Functionality vs Presentation

This is not about which one rules over the other, but more on which takes precedence(priority) over the other during a dev cycle.

My development style tends to prioritize key functionality first before laying out a UI. It's important to know whether something will or NOT work before taking the trouble to design a pretty 'dress' for it. The following is my development flow concerning functionality.

1. Implement the core of the beast i.e chat protocol via JWebSocket.
2. Implement client-server authentication for users
3. Implement streetchat by:

• Retrieving accessible streetchat rooms where user is registered
• Join said rooms
• Carry on live chat

4. Implement Private chat by:

• Get roster of users friends
• Send initialization chat message(i.e empty string) and have receiving client acknowledge by opening new chat window
• Carry on live chat

5. Miscelleneous impelmtentations include:

• Get user location(i.e country code)
• Get room info(i.e for street chat)
• Get Invite message from server

P/S: Remaining functionality to be implemented ASAP is reconnection incase of loss of connection. 

public void processClosed(WebSocketClientEvent aEvent) {
        System.out.println("processClosed");
        System.out.println(mJWC.isConnected());
    }

This method is called when the listener on JWebSocket throws an Exception indicating loss of connection