Canoo  announced the release of ULC XML, a tool that allows developers to create UltraLightClient user interfaces from XML files. ULC XML is a free and open-source tool for Canoo’s Java RIA library.

ULC XML is an UI generator for UltraLightClient applications. The XML file is parsed at runtime and rendered into Java objects. ULC XML is similar to the solution offered by the open source project SwiXml: Java classes are mapped to element names; property names translate into attribute names. Developers familiar with SwiXml have little effort learning how to use ULC XML. The Canoo tool offers a Rich Internet Application (RIA) option for SwiXml/Swing developers. The download package includes free samples such as the ULC XML version of the ULC OnlineShop demo.

ULC XML provides a faster and easier way to develop rich, responsive GUIs for web applications. The major benefit is that the layout of the user interface is separate from the Java classes of the application. The XML hierarchy mirrors the hierarchy of UI components such as windows, sub-windows, tables, trees and tabs and allows developers to quickly assemble a user interface.

ULC XML requires a license of UltraLightClient. A free evaluation license is available at the product website. A developer key costs 1499 US$ per seat and can be purchased online at the Canoo webshop. UltraLightClient  is a Java library that bridges the gap between Swing UI components and a server-side Java EE architecture, enabling the development of Rich Internet Applications (RIA) that are based entirely on Java.

The lean library delegates everything it possibly can to the Java EE and Java SE infrastructure. It uses Swing on the client, standard communication protocols set by the Java EE container, and standard lifecycle management on the server. In contrast to other more proprietary platforms, UltraLightClient closely follows Java standards and can be easily integrated into existing web platforms.

The principal design of UltraLightClient is based on the half-object and protocol design pattern. Applied to Swing, this pattern is used to offer the Swing API in a server-side programming model, providing rich user interfaces in a web architecture. UltraLightClient-based applications can be deployed in any Java EE container, as a portlet, or even stand-alone without changing the code. On the client, a standard JRE from 1.4.2 or later is all that is required.