eFace: XAML with Java

eFace combines technologies and development tools to facilitate the creation of graphical interfaces and link data automatically. It allows for building rich Web applications using Java server side in the form of servlets.

This is an alternative to Sun's JSF, which provides the advantage of using the simplicity of XAML. Note however that Sun has recently introduced a new framework for RIA, JavaFX, accompanied by the JavaFX Script language whose goal is to simplify the design of interfaces. However, whatever Sun says about the simplicity of this language, even if JavaFX Script has the advantage of brevity over Java, it is very far from the readability of XAML. Its documentation is also very concise and here it is a drawback.

Description

It is a framework for Java using XAML as language of description of user interface.

It provides a set of components used interactively and visually from Eclipse or Visual Studio. The variety of components would allow to create any application by simply selecting the elements.

In eFace, XAML is connected to Java as it is under .NET with C #: XAML tags correspond to Java objects, and properties of tags to attributes of Java objects.

Benefits

• Ease of use.
• Ease of changes in the interface through XAML.
• Allows to make Web applications or desktop software.
• Double compatibility with WPF and Java. The code can be reused on .NET or in Java.
• Compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac.

More information

The site of Soyatec provides a series of videos showing how eFace can be used, from writing a simple program that displays "Hello World!" to building interfaces that are linked to data sources.