Develop Reference

What is the exactly use of Robot framework?

I'm fascinated towards robots. You know usually it creates our work easy and for web you don't need to go anywhere on links once our robots is initialized on web server.
Let's come to our main question:
What exactly is the use of Robot Framework .. I'm good with Java but not with Python. Can I use it with Java? For what purpose Robot Framework is used for?
I'm good in HTMLUnit. But it can be used to parse the HTML source code and we could also implement it in Java to make source code. But what about Robot Framework?
I googled for 2 hours but couldn't find the exact answers. Please let me know if you want to know any information from me.

Overview
It's main use is to enable writing acceptance tests with a high level of abstraction for software products.
The framework requires less technical skill than programming language-based frameworks, and so can be used by team members who have very little programming experience. For example, an agile team product owner could express acceptance tests using the framework, without having to know the details of how the product is implemented.
On the other hand, because of its keyword-based design, those with a high degree of technical skill can write keywords in their language of choice to test low level functions, and even do unit and integration testing if so desired.
Uses
Because of its flexibility, robot framework can be used to test desktop applications, web applications, mobile applications, and RESTful and SOAP-based services. Because it provides an abstraction layer on top of the physical implementation of the system under test, it is possible to write tests that work cross-platform (ie: the same test case could be used to test both an android and iOS app, or for testing a web app that runs on chrome, firefox and safari).
Although robot framework is often used to test browser-based applications, it has been used to test databases, mobile devices, calculators, and many other things.
Extensibility
One of the great strengths of the robot framework is that it is highly extensible. Many of the features mentioned above are implemented as libraries. For example, you can plug in a library to use selenium to drive a browser. You can plug in a database library to directly access databases. There are libraries to support testing desktop apps, services, and many more.
Example
To illustrate how abstract a robot test case can be, a BDD-style testcase might look -- literally -- like this:
Given I am on the application login screen
When I enter a valid username and password
And I press the "login button"
Then I should be logged in
And my personal dashboard should be displayed
Note: this isn't the only way to write a test. Robot is very flexible, allowing you to choose between BDD (Behavior Driven Development) style, a traditional procedural style, or in a data-driven style.
The framework provides the infrastructure for converting those statements to actionable items. Ultimately they get boiled down to a function call -- either from an external library, or one provided by the development team. Those functions typically are written in python, but can be written in Java, a .NET language, or other languages through an interface, depending on how you actually run the test.
Reporting
In addition to being able to run tests, robot framework provides reports and logs that can be used to visualize the state of the product. Logs provide details of every single keyword and function call, reports show the status of complete suites and test cases, and can provide summary information based on arbitrary tags.

Converting an existing web app to desktop application

I saw some other similar questions on this topic here but they were not very helpful so I a posing this question.
What is the fastest way to convert a reasonably sized, simple web app to a Java desk top based client targeted for pc and mac? Unfortunately I can not share a whole lot of details about the app here due to various reasons. The most complicated UI in the app though is a page that contains a multi level threaded discussions (please see here for an illustrative example of what I am talking about.) The current web app is based on python so I can not re use anything from the server side code (dont think this is an issue)
I have never done any swing or awt or any other Java based thick client GUI work. My thinking is more or less defined by web based applications. I am capable of doing end to end web app development (including backend and decent UI using HTML, CSS and JS) using Java or python. For your answers please focus on Java solutions only.
So here are my questions
What is the best framework or tool I should use? I found some of the following tools on the web as part of my research.
Awt - does not look like this is a good choice.
Swing which I believe is bundled with regular Java SDK/JRE. - This may be my best
bet.
SWT which seems to compliment Swing in some fashion.
Griffon based on an article here. This framework uses Groovy ( I
have no clue about Groovy, btw) Adobe Air flex. Any open source
frameworks?
What are some of the other issues that I need to keep in mind? Some that I would like your comments on are:
How does the fact that it needs to be deployed on the client complicates things? Since we are using Java, I believe this to be a non issue. I am aware of the usual trade offs between a web based app and a desktop app (e.g. ease of deployment and upgrades etc etc.)
How easy is it to create a one click installer and bundle the app and the environment needed - eg. JRE etc?
The product needs to work on Mac and Windows. Does that complicate things in any way (Again, since it is Java I am assuming there are no gotchas but would like to be forewarned if there are any)
What is the framework or technology that may be good to have on the resume as a skill set?
My deadline is a max of 2 months - would that be enough for a reasonably simple web app given that I need to learn all of these technologies? I am just trying to get a sense here - I know it is most likely impossible to give an accurate answer - just assume I am smart enough and can pick up any unfamiliar tech stack fast enough.
Thank you!

