Wt

What is Wt?

Wt is a C++ library designed for the development of web applications. Its API is centered around widgets, drawing on well-established patterns from desktop GUI development and tailoring them to the web. Wt abstracts away many web-specific implementation details, including client-server protocols such as HTTP, Ajax, and WebSockets, freeing developers from the tedious task of JavaScript manipulations and cross-browser compatibility issues. Instead, Wt allows developers to focus on the core functionality, providing a rich set of feature-complete widgets Unlike traditional page-based frameworks or modern single-page JavaScript "frameworks," Wt enables the creation of stateful applications that are highly interactive, utilizing technologies like WebSockets and Ajax, while still supporting plain HTML browsers and web crawlers through automatic graceful degradation or progressive enhancement. Wt simplifies tasks that would otherwise require significant development effort, such as seamlessly switching widgets with animations while maintaining clean URLs and browser navigation, or having a persistent chat widget that functions across the entire application, even in legacy browsers like Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 The Wt library comes with an application server that can act as a standalone HTTP(S)/WebSocket server or integrate with other web servers through FastCGI

Highlights

• Widget-centric API with desktop GUI development patterns tailored to the web
• Abstraction of web-specific implementation details, including client-server protocols
• Freedom from tedious JavaScript manipulations and cross-browser issues
• Rich set of feature-complete widgets to focus on application functionality
• Supports stateful, highly interactive applications with automatic graceful degradation or progressive enhancement
• Simplifies tasks such as seamless widget switching with animations and persistent cross-browser functionality