GWT 2.1 RC1 contains features specified by the roadmap, such as new table and tree widgets, but also features that were initially planned for GWT 2.2, such as logging. Another important feature is an MVP framework.
Cell Widgets
GWT 2.1 introduces a number of new widgets called Cell Widgets or Data Presentation Widgets. Currently, the new set contains Cell List, Cell Table, Cell Tree, Cell Browser, Cell Sampler, and Cell Validation. These widgets can be used to view large data sets having millions of records. Cell widgets are light because they are not using the traditional approach of creating containers holding other containers or widgets, but the widgets are created by injecting HTML into the DOM, speeding up initialization and event handling.
Safe HTML
Since cell widgets are created by injecting HTML, the code presents security vulnerabilities because methods like setInnerHTML, setHTML cause the browser to evaluate their argument as HTML. To avoid that, GWT introduces Safe HTML, a library which used according to the guidelines is supposed to shield the application from a number of possible attacks.
MVP Framework
GWT 2.1 has a Model-View-Presenter framework, introducing two new concepts: Activities and Places. An activity is a concept similar to a presenter, while a place is a Java object storing the state of the UI. If an activity is associated with a place then the activity can be referenced through a URL.
Server-side Speed Tracer
Developers deploying applications on GAE or SpringSource TC Server Developer Edition can use Speed Tracer to analyze the performance of the code running on the server for database calls, memcache hits, resource fetches, etc.
Logging
GWT 2.1 adds support for logging using a framework similar to java.util.logging, including remote logging when client code log events are recorded on the server instead of the client.
VMware will soon release Spring Roo and SpringSource Tool Suite versions supporting the new GWT features.
Community comments
No more javax.validation
by Luca Masini /
EJB all over again?
by Alexandre Poitras /
Re: EJB all over again?
by Luke Dywicki /
No more javax.validation
by Luca Masini /
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I saw that, respect to the trunk, javax.validation was removed !!!
This is very annoying for me, does anyone knows the reason ?
EJB all over again?
by Alexandre Poitras /
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About the MVP framework, it is only me who find it stupid to have to write dumb data holder all over again just as we did in Struts because of some testing limitations? I don't like having technical concerns messing up my design. MVP to me is just a new name given to an bad idea. I had to use this MVP stuff in one of my project and didn't find it practical at all.
Re: EJB all over again?
by Luke Dywicki /
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Solution is simple - try mvp4g. Lightweight framework opposite to mvp implementation from Google.