GUI toolkit
Given "Mac and Windows", I'd say that settles my recommendation as "Swing" (perhaps with SwingX1).
I agree with your assessment of AWT. It does not support formatted text in any component out-of-the-box. It also lacks trees, tables (and other components) & people with recent experience using it. Note though, that it is also "bundled with regular Java SDK/JRE" just like Swing, it is just that it is older and less enabled than Swing generally.
If anything complements Swing it would be SwingX. SwingX is built on Swing and provides advanced controls that are not available 'out of the box' in the J2SE.
Swing and SWT are mutually incompatible - use one or the other.
I have no experience with Griffon.
Swing is the most used of the options outlined, so for getting help (ignoring other potentially important factors in the decision), it would be a good choice.
Note 1) Add SwingX if they have any groovy components that present threaded conversations easily, but I suspect a JTextPane would suffice.
Deployment
As far as deployment goes, that is a little more tricky than it seems. Many desktop computers do not come with Java as standard. Those that already have it, might have an old version.
To ensure a JRE of the right minimum version to run the app. is available, use the deployJava.js (mentioned, with links, in the JWS page below).
To provide a 'one click' launch experience for the user, look to Java Web Start.
Cross-platform gotcha's
Unfortunately, though Java is x-plat, there are plenty of things that programmers can do that stuff that up. E.G.
Not accounting for the platform default:
File encoding (file.encoding2)
Line break (line.separator2)
File separator (file.separator2)
Coding fixed size ('absolute layout') apps. that will be shown as different sized apps. on other OS.
...
Note 2. That is showing the property to use for each.
Timetable
Obviously I cannot speak for you, but I can tell you that I would have had no chance of going from 'which technology' to a 'deployable app' within two months.
Hope you're more capable than me! ;)

You said that you wanted a Java solution, but be aware that there are plenty of Gui options in Python, and you already have your web application written in Python.
Groovy is a different programming language than Java, but Groovy runs on the JVM. Do you want a Java solution or a JVM solution? I ask because you mention Griffon.
Assuming you want Java, I think your main options are Swing, SWT, JavaFX 2, and Apache Pivot. Oracle has said that they intend for JavaFX to replace Swing as the GUI platform of choice. That said, JavaFX 2 is in its infancy, and only a preview release is available for Mac right now. The upshot of JavaFX and Apache Pivot is that you could use the same code for your web application as your desktop application.

You can try doing so in small steps:
* As a first step you can create an applications with SWT and embed your application in a browser control.
* Then you should move pages and some controls from the web app to the desktop one by one.
In this way you can get a minimal application in hours :)
P.S. If you want an iOS app with this approach it's worth looking at this open source project: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PhoneGap

Cross-platform desktop development

I need an advice for cross-platform engine/framework for desktop PC application development (Windows, MAC, Linux). I see 3 possibilities, Qt, Java and Adobe AIR.
It must be easy to install (run-time is a drawback, but C++ wrapper and/or installer can solve the issue I think).
It must be fast and have a rich GUI (not 3D game, but definitely some 2D graphics).
The development environment must be easy to establish and the UI development tool must have drag&drop functionality to define application layout.
Target application must have native look and feel. The professional paid support should be available.

