Three Great Google Tools: GWT, Maps API, Gears

Today I spent some time reviewing three amazing Google tools:
1. GWT, 2. Maps API, and 3. Gears.

First, I took a look at the Google Web Toolkit (GWT) which is an open source Java software development framework that makes writing AJAX applications easy for Java developers (meaning you don't need to speak or code in Javascript).

I played around with Build 1.4.61 (11/29/07, 24MB Linux) on my eee PC.

I built a "Hello, World" GWT app in minutes and tested in hosted mode using the following three provided shell scripts:
1. projectCreator -eclipse MyProjectName
2. applicationCreator -eclipse MyProjectName com.abc.client.MyApp

By running the next shell script two windows appeared: The GWT development shell (this is kind of like a console window) and a web browser window.
3. MyApp-shell

Once you click on the 'Click me' button then a "Hello World!" string appears next to the button.

From here you can fire up eclipse and File > Import... the project and go to town with it.


There are tons of resources that Google has put up like presentations, videos, tools/libraries, articles/tutorials, ebooks, you name it.


I found "Google Web Toolkit: Taking the pain out of Ajax" by Ed Burnette to be a very helpful guide providing guidance on the GWT installation process and the creation of your first GWT app. This book covers UI elements, Remote Procedure Calls, History/Bookmarks, JNI, Internationalization (I18N), and Java Emulation.

Second, I took a look at The Google Maps API which is a great way to introduce you to the world of web mapping. When Google Maps first came out in 2005 it popularized Ajax and the Web 2.0 way of looking at web apps. With the Maps API you don’t have to worry about finding and managing your own data, installing and configuring your own server, or even creating your own cross-browser AJAX mapping framework from scratch. It’s a programmer’s delight! With a little bit of JavaScript and a few latitude/longitude points, you'll be ready to embed Google Maps in your own web pages. Amazing!

Finally, I took a look at an open source Google tool in Beta called Google Gears that aims to fix the airplane issue: a browser extension that lets developers create web applications that can run offline. Again, even though in Beta, tons of resources for developers are provided by Google including videos, developer guides, and API guides.

Where to start!