Write Less Code

Benefits for Developers

By using declarative development, applications can be set up with very little code. The code written is XML instead of a more syntactically free language like JavaScript. This limits the possibilities for bugs while maintaining the same levels of freedom through PlatForm's hybrid approach, which allows JavaScript where needed.

This doesn't mean PlatForm is the simplest of all solutions. It is not. PlatForm requires a small investment in understanding the thought behind the workings of the Javeline Markup Language (JML). Once learned, the power and speed gain will be very apparent. We have gone out of our way to make this process easy with numerous demonstrations and examples as well as tutorials. Read more about documentation

By declaring the application, a developer is thinking at a higher abstraction. Instead of thinking in methods to reach goals, the goals themselves are written down. The complete administration needed to reach that goal is handled by PlatForm. Everything from maintaining state, the process of changing data and corresponding views on that data, and communicating changes to the server are fully automated, based on the specified goals.

PlatForm enforces a strict separation between several layers that are all processed at runtime, making reuse a breeze. Advanced functions include runtime switching of any of these layers. Think of switching skin, databinding, language or data while the application is running.

Javeline SmartBindings, a core feature of the declarative approach, is set up in a manner that makes loading data and binding the GUI to it almost trivial. The strict way it is set up enables undo and redo within the application. Read more about this in the JumpStart Guide.