JavaScript windows like framework?
Hi all I am interested in creating a Zope emitted JavaScript framework that will give one the ability to create GUI application like websites. This framework could be used to create dragable windows, panels, tabbed panel and all the other common windowing components. Most people are familiar with windowing environments and things like Window's start bar's concepts. This way one could make a very familiar environment for the user. I don't know if there is already something like this available, but I think Zope will be the ideal environment to build something like this (or then convert and Zope'ify it!). One can make sure that only the JavaScript relevant to the user's browser is sent (by using aquisitioning). This gives one quite a advantage over the other guys who must in effect send three or more sets of source code to the client's browser with the browser (using ifs, etc.) deciding which piece of code to use. It there is nothing like this available, are there anybody else interested in starting such an open-source project? Let me know. Regards Etienne
On Tue, 24 Apr 2001, Etienne Labuschagne wrote:
Hi all
Hia Etienne,
One can make sure that only the JavaScript relevant to the user's browser is sent (by using aquisitioning). This gives one quite a advantage over the other guys who must in effect send three or more sets of source code to the client's browser with the browser (using ifs, etc.) deciding which piece of code to use.
I'm not sure acquisition is the right way to serve Javascript. Given that libraries that provide such an interface would be of considerable size, using jars in fixed (cacheable-by-browser) locations would probably be better. Implementing a GUI framework would be relatively easy, using projects such as the DynAPI [1] would lessen the time needed considerably. There has been a somewhat similar project previously, but AFAIK Zope development only (Zope Studio or something) for Mozilla. DynAPI aims at being cross-browser, enabling users with reasonably modern browsers to use applications built with it. This could be the killer application for Zope.
It there is nothing like this available, are there anybody else interested in starting such an open-source project?
I'd be interested in contributing some thoughts. [1] http://dynapi.sourceforge.net -Morten
* Morten W. Petersen <morten@thingamy.net> [010424 10:42]:
On Tue, 24 Apr 2001, Etienne Labuschagne wrote:
One can make sure that only the JavaScript relevant to the user's browser is sent (by using aquisitioning). This gives one quite a advantage over the other guys who must in effect send three or more sets of source code to the client's browser with the browser (using ifs, etc.) deciding which piece of code to use.
Implementing a GUI framework would be relatively easy, using projects such as the DynAPI [1] would lessen the time needed considerably.
There has been a somewhat similar project previously, but AFAIK Zope development only (Zope Studio or something) for Mozilla. DynAPI aims at being cross-browser, enabling users with reasonably modern browsers to use applications built with it.
This could be the killer application for Zope.
I'd love to collaborate on this, one day, when I have a moment or ten ;-) I want to create a gui for my CMF products, so users who only ever run MSWord will be able to create and mark up content. There's already plenty of DHTML out there to do some of the bits. I think the main effort would be designing a really extensible framework which could layer over Zope in all its future incarnations. I'd be very keen on a mozilla-only solution, personally, although I'm sure I won't get much agreement on that (the phrase 'can of worms' springs to mind)... The problem is, Navigator simply can't fully support things like WYSIWYG text editing components, and I'm loathe to tie my users to IE. By developing for mozilla, you'd have a *truly* cross-platform codebase, as well as all the exciting possibilites of XUL and a whiff of even more ambitious projects (pyXPCOM, anyone?) seb.
XUL and mozilla would give tremedous opportunities for a brilliant interface , but by going for w3c's DOM1 and 2 , one would be more or less platform-independent with most of the features anyway.. As of today M$IE (win and mac), mozilla, Konqueror (i think) all support DOM level 1 (and some of level 2) to some extent , and Opera is just around the corner. (Netscape 4.x is broken by design, though, - but i expect this to be common knowledge by now) You could easily create an interface miles better than the one there is today without being tied to a specific platform, using just standards-based tools.. - and by going standard DOM , and leaving NN4x out , you wouldnt need much of a cross browser API, even , because they all tend to suppprt the same standards.. - and , yes , i would love to be part of a project like this, time premitting.. :-) -- Geir Bækholt Web-Developer/Zopatista geirh@funcom.com http://www.funcom.com on or about, Tuesday, April 24, 2001, we have reason to believe that seb bacon wrote something along the lines of : sb> * Morten W. Petersen <morten@thingamy.net> [010424 10:42]:
On Tue, 24 Apr 2001, Etienne Labuschagne wrote: .......
Implementing a GUI framework would be relatively easy, using projects such as the DynAPI [1] would lessen the time needed considerably.
There has been a somewhat similar project previously, but AFAIK Zope development only (Zope Studio or something) for Mozilla. DynAPI aims at being cross-browser, enabling users with reasonably modern browsers to use applications built with it.
This could be the killer application for Zope.
sb> I'd love to collaborate on this, one day, when I have a moment or ten sb> ;-) I want to create a gui for my CMF products, so users who only sb> ever run MSWord will be able to create and mark up content. There's sb> already plenty of DHTML out there to do some of the bits. I think the sb> main effort would be designing a really extensible framework which sb> could layer over Zope in all its future incarnations. sb> I'd be very keen on a mozilla-only solution, personally, although I'm sb> sure I won't get much agreement on that (the phrase 'can of worms' sb> springs to mind)... The problem is, Navigator simply can't fully sb> support things like WYSIWYG text editing components, and I'm loathe to sb> tie my users to IE. By developing for mozilla, you'd have a *truly* sb> cross-platform codebase, as well as all the exciting possibilites of sb> XUL and a whiff of even more ambitious projects (pyXPCOM, anyone?) sb> seb.
participants (4)
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Etienne Labuschagne -
Geir B�kholt -
Morten W. Petersen -
seb bacon