Grails 1.3 Is Released

I've got some exciting news that I have just read. Grails 1.3 is out. So what's new in Grails 1.3? * JUnit 4 support * [Maven repository support for Grails plugins](http://grails.org/doc/1.3.x/guide/3.%20Configuration.html#3.7.8%20Deploying%20to%20a%20Maven%20Repository) * [Declarative plugin dependencies](http://grails.org/doc/1.3.x/guide/3.%20Configuration.html#3.7.9%20Plugin%20Dependencies) * [Dirty checking in GORM](http://grails.org/doc/1.3.x/guide/5.%20Object%20Relational%20Mapping%20(GORM).html#5.3.6%20Modification%20Checking) * [Chaining of named criteria](http://grails.org/doc/1.3.x/ref/Domain%20Classes/namedQueries.html) * Application wide Sitemesh layouts Not all of the new features are exiting for me but I think this is really a good work. I also have something to complain about Grails. Grails is using ant scripts for operations such as creating new projects, controllers, domain classes, etc. As a [Django](http://www.mengu.net/tag/django), [web2py](http://www.mengu.net/tag/web2py) and [Rails](http://www.mengu.net/tag/ruby-on-rails) developer this is really bothering me. I'm not a Java developer, I don't want to use maven, I don't want to run ant scripts. I suggest Grails developers looking at the [Play! framework](http://www.mengu.net/tag/play-framework). They are doing this operations with a Python script.