intro

rails -> resty -> gwt -> resty -> rails

take rails as api server for an ajax client. choose (GWT)[webtoolkit.google.com] as ajax framework and glue these two with restygwt (json serialization library for GWT).

rails came up with boosting the development with generators, i.e. scaffold a model, a controller and views. from Roo comes the idea to manage a model from such generators, i.e. add or remove a new column with validation to a model is done via "generators" which takes care that all needed changes are done at all code places. from Roo also comes the idea of getting a menu in place which allows simple navigation from one model to another. basically the Roo scaffolded application is database browser !

since development of GWT is done in java the rails-resty-gwt development is done with JRuby though the actual application runs on MRI (or JRuby if needed). the bridge here is Jruby on one side and Maven from the java world the other side. Maven plays the counter part to bundler (manages rubygems via Gemfile) for jar files via Mavenfile.