Ajax, Flash, and Java - Choosing The Right Rich Client Technology for Your Next Project
Lone Star Software Symposium: Dallas
Dallas · October 27 - 29, 2006
About this Presentation
Today's users are beginning to demand richer and richer application experiences. Plain html pages simply don't cut it anymore. Applications like Google Maps (Ajax) and Yahoo Maps (Flash) show how the UI experience can be pushed to the next level. As an IT manager, how do you decide which route to take however? Should you use Ajax because it is the new “it” technology. Is Flash a viable option with its 95%+ browser availability? Perhaps Java deployed through web start is really the best choice in contrast to what the buzz would lead you to believe. This presentation takes a look at these three core rich client technologies from both deployment/user experience and ease of development perspectives.
Today's users are beginning to demand richer and richer application experiences. Plain html pages simply don't cut it anymore. Applications like Google Maps (Ajax) and Yahoo Maps (Flash) show how the UI experience can be pushed to the next level. As an IT manager, how do you decide which route to take however? Should you use Ajax because it is the new “it” technology. Is Flash a viable option with its 95%+ browser availability? Perhaps Java deployed through web start is really the best choice in contrast to what the buzz would lead you to believe. This presentation takes a look at these three core rich client technologies from both deployment/user experience and ease of development perspectives.
Meet the Players
Java
Swing
Swt
Example Apps
Ajax
Ajax 101
Example Apps
Flash
Flash 2006
Laszlo
Flex
Example Apps
User Experience
Java
Ajax
Browser Issues
Back/Forward
Hyperlinks
Flash
Deployment
Java
Web Start
Ajax
Cross Browser Issues
Flash
Development
Java
Tool Support
Http Invocation
UI Libraries
Swing
Swt
Ajax
XMLHttpRequest
XML
DOM's
Javascript
Can Struts Developer's Get This?
Flash
Laszlo
Flex
Playing Nice in the Browser
Conclusions
Applications that Work Well with Java
Applications that Work Well with Ajax
Applications that Work Well with Flash

Author of Desktop Java Live
Scott Delap is President of Rich Client Solutions, Inc., a software consulting firm focusing on technologies such as Swing, Eclipse RCP, GWT, Flex, and Open Laszlo. He is actively involved in the Java community, speaking at events such as NFJS, QCon and JavaOne. Scott is also the Java Editor of InfoQ.com and runs ClientJava.com, a portal focused on desktop Java development.