Nokia and Aptana have started shipping the beta release of Nokia WRT Plugin for Aptana Studio. Nokia WRT (Web Runtime) lets you build native apps and widgets for Nokia S60 phones using your JavaScript, AJAX, HTML, and CSS skills - the stuff standard web pages are made from, but installable on the phone for increased performance, less bandwidth consumption, and more capabilities.

The Nokia WRT is based on WebKit so there's a lot open web technology there as a foundation upon which to build. WebKit's adoption by many mobile device manufacturers, including Apple for its iPhone, lays a great foundation at last for a mobile standard: JavaScript, HTML, & CSS.

The Nokia WRT Plugin for Aptana Studio is free software built on the Eclipse Plugin model. Nokia WRT Plugin for Aptana Studio extends Aptana Studio's core support for AJAX libraries, HTML, CSS and JavaScript and leverages its JavaScript debugging and other features. Aptana Studio can run standalone, or you can also plug Aptana Studio into Eclipse, or other Eclipse-based IDEs.

To get you started, the Nokia WRT SDK (and its development plugin for Aptana Studio) includes a library of AJAX components, optimized for the Nokia WRT. These controls include form elements and navigational controls that are pre-integrated with the capabilities of the Nokia WRT. There's also support for Flash .swf in Nokia WRT.

The Nokia WRT Plugin for Aptana Studio was developed by Nokia, but is being shipped by Aptana. If you already have Aptana Studio, update to Aptana Studio 1.2.1, then go to Aptana > My Aptana > Plugins > Nokia WRT Plugin > Get It. Otherwise download and install Aptana Studio, then do the above.