Google Web Toolkit (GWT) is a development toolkit to create RICH Internet Applications (RIA). Here are some of its notable features:
GWT provides developers option to write client-side applications in Java.
GWT compiles the code written in JAVA to JavaScript code.
Application written in GWT is cross-browser compliant. GWT automatically generates JavaScript code suitable for each browser.
GWT is an open source, completely free, and used by thousands of developers around the world. It is licensed under the Apache License version 2.0.
Overall, GWT is a framework to build large-scale and high-performance web applications while making them easy-to-maintain.
Why to Use GWT?
Being Java based, you can use JAVA IDEs like Eclipse to develop a GWT application. Developers can use code auto complete/refactoring/navigation/project management and all features of IDEs.GWT which provides full debugging capability. Developers can debug the client-side application just as a Java Application.
GWT provides easy integration with Junit and Maven.
Again, being Java based, GWT has a low learning curve for Java Developers.
GWT generates optimized JavaScript code, produces browser's specific JavaScript code by self.
GWT provides widgets library which provides most of the tasks required in an application.
GWT is extensible and custom widget based which can be created to cater to various application needs.
On top of everything, GWT applications can run on all major browsers and smart phones
including Android and iOS based phones/tablets.
