ExtJS or SmartClient?

Question

I would like to get your opinion on these two frameworks. I really like ExtJS features, but lately I saw SmartClient, and it seems to be wonderful and free too (its client functions) for commercial projects. I tried SmartClient a bit and it seems to me that it is easier than ExtJS and it has the best documentation for ExtJS.

BUT .. I did not work with any of these frameworks, and maybe I'm wrong. That is why I would like to get the opinion of the people who worked with them.

And BTW .. how does the ExtJS license work? Do you need only one license for each developer, and then you can develop and sell each application that you want, or buy a license for each application you sell?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Answer 1

It was pretty well covered on SO. In particular, here and here .

Ext JS is licensed for each developer, not for each application.

I am an Ext JS developer, so I am not part-time to Ext, but I have no opinion about the good or bad SmartClient. If licensing is the most important criterion, then SmartClient may be best for you. If you want to appreciate the technical merits, see the links above, or even better to evaluate them based on your own needs.

Answer 2

I use SmartClient and I am very pleased with it and the support provided by Isomorphic. U / I widgets are not the nicest, but you can see that they have been around for some time thanks to the richness of their API.

It is also quite easy to deploy your own custom controls when the built-in ones do not meet your needs. For example, we integrated the Raphael SVG diagrams into custom isomorphic canvas classes. We also integrated Mondrian / JPivot analytic technologies, which are legacy JSP pages, using the Smartclient HtmlFlow management. It is powerful enough that you can achieve.

One thing I'm sorry about Smartclient and other technologies like jQuery is a clearer separation between the work of a web designer and the work of a developer / programmer.

With Smartclient, this is mostly done through code, even component layout. There is no HTML for everyone. They perfectly shared skinning (css), but more on that. Everything else must be done by the developer / programmer through Javascript code. Smartclient is good for single-page applications.

I can’t speak for ExtJS, since I did not use it in real production environments, but in the end, I think it all comes down to the licensing model and the programming / design model that you want to use.

Answer 3

I used both options, and I would recommend Ext for the following reasons:

• Layout flow is much simpler, especially with design tools.
• Isomorphic's UI Builder lacks the usability of the Ext tool from
• Javascript performance was better with Ext
• CSS is easier to use with Ext framework
• Editing CSS / Themes / Skins in SmartGWT / SmartClient is a serious operation (very tedious and time-consuming).
• Widgets are similar, but "prettier" in Ext
• Forum administrators on both sites can be "snippy", but the support bonus has not changed on an isomorphic site. They are rude and condescending, even when you pay.
• Ext has a special MVC structure. Isomorphic structure does not work.
• SmartClient Chart DOES NOT Support Negative Number Values

Answer 4

Before launching a new GUI for our new project, I did some research.

Here are my conclusions (remove the spaces from "http: //"; bcoz stackoverflow prevents me from doing this :)): Prototype scheme of favorable links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ajax_frameworks

http://www.javabeat.net/articles/12-comparison-of-ajax-frameworks-prototype-gwt-dwr-and-1.html

http://www.devx.com/AJAXRoundup/Article/33209

Dojo framework favorable links:

http://blog.creonfx.com/javascript/dojo-vs-jquery-vs-mootools-vs-prototype-performance-comparison

jQuery framework favorable links:

http://blog.creonfx.com/javascript/mootools-vs-jquery-vs-prototype-vs-yui-vs-dojo-comparison-revised

Testing speed of various RIA frameworks:

http://mootools.net/slickspeed/#

More comparisons:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_JavaScript_frameworks

http://jqueryvsmootools.com/#conclusion

Out of all these results, I started using SmartClient 5. Initially, we encountered some problems, but as SmartClient matures, I find this interesting in many terms: 1. Help and examples of API documents. 2. Flexible controls 3. Forum

Today I am working on SmartClient 8, and some of my GUIs are working successfully. In fact, the great help with SmartClient is that you find everything in one place. No need to dig into many other sites that are hard to do for any other open source RIA infrastructure.

So my choice is undoubtedly SmartClient.

Thanks Shailendra (shaILU)

Answer 5

I would prefer a jQuery UI. This is well supported by the community. By combining plugins, you can get similar - if not better - screens provided by extJS and SmartClient.