# I want to build a Web App with Rails.... What to use for the Client Layer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [September 20, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i-want-to-build-a-web-app-with-rails-what-to-use-for-the-client-layer/195272 "2010-09-20T22:45:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/ecb155/32.png) [@nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/nobosh)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i-want-to-build-a-web-app-with-rails-what-to-use-for-the-client-layer/195272/1 "2010-09-20T22:45:47Z")
Hello, I’m building a web app that I want to have a feel like GMAIL. I have Rails 3 setup for all the backend, restful type services… But I want it to be a web app and not a web page. What are some client- side type frameworks I should be thinking of? not like a JQUERY but more like a sproutcore? Is there anything type of framework Rails developers use to have slick Web APps, so clicking links does not reload the entire page, etc… etc… Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/ecb155/32.png) [@nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/nobosh)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i-want-to-build-a-web-app-with-rails-what-to-use-for-the-client-layer/195272/2 "2010-09-21T00:06:00Z")
Greg, GMAIL like not a GMAIL clone, not anything related to an EMAIL app… thxs ---
**Author:** ![nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/ecb155/32.png) [@nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/nobosh)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i-want-to-build-a-web-app-with-rails-what-to-use-for-the-client-layer/195272/3 "2010-09-20T23:07:26Z")
On Mon, Sep 20, 2010 at 3:44 PM, nobosh [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Hello, I’m building a web app that I want to have a feel like GMAIL. Why? [http://www.google.com/search?q=gmail+clone](http://www.google.com/search?q=gmail+clone) > I have Rails 3 setup for all the backend, restful type services… But > I want it to be a web app and not a web page. What are some client- > side type frameworks I should be thinking of? not like a JQUERY but > more like a sproutcore? Is there anything type of framework Rails > developers use to have slick Web APps, so clicking links does not > reload the entire page, etc… etc… You can build an entirely non-page-reloading site using just Rails with jQuery. Sproutcore seems very nice, but is overkill for most of my projects. – Greg D. [destiney.com](http://destiney.com) | [gregdonald.com](http://gregdonald.com) ---
**Author:** ![nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/ecb155/32.png) [@nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/nobosh)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i-want-to-build-a-web-app-with-rails-what-to-use-for-the-client-layer/195272/4 "2010-09-21T00:07:46Z")
What do you people think about Netzke ? Robert Pankowecki ---
**Author:** ![nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/ecb155/32.png) [@nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/nobosh)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 1:21am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i-want-to-build-a-web-app-with-rails-what-to-use-for-the-client-layer/195272/5 "2010-09-21T01:21:31Z")
the only thing prebuild that i have seen that do that , no one uses them in the public part of their site, only in the admin section check a gem called active\_scaffold but i think you cant customize it much ---
**Author:** ![nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/ecb155/32.png) [@nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/nobosh)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i-want-to-build-a-web-app-with-rails-what-to-use-for-the-client-layer/195272/6 "2010-09-21T01:27:22Z")
On Sep 20, 3:06 pm, “Robert Pankowecki (rupert)” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > What do you people think about Netzke ? > Netzke is ExtJS right? I’m not a big fan as they learning curve is > insane and the bang isn’t worth the time. ---
**Author:** ![nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/ecb155/32.png) [@nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/nobosh)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i-want-to-build-a-web-app-with-rails-what-to-use-for-the-client-layer/195272/7 "2010-09-21T02:01:18Z")
On Mon, Sep 20, 2010 at 6:26 PM, nobosh [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Netzke is ExtJS right? I’m not a big fan as they learning curve is > insane and the bang isn’t worth the time. I agree. And I want my tools to be more generic than that. – Greg D. [destiney.com](http://destiney.com) | [gregdonald.com](http://gregdonald.com) ---
**Author:** ![nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/ecb155/32.png) [@nobosh](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/nobosh)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 3:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/i-want-to-build-a-web-app-with-rails-what-to-use-for-the-client-layer/195272/8 "2010-09-21T03:29:05Z")
I suppose you’re not allowed to use Flash/Flex? For non-Flash, moderately rich UI, I’m pretty happy with some of the YUI (Yahoo User Interface) widgets and libraries. You might also consider GWT. If you know that you’re building a big fat (rich) client, it might be worth having a comprehensive IDE with debugging goodness that GWT offers.