Question

Looking to implement a RIA (rich internet application) either as a java (JWS) application or HTML/CSS/JS. I have been looking for resources that show a clear pro’s con’s on the subject, but haven’t been able to find a nice comparison. Could anyone point me in the right direction?

Answer 1

For a short argument, here are the key differences :

• A web applciation will reside in the browser, intermix a bunch of maybe integrable technologies (html, javascript, css, server-side applciation programming, …) while a Swing java web startable application will require on client side only a small XML knowledge (even automatable using maven jnlp depoloyment packaging).
• On the connection point of view, a browser application will require you to use only HTTP communication protocol, while a Swing web started application will allow you to use any kind of protocol you want, provided a Java implementation exists, obviously.
• On the deployment side, it’s quite identical : you deploy your application server-side, and a mechanism allows user to get it on its machine. However, using JNLP, you can allow user to have a start menu item for your application, making next launches faster than by requiring him to navigate to your site.

In fact, i think it’s only a question of desired user experience. If you want your users to consider your application as a shared “site”, the web application is the development model of choice.

However, if you want your users to consider your application as a work application, then Swing+JWS is the solution of choice. It integrates in many OSes, deploys over http (and hence can enter deep in enterprises networks without having to worry about firewalls more than a web site) and will allow you to provide far more integrationf eatures (drag’n’drop to OS, respect to native look’n’feel or to your company look’n’feel, and so on).