(11 Oct. 2009: Latest version, v0.5.0, released in downloads to coincide with GWT 2.0 (note version renumbering))
Add powerful native animations and effects to your GWT application.
How powerful? How about click and drag your mouse over the gadget below when the images appear....
You are using a google gadget written in GWT using gwt-fx (v0.5.0); the whole thing is 60K of code, using JSONP to get details of the latest 50 featured pictures on Google's Picasa Web Albums and displays them in a "cover-flow" style animation (using Fade and Resize effects).
GWT-FX is different than trying to wrap your favourite library (Scriptaculous/Scripty2/Moo Tools...) in JSNI code. By writing directly in GWT, we're able to harnesses the power of GWT, allowing:
- aggressive code reduction = smaller code...;
- simple handling of browser differences = smaller code/quicker user start up...;
- easy support in tools = less programming errors/quicker development....
Here are some quick links:
- The wiki for the description of GWT-FX and how to use it (soon to be updated to reflect the lighter style in the trunk).
- An interactive demo to see it in use.
The effect library comes from a project I'm doing myself (as does the widget above) so evolves generally in the direction of that, but the library is open sourced, so feel free to use, abuse and improve.
All effects are based on differences between two CSS styles using the Morph* set of classes making the library extremely flexible - along with several different progressions (linear, eases, bounce and elastic).
To make things immediately user friendly there are a number of pre-defined effects, e.g. Fade, Move, Slides, Wipes, Resize.
When you are ready to download, there are three versions to consider:
- Latest Version, v0.5.0 - the latest version, note the renumbering of versions.
- Version 4.0.0 - the currently supported version requires at least GWT 1.6/1.7, since it uses the new GWT event model - it is not backwards compatible with GWT 1.5.
- The bleeding edge in the trunk - if you're brave / want the latest functionality or fixes.
(A Version 3 exists and works with GWT 1.5 but is no longer supported)
Summary of versions
| Version | date | Description |
| 0.5.0 | Oct. 2009 | Making less obtrusive - i.e. able to write things like Fade(myWidget.getElement()) or Fade(RootPanel.get().getElement()) (see here for the details of changes). Note we'll take the opportunity to fix the numbering of versions with this release |
| 4.0.0 | Apr. 2009 | Upgrade to use GWT 1.6 style event handling; simplify effect parameters (see release notes) - expect a lot of deprecation warnings in existing code, see JavaDoc |
| 3.0.0 | Nov 2008 | Takes advantage of new Animation class in GWT 1.5 as well as updated syntax and various enhancements (see release notes) |
| 2.0.0 | Dec 2007 | Moved effects to be based on the differences between two css defined styles, e.g. Show moves between style "opacity : 0" to "opacity: 100" (see release notes) |
| 1.0.0 | May 2007 | First version |
Roadmap
| Version | date | Description |
| To be updated |