I've recently found an interesting, promising work, another framework for Web Applications development. So what's different in this one?
Taking Morfik's CTO's words, ?Morfik has developed a unique JavaScript Synthesis Technology (?JST?) that allows developers to use a powerful integrated design environment together with a high-level language of their choice to create reliable applications comprised purely of HTML and JavaScript?.
Since the framework isn't open-source (so far, at least) all we can checkout is the two Flash demos on using the program to develop basic applications, and a few white papers and communications they release to the public. From these, I'm able to comment on both their mission and the program itself.
Morfik's main goal is to take jobs away for "rocket-scientists" who want to develop software for well-paying companies. So far, the so-called AJAX applications have been hard to implement, given both client and server's side complexity. Morfik allows these applications to be coded in a familiar language (one of several clones of popular languages like Pascal, Basic or C#), just like a common desktop application. This code will be trans-compiled into a server side application and a set of HTML and JavaScript files to be loaded in the client's browser. Hence, no web application or AJAX knowledge would be necessary.
From the demonstrations, I've spotted that the greatest feature of Morfik it's its familiarity with common Microsoft applications to develop the application. For example, a specific Morfik component is used to setup the domain tier, using an interface almost 100% identical to Microsoft Access'. Similarly, the web pages are designed using a WYSIWYG program, just like Visual Studio's interface builder. So any application used to the Microsoft's tools should be fairly suited to use Morfik without a two year-long course!
How does this Morfik advent leaves me? Well, I was planning to do something similar for my PhD, so now I must find out exactly what they plan to do, so my work won't clash with theirs. For instance, I'd like to know how do they split the computations between the client and the server - I'd like to give some adaptability to the server.
To add up, Morfik have a pioneers program, but they haven't released any usable version of the program for us to test it (not even demo-ware...). I'll just wait for further news on their site: http://www.morfik.com/
