With so many different programming languages and operating systems, developers have been clamoring for a single "meta-language" to develop user interfaces that are cross-platform and cross-device. Mozilla.org responded by creating the eXtensible User interface Language (XUL), which allows developers to break from platform dependencies and develop rich, dynamic user interfaces in record time. Mozilla.org designed XUL to work together with such technologies as Resource Description Framework (RDF), XBL (XML Binding Language), JavaScript, XML (eXtensible Markup Language), and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).

Essential XUL Programming provides developers with an in-depth tutorial on developing XUL-based applications. This detailed reference covers four major areas:

• Getting Started: Includes definitions of key XUL terminology, information to get started writing XUL code, and fundamentals of XML and CSS
• XUL in Depth: Focuses on core XUL technologies and examines a step-by-step process for creating XUL applications
• XUL Applications: Provides case studies of how XUL can be applied to the real world
• References and Appendices: Offers reference information needed to develop XUL applications, details all XUL elements and attributes, and contains visual examples of XUL interfaces

The authors have also developed an open source software project called jXUL at jXUL.org. The jXUL library allows for the development of dynamically compiled Swing user interfaces using a XUL document as a description language for the user interface. The jXUL library represents the beginning of open source development of a XUL framework for the Java Programming Language.

The companion Web site at xulbook.com features:

• Source code and examples from the book
• Corrections, updates, and XUL news
• Links to other XUL resources on the Web