Re: [xul-talk] Michael Gloegls (of Team Hibernate) on XUL

[Matthew Raymond]

   There are several reasons why (X)HTML/XUL is superior to Java for 
customization of a GUI:

1) You can easily and dynamically generate HTML and XML-based languages 
from a database on a web server. In fact, the server can even 
dynamically generate pages for specific languages. The client side need 
never even worry about such details. In fact, the code doesn't even need 
to change, because you can import the Javascript code from a separate 
file. While the same dynamic content is possible in Java with a little 
work, the tools for HTML and XML-based markup are more evolved and there 
are more people trained to use them.

2) As Ian pointed out, XHTML/XUL can use CSS to generate any look the 
client wants. This is especially powerful when combined with post-DOM 
binding technologies like XBL.

3) Although XUL (and to some degree, XHTML) describes UI elements, it 
does so at a fairly high level.

   The last two are important, because you don't want to have to worry 
about the style of the UI every time you add or remove a UI element. 
Styling technologies such as CSS should handle presentation of higher 
level elements, not the application code. Granted, there are specific 
cases where you want fine control of presentation in the application 
code, but in that case why are you writing an Adobe Illustrator clone in 
Java?

   As for MS XAML, I don't think it will catch on as quickly as some 
people think. If you're coming from an HTML web applications background, 
you effectively have to completely retrain and retool your development 
staff to use it, and it's going to be really hard to justify that kind 
of investment until the release of Longhorn. In the meantime, browser 
developers will continue to enhance HTML, and XUL will gain in support 
an popularity. All Mozilla needs to become a complete web applications 
solution is the completion of SVG support and perhaps a better scripting 
language.

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