title: Spring + GWT or Spring vs GWT
body: <h1>Background</h1>
  
  <p>I am in the middle of developing a web application using GWT, Java, and EclipseLink.  Each of those selections are choices I have made to implement this program.  GWT is the only choice where there is not a firm grasp as to what it is exactly compared to something like Spring. Right now I use GWT widgets to implement the client and GWT RequestFactory to implement the server-client communication of entities from EclipseLink.</p>
  
  <h1>Views</h1>
  
  <p>So I view GWT as primarily a library of widgets with a simple framework for server-client communication.  This is much the same way I view Spring, a library of widgets with a much more advanced and complex framework for controlling server-client communications - with the possibility that it does not implement AJAX as conveniently as GWT does.</p>
  
  <p>So with these in mind, I view GWT as a stepping-stone to understanding and eventually working with Spring.  However, Google-ing on this topic again, I've come across several topics like this <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1340216/gwt-and-spring-mvc-is-it-worth-it">one</a> and that <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4771479/gwt-spring-mvc-restful-web-services">one</a> that seem to go against the original notions of what Spring is, and what that means for GWT.</p>
  
  <h1>The Questions</h1>
  
  <ol>
  <li>Is there a misconception about the views on GWT and Spring?  If so, some brief guiding points about that would be much appreciated!</li>
  <li>What would be the counter-part to GWT widgets in the Spring Framework?</li>
  <li>What would be the counter-part to GWT RequestFactory in the Spring Framework?</li>
  </ol>