FXBrwsr
From APIDesign
FXBrwsr is a subproject of Bck2Brwsr. Its goal is to use full featured Java runtime (e.g. real HotSpot VM), but still rely on a very lightweight rendering technology (so it can still fit Bck2Brwsr). What can be more lightweight (from a browser perspective) than HTML!?
FXBrwsr uses JavaFX's WebView component to display HTML. However to eliminate the need to manipulate the DOM directly, there is a special Java to Knockout.js binding. As a result the HTML uses Knockout.js syntax, yet the application code can be written in Java.
Debugging
By merging advanced HTML technology (like Knockout.js) and Java one gets all the goodies of Java language, together with using more and more popular and powerful HTML presentation technologies. The Java model is fully separated from the view (e.g. HTML), can be unit tested and also (as the code runs in HotSpot VM it can be fully debugged). Just follow the Twitter client instructions:
- clone the https://hg.java.net/hg/html~demo Hg repository
- open its twitter project in NetBeans IDE 7.3
- open TwitterClient class and place breakpoint somewhere
- select Debug Project
You'll get all the goodies of Java. Moreover (as Twitter client page also mentions) you can still get your application Bck2Brwsr by selecting different Maven profile: bck2brwsr (see the combo in NetBeans 7.3 toolbar).