March 19th, 2008
Appcelerator Unites Rich Internet Applications (RIA) and Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) with Latest Software Releases
Open source Eclipse-based development environment and updated platform enable rapid development of service-oriented rich Internet applications
NEW YORK (AJAXWorld Conference & Expo)―March 19, 2008―Appcelerator, the leader in open source rich Internet application development, today announced substantial updates to its software that furthers its ability to bring together RIA and service-oriented architecture (SOA). The company has created Appcelerator RIA Developer, an Eclipse plug-in that makes it easy for developers who prefer an Eclipse environment to create Appcelerator projects. It is also releasing an updated version of the Appcelerator SDK platform that includes powerful new features that streamline the use of third-party software with Appcelerator to quickly create RIAs.
The open source Appcelerator Platform enables developers to quickly assemble rich interactive Web applications without the need for JavaScript or player-based plug-ins. Web applications created using Appcelerator are enabled with service endpoints provided for Java/J2EE, PHP, Ruby, .NET, Python and Perl to address the heterogeneous nature of most enterprises today.
“The traditional approach to building rich Internet applications has placed an unnecessary burden on the developer,” said Nolan Wright, chief technology officer at Appcelerator. “They have to spend time finding, integrating and versioning different pieces of their platform. Appcelerator changes all of this because we’ve addressed every aspect of building rich Internet applications. With our updated Appcelerator SDK and the new Eclipse-based IDE, we’re equipping developers with a uniquely open and comprehensive RIA platform.”
Version 2.1 of the Appcelerator SDK delivers several new features and framework attributes, including:
• RIA Widget API—Can be used to create new widgets or wrap existing widgets from third-parties such as Yahoo (e.g. Yahoo UI, Yahoo maps and calendars), ExtJS (GridPanel and TreePanel). Appcelerator has offered many pre-built widgets, and now version 2.1 provides developers with a single integrated platform for creating and using those widgets. Appcelerator is unique among RIA platform providers in offering an on-ramp for use of all widget libraries.
• Appcelerator Web Expression Language—Provides a simple and intuitive syntax for turning standard HTML elements into dynamic RIA components. It also automatically integrates widgets. This feature allows web interface designers who are accustomed to using HTML to create interfaces that require JavaScript or AJAX, but does not require them to code it themselves. In this manner, Appcelerator allows designers to do work that otherwise necessitated a developer.
• Appcelerator Plug-in Architecture—Allows developers to package, distribute and install software that integrates with the Appcelerator Platform. SpringSource’s Spring Framework is one of the first plug-ins available, providing developers with the ability to build rich Internet applications with Appcelerator and Spring.
• Message-Oriented Architecture—Handles all message routing on the client for local and remote messages, as well as marshalling data on behalf of the client application. This feature, which is unique among RIA platforms, decouples the user interface from the server to allow developers to create applications without concern for backend integration. When the UI is completed, it can be quickly integrated to the backend with no impact on the application’s look and feel or performance.
• Appcelerator Command-Line Interface—Bundles Appcelerator with a cross-platform command-line utility modeled after Ruby Gems. This allows users to download Appcelerator software, create new Appcelerator projects by programming language, download and install Appcelerator plugins and widgets, and upload new widgets.
The Appcelerator RIA Developer is an Eclipse-based IDE powered by Aptana. It helps Eclipse-centric developers create Appcelerator projects from within their preferred framework. To download the RIA Developer or Appcelerator SDK, please visit http://www.appcelerator.org.
Tags: ajaxworld, appcelerator, ria, rich Internet application development, soa