Vexi
| Developer(s) | Vexi developers |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Platform | Java |
| Type | Internet Software Development |
| License | GPL and LGPL |
| Website | vexi.sourceforge.net |
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The Vexi project is an international effort to create an easy-to-use platform for the development and delivery of Internet application interfaces outside of the standard browser stack. It has similarities with XUL but runs on top of the Java stack, making it browser independent.
Contents
Origins
Sometime in late 2001, Adam Megacz[1] released the XWT[2] project as open source software. XWT eventually evolved into the Ibex project as the technology underpinning the project got overhauled and enhanced, but the upheaval would eventually lead to discontent among contributors upset at the extended development period of several years without a stable release. Eventually, in April 2004, core contributor David Crawshaw called[3] for a stable release to avoid a fork, which Adam declined[4] instead encouraging the fork as he felt community pressure was compromising technical decision making.
Vexi 1.0
In April 2004, announcements of Vexi began to appear, and a project website became available on the since-defunct www.vexi.org domain. The initial principal goal of the Vexi project was to create a stable release based on the XWT/Ibex technology stack. Whilst Vexi 1.0 was never officially declared, there were several releases and by late 2005 there was a stable version but it omitted many of the new Ibex technologies.
Vexi 2.0
Vexi 2.0 development focused on integrating these, but they presented problems including incompleteness, severe bugginess, and unreliability under load, making a Vexi 2.0 release look less likely as time went on. There was never an official Vexi 2.0 release.
Vexi 3.0
In 2007 the principal developers of Vexi - now brothers Charles[5] and Michael Goodwin - announced their intentions[6] to break with the 2.0 platform API and overhaul it using the lessons they learned, refining the Ibex technology stack to replace the problematic parts. This new version, tentatively called Vexi 3.0, arrived at feature completeness in 2009 and is stable.
Vexi is still under active development.[7]
Companies Using Vexi
Vexi is in production use by several companies around the globe.
Companies currently specialise in developing Vexi applications:
- Web Enable IT (UK) with their software Emanate
- Achievement Focused Technology, Inc. (US)
- Health Care Systems Corporation (US) with their software HCare1
Contributors
Current
- Charles Goodwin (Core layout and widget development)
- Michael Goodwin (New core development)
- Jeff Buhrt (Core debugging)
Inactive
- Adam Megacz (Original author of XWT/Ibex)
- Brian Alliet (Major core contributor)
- David Crawshaw (Major core contributor)
- Tupshin Harper (Core network code)
- Adam Andrews (Core and widget debugging)
References
- ↑ Personal website of Adam Megacz
- ↑ Legacy website for XWT
- ↑ http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.java.xwt.core/4313
- ↑ http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.java.xwt.core/4331
- ↑ Personal website for Charles Goodwin
- ↑ http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.java.vexi.core/650
- ↑ Project analysis at Ohloh.net
