GWT: UiBinder or GWT Designer?

Question

I have my first GWT project that I created using UiBinder (GWT 2.0 way) which I found to be easier than write my UI creation Java source code (GWT 1.0 way).

But I saw this thing called GWT Designer that Google are releasing for free. It has nice features and wizards which were missing with the standard Google Eclipse Plugin. I like it, but I still think that using UiBinder is better. I think GWT Designer will be really useful when it can help you write UiBinder XML files (GWT 2.0 way), and not just source code (GWT 1.0 way).

What do you think about it? Do I need to migrate to GWT Designer project? Will it be better if I migrate but still keep UiBinder UI creation?

Answer 1

UiBinder can give you better performance and a better optimized download than traditional widget construction; to me that's enough of a reason to stick with UiBinder. If your app is light and fast enough as it is then the choice probably comes down to what style of development suits you best.

I wouldn't go as far as to port your existing UiBinder templates into the designer. Google will be adding support for them to GWT designer soon enough.

Answer 2

If you are doing professional development in an organization that utilizes experts in CSS and html, then GWt is going to be a tough sell if you don't use something like UIBinder for layouting as well as individual pages. I also think that a CSS designer can do a better job at responding to UI requirement changes than a java developer using GWT layouting techniques. However if your java staff has control of the requirements and don't have to answer to UI designers, then I suppose choosing between delcarative templates and something like GWT Designer is just a matter preference.

Answer 3

DON'T use the designer plugin. The most recent update (8.1.1 at the time of this post) contains buttons that allow the user to add elements that are incompatible with IE, for instance CellTable, DeckPanel, HorizontalPanel and VerticalPanel.

This means whoever uses the plugin, uses it entirely at their peril. If IE7 tries to pull in these elements, it will load a partial page but fail to load components that use these elements. IE8 may not be able to load the application at all.

Answer 4

The latest GWT Designer now has support for UiBinder, and it works great. http://download.instantiations.com/D2GWTDoc/continuous/latest/docs/html/wizards/gwt/uibinder_composite.html

Answer 5

As said in the relaunch announcement:

Now that these products are available again, we hope you’ll start using them within your GWT projects. Meanwhile, our next step is to more deeply unify them into the GWT family of tools by blending the fantastic Instantiations technology into the Google Plugin for Eclipse (GPE). So, there’s much more to come, including things we’re pretty sure you’ll like, such as UiBinder support in GWT Designer.

It wouldn't make sense to get ride of your UiBinder code since GWT Designer will support it soon.

Answer 6

I haven't used the newly-freed GWT Designer yet myself, but I wouldn't expect that it would warrant migrating your entire project over to it if it's already written using UIBinder.

Remember that the two methods of constructing a UI are not mutually exclusive -- you can use the GWT Designer to create a new widget and use it in an existing UIBinder project, and if you decide it's that much better, you can consider migrating at that point. Or not, since they can still happily coexist.