Importance of layout design in GXT/Sencha

Views tend to be dynamic. That is what web2.0 is all about! However we tend to run into murky waters, especially when the requirements tend to be even more dynamic. Since the past couple of months I have been working on a codebase with a set of requirements that tend to fall into 'feature creep' territory. As any other developer, handling the people aspect itself is a challenge. One would definitely strive to keep the technical challenges to a minimum.

AJAX UI's have an implicit uncertainity overhead. In the case of GXT it is inability of the framework to re-render a component. The conversation thread goes like this:
them: I need a table to show contents, with pagination support
me: OK!
.
. couple of weeks later...
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them: Can I have client side filter, you know what i kind of feel lost in the haystack
me: Ok!
.
. couple of weeks later...
.
them: That was great, every thing is fantasitc. I was wondering if the filtering can can happen on serverside as well
me: ?!! Ok, lets try. Hey done
.
. couple of weeks later...
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them: Can I have edit feature?
me: Sigh! ok.
.
. couple of weeks later...
.
them: Now see, I want a notification to popup if there are any unsave changes
me: (What do I do? Where should I incorporate the trigger point? What happens if the user does something else? Should I go with the ugly popup dialogs.Grrr..) Ok

Wait, GXT why don't you support dynamic modifications to rendered components!

Road block

Now to address this in a sane fashion, I have to design my panels with the highest possible widgets and hide them, only to reenable them later. Like most UI developers I feel frustrated as the code base of the last 6 months tends to look like a ragshack. Rewritting it is easy (3-4 days) but why is the world so cruel :(

Over the weekend I wrote the most crucial components, adding sanity and fresh breath of life to myself and people down the line. I know that the challenge is not yet over. Atleast I am wise enought to understand the technical challenges involved. Blessed are thou, whose get a standardised requirement specification. End of my rant