to _get rid_ of the browser, i'm looking to make > the GWT widget API a cross-browser AND cross-desktop AND cross-widget > set framework. > > > it's trivial to write a > > C# (Windows) and Objective C (Mac) application that will do that. > > Both C# and Objective C have browser widgets. > > You can make the > > browser widget fill up the window and then programmatically direct it > > to a URL. If you're ambitious, you can capture new window events, add > > drop-down menus, ect. > > will the application so developed work on linux, MacOSX, windows, > embedded ARM-based smartphones, google android, solaris and freebsd? > > > Something to consider is that all of GWT's I/O needs to go to a web > > server. > > yes. > > > If you're trying to use GWT for something that will save > > files to disk, use a local database, burn CDs, ect, you'll need to use > > an embedded web server. This is much more complicated then using a > > true desktop development environment. > > not really, although it is an extremely good point. > > however, you _should_ be designing your app around an MVC concept of > some kind _anyway_. > > installing a mini web server on loopback, and using JSONRPC or other > XMLHTTPRequest-based communications mechanism is a tiny price to pay > for being able to have your app run - unmodified - on every major web > browser _and_ on every major desktop platform and several embedded > ones, too [that can handle java and can handle webkit]. > > l. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Google Web Toolkit" group. To post to this group, send email to Google-Web-Toolkit@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Web-Toolkit?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
