Basic information about the frameworks can be found at:
-
Vaadin:
https://vaadin.com/ -
CaptainCasa Enterprise Client:
https://www.CaptainCasa.org
The best way to get to know CaptainCasa Enterprise Client is to open the DEMO WORKPLACE and get some gut-feeling about real-life dialogs that are implemented using CaptainCasa Enterprise Client.
(click onto image to open demos)
Now let’s take some closer look onto aspects where both frameworks are similar – and aspects where CaptainCasa Enterprise Client differs:
Similar in basic aspects…
Both “Vaadin Framework” and “CaptainCasa Enterprise Client” are following the paradigm of server-centric UI development: developers only use server-side Java for implementing their front-ends – there is no client-side development e.g. with JavaScript.
By the use of Java both frameworks run inside default Java Server environments (Java EE/ Jakarta EE – servers, Spring Boot) and e.g. directly integrate into corresponding applications. Both frameworks come with rich component libraries and allow developers to build own components on top.
Both frameworks are technology-wise well-established and do exist for longer than a decade.
…different in important aspects
Let’s take a look onto aspects where CaptainCasa Enterprise Client is different:
Development
CaptainCasa is designed to easily define the layout of dialogs without coding. The layout is stored as XML document and is typically drawn using a WYSIWYG layout editor. From the layout Java-code is referenced in order to add dynamic behavior and to pass data and events into the application. Layouts can quickly be created in the phase of prototyping with no or minimal code behind.
The strong separation of layout definition and interaction code reduces and simplifies the serve-side Java-code significantly because the code is unburdened from layouting issues. Changing the layout (moving fields, increasing distances, exchanging controls, changing texts) does not affect the Java-code.
Runtime
CaptainCasa Enterprise Client is designed to serve as front-end framework for demanding business and industry applications. On the one hand this means to meet performance requirements of power-users using “huge” dialogs containing a very high number of controls. On the other hand it means to be rock-stable to run in 7*24-mode without interruption at workplaces e.g. in production.
CaptainCasa Enterprise Client uses its own HTML /JavaScript technology stack to build the dialogs within the browser. This technology was designed to run extremely fast and robust, and to overcome common browser layouting restrictions.
The data volume between the browser client and the application server is extremely small: only changes are sent into both directions. A typical round-trip’s data volume is at about 2 kBytes only.
CaptainCasa Enterprise Client is linearly scale-able and runs in default cluster environments.
Protection of your investment
CaptainCasa is aware of the fact that the life cycle of business applications may easily span 15 years or more. CaptainCasa Enterprise Client is from its first release on in the year 2007 compatible with all subsequent versions.
The one aspect to support this long term compatibility is the proper definition of the internal network API between the client processing and the server processing. Based on this http/s-interface even drastic changes in the front-end technology can be applied, without affecting your server application.
The second aspect is the use of an own HTML /JavaScript technology stack inside the browser which does not depend on other frameworks (e.g. JavaScript control libraries). Browser-frameworks have some tendency to be extremely volatile – so it’s inevitably important for CaptainCasa to have direct control over all significant framework parts.
Last but not least: CaptainCasa Enterprise Client can be used for free without any functional restrictions. Moderate license cost is applied for warranty and service.
