German company Innoopract Informationssysteme has propsed a "RAP" (Rich AJAX Platform) initiative at EclipseCon, being held in Santa Clara, CA.

RAP would be focused on enabling developers to create AJAX-enabled applications using Eclipse technology and methodology. The company is proposing RAP as an open-source project that uses the Eclipse development model, plug-ins and a Java-only API.  Innoopract said it will contribute code from its W4Toolkit to the project to enable user interface development based on a Java component library. The component library offers a mechanism for browser detection and can adapt to the capabilities of browsers by using rendering kits, the proposal said.

Innoopract's contribution will encompass some of the core functionality for a Rich AJAX Platform, including a rich set of UI components with a Java API, event-driven program control, a generic mechanism for updating arbitrary UI elements of a Web UI based on AJAX, a lifecycle handling comparable to the one used in JavaServer Faces, a mechanism for browser detection, and rendering kits that enable applications to adapt to browser capabilities.

Jochen Krause, (pictured),  president of Innoopract, said RAP "will enable Eclipse-style applications to run inside a browser while preserving the Eclipse development model."  He said the goal of RAP is to enable programmers "to develop powerful, AJAX Web applications 'the Eclipse way'—using the plug-in mechanism, a Java widget tool kit and workbench services—without having to actually hand-code AJAX."

Observers quickly noted that Eclipse has an existing Rich Client Platform. But the RAP notes that in its case,  "by offering a plug-in model on the server and providing Eclipse workbench UI capabilities, developers can leverage their experience with Rich Client Applications and profit from the proven Eclipse development model to create Rich Internet Applications in a streamlined fashion."