All of these criteria are met by Qt, with the exception of "native look and feel". There is no such thing as a cross-platform framework with native feel, especially on OS X, where users are very demanding about the "feel" of applications. If you really want native look and feel, you are best served by writing a shared framework in C++ or C# and then providing native GUI on each platform (you can use MonoMac to provide a native Cocoa UI using C# instead of the native Objective-C, if that's your cup of tea).
That said, we've been very happy with Qt (and the Commercial support) for cross-platform development. Particularly the new OpenGL accelerated 2D Scene API makes animated UIs quite easy. QtCreator is a decent IDE with visual designer support.

Contrary to others, probably due to the fact that I worked on a real-time trading Swing application, I consider Java to be the best answer to your requirements (however, i consider this question as subjective, as previous answers already shows). Let me develop.
It must be easy to install (run-time is a drawback, but C++ wrapper and/or installer can solve the issue I think).
Using Java, you can rely upon Java Web Start, which is, as far as i know, the best solution for easy to use applications : you click a link on the browser, and the application is installed in start menu/desktop and started as soon as it is downloaded. Seems like Adobe AIR offers an equivalent feature, but to my mind Java Web Start integrates, due to the deepness of its ecosystem, far more powerfull distribution solutions (like, as an example, the easy ability to generate the .jnlp file on demand).
It must be fast and have a rich GUI (not 3D game, but definitely some 2D graphics).
Contrary to most popular belief, generating good graphics in Java is possible. Take as an example a look at excellent filthy rich clients companion site of the excellent book.
The development environment must be easy to establish and the UI development tool must have drag&drop functionality to define application layout.
Eclipse is a defacto industry standard for IDEs, and it integrate multiple DnD IDE builders. I would simply take as example the recently liberated Windows Builder Pro.
Target application must have native look and feel. The professional paid support should be available.
Well, Swing default look'n'feel is indeed a little different from system one. however, there are excellent third-party ones, listed here, as an example.
Finally, some examples :
the excellent Palantir Technologies blog list some outstanding Swing applications
Gephi is a rather complete and efficient high-volume graph viewer
My previous work (don't consider it as a masked ad, it's only a way to show some rather solid Swing).

I would not recommend Java for desktop development. I do not care what other say, Java is still slow compared to native languages like C++. I would go with Qt. The IDE has a GUI builder and can be integrated into Eclipse or Visual Studio.
Here's a helpful resource:
http://qt.nokia.com/products/

Have a look at Appcelerator Titanium: it basically wraps a web app in a browser. You can have anything you want in a GUI using wen tech, but it looks like an ap[p.

Strangely, nobody mentioned Real Studio (now Xojo) which does meet all your requirements:
It is easy to install and does not require a separate run-time
It compiles to native code so is reasonably fast
It has a good UI library that is native for each platform
The IDE is very nice with drag and drop UI designers
Target applications are fully native and use native controls

First of have to mention http://wxwidgets.org/ , one of the most popular X-platoform frameoworks. Depending on the complexity of your application and the requirements to the "nativeness", a cross-platform framework may work for you. The x-platform applications built with framework usually feel a bit "alien", especially on the Mac, but workable. A good example is http://taskcoach.org/.
If your users are tolerant to hearty download sizes, hefty memory requirements and a bit of non-native look-and-feel then plain Java, eclipse RCP or NetBeans platform can work for you. You may save quite a bit of development time going this route.
However I am not aware of cross-platform framework that satisfies all your requirements.
If you need to get to a production-level application, the strategy that I have seen worked best was to stay native but split the UI-dependent code into cross-platform (e.g. C++ business logic) and UI. This way, you will use native interface building tools (each platform has something good there). Depending on the complexity and "finish" requirements of your application you may actually save time going this route.
A great overview of the "Native X-Platform" process can be found in this answer by Chris Hanson.

JavaFX or RIA desktop app (on dvd) also available on the web?

