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I have always thought of Java as a way of coding and an ecosystem, not just a language
and virtual machine. When you code in Java you are part of a mature culture with
amazing tools and expertise. When I joined the webOS team nearly two years ago I
knew HTML and CSS very well, but very little JavaScript. Over time I have become
pretty good at JavaScript but my newfound knowledge still can’t compare to my fifteen
years of mad Java skillz. With Java, and the mature Java tools, I can knock out code in
half the time. I didn’t want to give up my existing skills to play in the new world of
smart devices.
I know I am not the only Java developer facing the job of building cross-platform mobile
apps. The Java ecosystem is so big that any solution for using Java in new ways can be
immediately used by millions of hard working developers. So I began to research the
available options and found GWT and PhoneGap, two brilliant open source projects
that let us take Java to new and exciting places. My research turned into a few prototypes,
then a few developer talks, a webcast, and finally the book you are reading now.
Even before I began to write I knew I wanted to create a book that was both very hands
on and also very short. We are busy people who need tools that work now. We don’t
have time to spend learning the framework of the week. That meant I had to leave a lot
out. GWT is a mature but still growing technology. To truly cover GWT itself would
require an entire 500-page book unto itself. To even cover the mobile parts would be
beyond what this text could cover. So I decided to focus just on what you need to get
started and be productive right away. After reading this book you will be ready to build
your own apps and, if you desire, jump into the rich world of third party libraries and
tools. The last chapter lists a few to help you get started.
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