XUL and SWT the future of UI Programming?
SWT has created lots of love for Eclipse, and I'm willing to bet I'll write a XUL application in the next couple of years. Russell Jones from DevX.com explains how these might very well be the future of cross-platform GUIs.
The reality of a single cross-language, cross-platform GUI interface programming model is in sight, based on an XML description language supported by fast native runtimes. Will Mozilla, Eclipse, or someone else step in and complete the last mile that gives all developers a common way to design and program fast cross-platform user interfaces?
XUL seems to be simply a combination of XML and JavaScript from this example. So the question is, will you be writing HTML, XML, XHTML or XUL in the next couple of years. To stay ahead of the game, I recommend writing your web-based apps in XHTML (which is XML) and if you migrate to XUL, it'll be easy as pie.