Re: Impressions of EGL - Part Duex

[Joe Pluta <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Joe Pluta wrote:
> Don't get me wrong: using RPG to respond to AJAX requests is a fine 
> design technique, and if I wanted to use your proprietary JavaScript and 
> your proprietary CGI and I wanted to learn JavaScript, it would be 
> fine.  It's definitely a well-crafted low-level API.
>   
Let me be clear about this... what Nathan has done is a really 
well-designed framework.  It's fast and easy to program especially from 
the RPG side.  If you're willing to do the work that he's done, or use 
his APIs, you will be able to build powerful, well performing 
applications.  Of that I have no doubt.

However, there is no tooling that exists between the WYSIWYG tools and 
the server.  I can't add a field in my server code and then use it in my 
JSF page, or vice versa.  There are no built-in capabilities to update 
things like the picture source or the checked button of a radio group; 
those things require specific knowledge of JavaScript.  It's not 
particularly difficult, but it is something you have to learn.

So, if you need to get a lot of pages done quickly, staying in the same 
IDE for the entire development process, then EGL/JSF is the ticket.  If 
you don't want to learn EGL, but are instead comfortable learning 
JavaScript and HTML and prefer a third-party editor such as Dreamweaver, 
then Nathan's solution is a better bet.

Joe