Sencha Architect 2 is the new name for HTML5 UI tool Ext Designer

Developer tool and software company Sencha Inc. on Tuesday announced a new brand in HTML5 UI design and coding called Sencha Architect 2. The software is aimed at Web designers and users who want to create cross-platform HTML5 apps in a visual, drag and drop environment.

Sencha Architect 2 is an upgrade from the company's Ext Designer HTML5 layout product and can be used with Sencha's other products Touch 2 and Ext JS 4 to facilitate touch-based mobile app development or development of standalone desktop Web apps. Sencha says it dropped the name "Designer" because it no longer described the functionality of the software. It's moved from being a User Interface design tool to a more all-encompassing package that lets engineers and designers work together in the same environment.

It lets designers drag-and-drop components to create user interfaces and connect to backend data sources, and it lets developers use pre-built UI controls, or use the full code editing capabilities. It supports a team collaborative workflow, and includes the ability to natively package creations for iOS and Android. All files created in Architect 2 are pure .js, so it doesn't generate dependencies.

A single license of Sencha Architect 2 costs $399, and there are discounts for 5 and 20 licenses. Sencha Inc also offers a discounted upgrade path if you are a user of Ext Designer 1.

Sencha Architect 2 is available for Mac OS, Windows, and Linux platforms.