IBM alphaWorks has released Faces for Lazlo. "This technology combines the rich controls of OpenLaszlo with the client-side "model-view-controller" architecture of FacesClient components by enabling OpenLaszlo applications to participate in client-side data sharing. Development of Web applications using Faces for Laszlo is made possible through a JSF/JSP (JavaTM Server Faces/Java Server Pages) custom tag library and results in a rich user experience on the browser that looks and feels like a native application."

OpenLaszlo is a rich Internet application platform consisting of a mark-up language (LZX) and the OpenLaszlo Presentation Server (LPS). Together, they streamline the creation of rich, Flash-based, applications. FacesClient Components enhance a Web application's user experience by maximizing user interaction and minimizing round trips back to the server. Server-side application data is made available to the browser as a JavaScript data model, which is shared by Web page controls that can perform and reflect changes to it.

This technology is part of the Emerging Technologies Toolkit (ETTK), a special collection of emerging technologies from IBM's software development and research labs.

How does it work?

Through a JSF custom tag library, developers using Faces for Laszlo can integrate OpenLaszlo components into their Web applications. These components can bind to server-side data that is made available as JavaScript data structures within the browser at run time. Any changes to this client-side data representation are immediately reflected by all subscribed OpenLaszlo and DHTML components.

For further information, please see the white paper Faces for Laszlo http://dl.alphaworks.ibm.com/technologies/faces4laszlo/faces4laszlo_whitepaper.pdf.

FAQ: http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/faces4laszlo/faq