XUL, the Mozilla Foundation's XML-based user interface markup language, allows the creation of rich browser-deployed network applications using sophisticated, OS-native widgets. For developers of corporate information systems in particular, XUL offers an enticing alternative to traditional HTML web applications.

In this session, we will explore the combination of a XUL user interface with a Rails backend, an achievable goal for any seasoned Rails developer. We'll discuss how XUL differs from HTML, from both UI design and implementation standpoints. XUL lives a rung below the document abstraction HTML developers are familiar with, but for many applications, this can provide valuable flexibility. I'll provide a detailed rundown of the steps required to get Rails working properly with XUL; with a few tweaks, it's possible for your XUL app to leverage Rails as though it were an HTML app, nearly transparently. Finally, we'll discuss some important considerations you'll want to keep in mind as you embrace XUL.