There is no web server for my application. I am writing a UI to configure a network device that will be connected to the serial port of the computer while it is being configured.
The UI has a large number of fields (50+) spread across 16 tabs.
I will write the UI in Java (Java FX?). It should run inside the browser when launched, and issue commands to the network device through the serial port. A UI has several input fields spread across tabs and one single Submit button. If a field is edited, and the submit button clicked, it issues a command and sends the new datum to the device, retrieves current value and any errors.
Is vaadin overkill for my application? Your feedback appreciated.
Will run this application standalone? If true, why do you not build a desktop app?
You can’t use Vaadin without a webserver, but you can embedded a lightweight webserver on your application. So, you can execute from runnable JAR and use the browser to configure. Search for jetty embedded.
About the communication with this device, it’ll depend only the java limitations 8o
If you need a database to this case, I suggest DB4O.
I cannot modify the embedded code in the network device, so I cannot add a webserver to it. It will be too much to ask the user to download and install tomcat on his desktop. Perhaps I should just focus on a desktop app? Is there something like vaadin for a desktop application?
My idea was create an app (with embedded webserver) to run the vaadin interface and communicate with the device. But I think this solution is too big to your problem.
In this case, desktop is more clear for the user, is more lightweight. I suggest you to use the swing components, they are natives and easy to use.
if I try this option, will vaadin help with collecting and managing input from all the data fields and submitting to web server and getting back errors?
I guess I am unclear on what advantage vaadin will provide.
I don’t understand. Your solution is a standalone application to configure some device on the serial port, correct? So, use a desktop app. The application is smaller and functional. You can’t use Vaadin in this way.
Vaadin is a excelent framework for
web applications . Web applications are better when your environment has more than one user, or cloud deployment.
Thanks for your clarification. The UI has a large number of fields (50+) spread across 16 tabs. UI has several input fields spread across tabs and one single Submit button. If a field is edited, and the submit button clicked, it issues a command and sends the new datum to the device, retrieves current value and any errors. I was wondering if vaadin provides any data management to simplify this.