Biggest GWT Pitfalls? [closed]

Answer 1

Re-using RPC service objects.
It causes race conditions with symptoms that look like the app hanging.

Answer 2

GWT is pretty straight-forward and intuitive.

Especially with the release of UIBinder to allow GWT widgets to be laid out in XML and then coded-behind in Java.

So if you have used other Ajax or Flash design tools, or Silverlight, etc, GWT is very easy to learn.

The major hurdle, if not pitfall, is GWT RPC. The very reason you wish to use GWT is because of GWT async RPC. Otherwise, why not just rely on css to format your page?

GWT RPC is that element that allows your server to refresh data on your server without having to refresh the page. This is an absolute requirement for pages such as stock performance monitoring (or the current national and public debt of the US or the number of unborn babies aborted worldwide by the second).

GWT RPC takes some effort to understand but given a few hours, it should come all clear.

Above that, after putting in some effort to learn GWT RPC, you finally discover that you cannot use JSPs as the service component for RPC, unless ... I have an 8 part (I think) series on my blog on how to use JSP as the GWT RPC servicer. However, since you had not asked for answers but just issues, I shall desist from advertising my blog.

So. I very much believe that the worst roadblocks/pitfalls to using GWT is finding out how to properly deploy GWT async RPC and how to enable it to use JSP servicers.

Answer 3

I have done a lot of work on GWT recently, and this is wht i have to say:

1. CSS styling is tricky only sometimes, use IE developer tool in IE and firebug in Firefox to figure out what exactly is happening and you will get a clear idea of what css needs to be changed
2. You can use tricks to get google to index it. A very famous site is http://examples.roughian.com/ check its ratings at google. A far less famous site is www.salvin.in (couldnt resist to mention that), i optimised it to words: salvin home page (search google for these three words)

I do not know much about GWT-EXT, But i too am of the belief that there is no need to include Third party libraries.

Best of luck on your decision :)

Answer 4

GWT 2.0, which is supposed to come out sometime in the next few months, solves a lot of the issues discussed.

• Create layouts using an html/xml like syntax
• Dynamic Script Loading - only the essential JS will be downloaded initially. The rest will be downloaded as needed
• In-Browser Hosted Mode - This might take care of the hosted mode speed issues discussed, among other benefits
• "Compiler Optimizations" - Faster compilation, hopefully

GWT 2.0 Preview Video at Google I/O

Answer 5

• The Async interface you have to write for each service interface looks like something that could have been automatically generated by the GWT compiler.
• Compile times become long for large projects

But for a large Javascript project it's the best choice

Answer 6

I used GWT and GWT-ext together on a project a while ago. I found the experience quite smooth as web development goes, but my advice would be this:

Don't mix GWT native widgets with EXT widgets. It's confusing as hell, since usually the names are the same (GWT.Button or GWText.Button?)

One thing that happened to me that really made the code more complex than I'd like, was that I wanted a Panel that was a) dynamically updatable b) cascadable

GWT native panels are dynamic, Ext panels are cascadable. Solution? A GWT.VerticalPanel wrapping a GWTExt Panel... Chaos. :)

But hey, it works. ;)