ZK 2.0, an open-source Ajax Web framework that enables rich UI with a XUL-like language, has been released. This version has macro components, context menus, browser history management, three new components, and other features (83 in all, according to the release notes.) ZK enables description of a page in ZUML (ZK User Interface Markup Language), and through attributes allows specification of a controller class that can respond to actions on the client side. While some of the code looks like Javascript, it's rendered entirely through the ZK engine and thus involves very little actual Javascript, much like some other Ajax engines available today. What do you think of the release? Message was edited by: joeo@enigmastation.com

Demo looks much cooler than Google Web Toolkit or Echo2: http://www.potix.com/zkdemo/userguide/

Demo looks much cooler than Google Web Toolkit or Echo2:

http://www.potix.com/zkdemo/userguide/

If you're going to compare demos, I think it's necessary to provide links to the competition as well: Google Web Toolkit: http://code.google.com/webtoolkit/documentation/examples/ Echo2: http://www.nextapp.com/platform/echo2/echo/demo/

It is the power of using a markup language instead of coding. Backbase shows up similar capacity while GWT and Echo2 cannot.

http://www.nextapp.com/platform/echo2/echo/demo/

Wow, Echo2 looks really good!

If you're going to compare demos, I think it's necessary to provide links to the competition as well:

Then I suggest looking at JackBe as well. I did a tour of JavaOne booths with AJAX products and the JackBe demo was by far the best I saw there (not a full market sample, of course). PJ Murray, CodeFutures Software Data Access Objects and Service Data Objects

This framework has one advantage above many that I've seen recently: documentation. What a concept.

I didn't see the sorting capability for grids on the demo page. This is the biggest piece missing from the component set - something ala displaytag.

At ZK demo page, I saw the sorting function for grids at "Listboxes" though it's not hightlighted. Just add: sort="auto" and that's all and so easy!

Im impressed with this framework since its lightweight, easy to use and is its syntax is very readable. Im planning to use it on my projects but it seems that it does not work in safari. I tried the demo on safari but the "loading" message does not disappear and the application hangs.

The support of Safari is on our top priority:)

Have a look on xulfaces. It's pure XUL, you MUST use Firefox (or Mozilla) but your user get a new experience, a richer one. Some people, who have tried it, think that it's a desktop app. Nice ?! Isn't it ? You can use Facelets with it since it's a JSF RenderKit.