ZK
ZK is an open source asynchronous Ajax + Mobile framework
which is designed to maximize enterprise operation efficiency and
minimize the development cost by enabling the creation of rich
graphical user interfaces for Web
applications with little programming (basic knowledge of Java, HTML and
XUL). It lets developers write Web 2.0-enabled, rich Internet
application
without needing a single line of JavaScript code.
This framework consists of an Ajax-based event-driven
mechanism, over 123 XUL and 83 XHTML-based components, together
with its own markup language for designing user interfaces.
The mark-up language is very powerful. Instead of using other mark-up
languages, ZK has a component based markup language called
ZUML. ZK's AJAX engine consists of both client and server
components that communicate with one another.
The most powerful feature of ZK is its rich set of
control libraries for user interface development.
ZK supports JSP/JSF/JavaEE/Spring., Ajax Push, and Ajax script
in Java/Ruby/Groovy/Python/JavaScript.
Features include:
- Declarative high level specification of rich (rather than
plain HTML) user interfaces. For example the XUL widget set includes
support for trees, comboboxes, bandboxes and sliders
- Embedding scripting support with Java (Beanshell)..
Optional support for other
serverside Java scripting in other languages such as JavaScript
(Rhino), Ruby (JRuby), Python (Jython) and Groovy
- High level Ajax support. User input passes from the browser
to the serverside desktop model over Ajax
- Event-driven component-based model (similar to desktop
programming models)
- Fast prototyping
- Support for creating user interfaces using different
patterns. A MVC programming approach can be adopted with all events
forwarded to a central controller class. Alternatively
event handlers can be defined within the page using zscript. The MVC
page
approach is analogous to Swing programming and the in-page approach is
analogous to DHTML programming on the server
- Support for integrating with existing web frameworks via a
JSP custom tag library, JSF support and a Servlet Filter. Has support
for Spring and Hibernate
- Extensible in that programmers can create new custom UI
controls. Groups of controls can be re-used as a macro component
- Databinding capability via in-page annotations that
transparently bind screen controls to the fields of POJOs on the server
- Over 200 off-the-shelf state-of-art XUL/HTML-complaint Ajax
components
- Numerous third party widgets: JFreeChart, JasperReports,
Google Maps, FCKeditor, Timeline, Timeplot, ExtJS, Dojo etc.
- CSS-based skinning, template-based looks and customizable
behavior
- Drag-and-drop, animation, context menus, and so on
- Bookmark management and SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
supported
- Supports high scalability and availability with
serializable user interfaces and a pluggable failover manager
- Enterprise support
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Last Updated Friday, December 14 2012 @ 05:21 PM EST
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