MODx is a content management system with AJAX goodness (or Web 2.0 as they say). The code is neat and gives a true CMS feel. Though I liked the admin Interface more, the panel offers a wide range of options , Tools, extra plugins , stats checking etc. like a true CMS .
I should say it does a lot more than other AJAX based scripts like AJAXpress and AJAX Portal . But still it needs a lot more to get into high level category of scripts like Joomla and Wordpress.
Agile Ajax has posted an interview with the creator of ZK, the server-side GUI framework for writing ajax apps with “no javascript and little programming”. ZK has some similiarities to Echo2 and GWT, though Tom Yeh, the creator, discusses the differences:
on Echo2:
Echo2 assumes UI designers are Swing programmers, while ZK assumes they are mostly non-programmers
on GWT:
From a technological viewpoint, [GWT] is a complement. GWT is a client-side solution and quite good for developing Ajax components. It is never a good idea to replicate the business logic to the client, which eventually brings us back to the maintenance headache of fat clients. In addition, loading and evaluating huge JavaScript files into the client is not fun at all.
The interview goes on to cover the strengths and weaknesses of ZK, Dojo and Atlas, and future plans for the framework. He also closes with a common complaint about the Ajax community - the over abundance of frameworks and resulting confusion. A chart breaking down the major players and their pros and cons would be a great help to many developers who are trying to figure out where to start.