Is it possible to develop an application easily available on the web that also can be distributed on DVD (installer or started from the dvd)?
For the moment, we use static html (frameset!) pages (generated by xml files), with one difference: pdf's are only on the DVD version, the web version only shows a preview of these files.
Can this be done with JavaFX, OpenLaszlo or are there better options?
(for example: turbogears, and using tg2exe for DVD version)

I think if you design it correctly to begin with, a JavaFX app can be interchanged between web-app and desktop-app relatively easily. However, I've only done this with very simple apps (specifically, Tic-Tac-Toe!), so I'm sure there might exist some caveats that I am unaware of (thus the "design it correctly" catch-all). ;)
Why don't you just provide the PDFs in your current web version, rather than redeveloping everything? I'm not aware of any browsers that don't support in-browser PDF reading anymore.

Yes JavaFX or Flash applications can be used to develop applications that run in different contexts.
However, it's not clear from your question why these would be preferable over your current solution.
If the information your sharing is primarily text and you're using DVD because your audience is primarily located in area with bad Internet connectivity, then you're current approach probably makes more sense. JavaFX or Flash might be more fun to write for developers but maybe doesn't serve your audience.
I would suggest that if you are shipping DVD and are looking for ways to make the DVD more useful than as a PDF delivery system would be to add video to the DVDs. And then maybe it would make more sense to use JavaFX or Flash to drive the UI.

Yes, it is possible. If you use JavaFX you will be allowed use multiple deployments. For example, NetBeans 6.7.1 with JavaFX creates several possible deployments from one project. Then you can publish this application on web, DVD, etc. You will need to slightly customize standalone deployment for DVD to be able e.g. start it as autorun if necessary. JavaFX is good choice.

This seems like a job for flex, however I know better little about it to give a better answer.

What would you expect of a mobile development framework?

we are planning to build a web based client side application framework. The main focus is to write native looking webapps using Java and compile them for your target platform.
Our planned target platforms would be the iPhone and Android (on top of PhoneGap), Backberry and Palm WebOS.
Our goal is to create a decent framework and that's what this post is about. We want to know what developers would expect of such a framework and on what topics are more important than others. We also want to know if it would be more important to provide a UI-framework which really feels like a native app on the target platform (e.g. scrolling behavior) or to provide some decent APIs to use HTML5 and PhoneGap features, store and manipulate data etc.
What would you, as developers, really like to see in that kind of a framework? After all, you're the ones that will (hopefully some day) be using it. And most important: Would you use it?

I would like a good GWT framework for mobile plateforms (at least iPhone and android), with a native feel UI (ie : smooth scroll, fast click), and UI customization by CSS.
I would pay for that !!

Make the setup and default behaviors of components work right out of the box -- give them either a builder pattern so that the component is ready to be useful in one line, or constructors that contain sufficient amount of parameters to create a well-formed object.
Along these lines, every GUI component should have an adapter to take a variety of model based data structures. Pass it along, no-fuss, no-muss, and absolutely no boxing/unboxing.

the bad thing about the webkit based mobile frameworks is they are not as smooth and fast as other applications. This is where all they stack. I would recommend you to write a JAVA Dalvik framework, which is easy to extend an use with a nice error handling and strong UI. It should definetly have it's own plugin pattern so the community can extend it if you are planning to go open source

My personal favourite would be something that would allow me to develop using the Widget Standard http://www.w3.org/TR/widgets/ and then publish to app stores by wrapping the widget into a webview or similar. Opera Mobile, Samsung Bada, Symbian and now Android support the platform already.. http://labs.opera.com/news/2010/12/22/
This would include a barebones JS framework that could be Closure Compiled smaller, using only the methods/ parts of the framework I really used, to keep the size minimal.

Um... if it's going to be
platform-specific and client side
Our approach is to be as device platform neutral as possible.
As said before: Our goal is to write an application in Java and to compile it then for a specific target platform. It should also be possible to compile the same application without any (or at least as few as possible) changes in your Java-Code for all our supported platforms.
We choose to use "the web" as our runtime because almost all mobile platforms provide some kind of web environment on which we could deploy our apps.