From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ZK is an
open-source, all
Java,
Ajax Web application framework that enables rich UI for Web applications with no JavaScript and little programming.
The core of ZK is an
Ajax-based event-driven mechanism, over 70
XUL and 80
XHTML-based components, and a markup language for design user interfaces. Programmers design their application pages in feature-rich
XUL/
XHTML components, and manipulate them upon events triggered by end user's activity. It is similar to the programming model found in desktop GUI-based applications.
ZK takes the so called server-centric approach that the content synchronization of components and the event pipelining between clients and servers are automatically done by the engine and Ajax plumbing codes are completely transparent to web application developers. Therefore, the end users get the similar engaged interactivity and responsiveness as a desktop application, while programmers' development remains the similar simplicity as that of desktop applications.
In additions to component-based programming in a manner similar to
Swing, ZK supports a markup language for rich user interface definition called
ZUML.