I am trying to develop a web based interface to automation equipment (Allen Bradley plc's in this case) to use for an operator interface. I am using SVG to develop graphics and want to use javascript to manipulate the graphics based on data from the plc. I am looking for a way to pull more data from the server without having to reload the page. My question is will XML-RPC allow this. Or does Zope have some other mechanism that would allow this. Thanks for any help.
David Nimmons wrote:
I am trying to develop a web based interface to automation equipment (Allen Bradley plc's in this case) to use for an operator interface. I am using SVG to develop graphics and want to use javascript to manipulate the graphics based on data from the plc. I am looking for a way to pull more data from the server without having to reload the page. My question is will XML-RPC allow this. Or does Zope have some other mechanism that would allow this. Thanks for any help.
Actually this is mainly a client-side problem, on server side you have total freedom to serve any protocol ;) Often this kind of problem is solved by having twho frames and data is aquired by reloading the "data-page" which then manipulates the "presentation-page" using javascript, possibly in its onLoad method. ------------ Hannu
Another possibility is to use IE on the client side and use one of the COM interfaces to XML-RPC. You could then use javascript/vbscript to get data as required. hth Phil ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hannu Krosing" <hannu@tm.ee> To: "David Nimmons" <David_Nimmons@huntsman.com> Cc: <zope@zope.org> Sent: Wednesday, November 08, 2000 10:16 PM Subject: Re: [Zope] XML-RPC | David Nimmons wrote: | > | > I am trying to develop a web based interface to automation equipment (Allen | > Bradley plc's in this case) to use for an operator interface. I am using | > SVG to develop graphics and want to use javascript to manipulate the | > graphics based on data from the plc. I am looking for a way to pull more | > data from the server without having to reload the page. My question is will | > XML-RPC allow this. Or does Zope have some other mechanism that would allow | > this. Thanks for any help. | | Actually this is mainly a client-side problem, on server side you have | total | freedom to serve any protocol ;) | | Often this kind of problem is solved by having twho frames and data is | aquired | by reloading the "data-page" which then manipulates the | "presentation-page" | using javascript, possibly in its onLoad method. | | ------------ | Hannu | | _______________________________________________ | Zope maillist - Zope@zope.org | http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope | ** No cross posts or HTML encoding! ** | (Related lists - | http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce | http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev )
Hello I am missing the start of this thread, so I may be off topic, but you might want to look seriously at Flash5 for the client side programming and graphics. PROS: 1. Flash5 ActionScript is _very_ close to JavaScript 2. Flash Player/Plugin is much smaller than SVG 300Kb vs. 13Mb I think + large user installed base. 3. Flash5 has new XML and XMLSockets objects which should integrate nicely with XMLRPC and Zope via some smooth Python external method programming. 4. Flash will allow _much_ more client side interactivity than SVG 5. You can port SVG graphics to Flash using various tools [or even write your own]. 6. You can still use SVG JavaScript and do some comparisons where appropriate... 7. Flash is more mature than SVG, though I agree SVG is developing very well. I expect we shall see some serious applications during next 12 months with it. 8. Flash is very object-oriented once you grok to its design. Thus mirrors Zope very well. CONS: A. Flash has steepish learning curve, but high payback and reusability. [Not as tough as Zope :-) ] B. SVG is fully open; the Flash spec is 'published' but not open in the same way. C. must be more but cant thing of them right now If you are interested contact me - I have lots of useful research on this topic. - Jason _______________________________________________________ Jason Cunliffe = Nomadics['Interactive Art+Technology']
----- Original Message ----- From: "Hannu Krosing" <hannu@tm.ee> To: "David Nimmons" <David_Nimmons@huntsman.com>
| David Nimmons wrote: | > | > I am trying to develop a web based interface to automation equipment (Allen | > Bradley plc's in this case) to use for an operator interface. I am using | > SVG to develop graphics and want to use javascript to manipulate the | > graphics based on data from the plc. I am looking for a way to pull more | > data from the server without having to reload the page. My question is will | > XML-RPC allow this. Or does Zope have some other mechanism that would allow | > this. Thanks for any help. | | Actually this is mainly a client-side problem, on server side you have | total | freedom to serve any protocol ;) | | Often this kind of problem is solved by having twho frames and data is | aquired | by reloading the "data-page" which then manipulates the | "presentation-page" | using javascript, possibly in its onLoad method.
Hi Jason, I've been working with Flash some lately as well.. with an eye toward useful vector graphics for Zope. There is a library called ming (http://www.opaque.net/ming) with a (SWIG'ed) python extension that I've been slowing working through, adding wrapping fuctions and getting to the point of Zope'ability. Ming is a 'swf' creation library with no connection to Macromedia. Something like this would free folks from the need to buy 'MM Flash' to work with swf output. It also would make a great way to generate swf 'on the fly' within Zope.. I'll try to get a proof of concept working.... -steve
"Jason" == Jason Cunliffe <jasonic@nomadicsltd.com> writes:
Jason> Hello Jason> I am missing the start of this thread, so I may be off Jason> topic, but you might want to look seriously at Flash5 for Jason> the client side programming and graphics. Jason> PROS: Jason> 1. Flash5 ActionScript is _very_ close to JavaScript Jason> 2. Flash Player/Plugin is much smaller than SVG 300Kb Jason> vs. 13Mb I think + large user installed base. Jason> 3. Flash5 has new XML and XMLSockets objects which should Jason> integrate nicely with XMLRPC and Zope via some smooth Jason> Python external method programming. Jason> 4. Flash will allow _much_ more client side interactivity Jason> than SVG Jason> 5. You can port SVG graphics to Flash using various tools Jason> [or even write your own]. Jason> 6. You can still use SVG JavaScript and do some comparisons Jason> where appropriate... Jason> 7. Flash is more mature than SVG, though I agree SVG is Jason> developing very well. I expect we shall see some serious Jason> applications during next 12 months with it. Jason> 8. Flash is very object-oriented once you grok to its Jason> design. Thus mirrors Zope very well. Jason> CONS: Jason> A. Flash has steepish learning curve, but high payback and Jason> reusability. [Not as tough as Zope :-) ] B. SVG is fully Jason> open; the Flash spec is 'published' but not open in the Jason> same way. C. must be more but cant thing of them right now Jason> If you are interested contact me - I have lots of useful Jason> research on this topic. Jason> - Jason Jason> _______________________________________________________ Jason> Jason Cunliffe = Nomadics['Interactive Art+Technology'] >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hannu Krosing" >> <hannu@tm.ee> To: "David Nimmons" <David_Nimmons@huntsman.com> >> | David Nimmons wrote: >> | > >> | > I am trying to develop a web based interface to automation >> equipment (Allen | > Bradley plc's in this case) to use for an >> operator interface. I am Jason> using >> | > SVG to develop graphics and want to use javascript to >> manipulate the | > graphics based on data from the plc. I am >> looking for a way to pull Jason> more >> | > data from the server without having to reload the page. My >> question is will | > XML-RPC allow this. Or does Zope have some >> other mechanism that would allow | > this. Thanks for any help. >> | >> | Actually this is mainly a client-side problem, on server side >> you have | total | freedom to serve any protocol ;) >> | >> | Often this kind of problem is solved by having twho frames >> and data is | aquired | by reloading the "data-page" which then >> manipulates the | "presentation-page" | using javascript, >> possibly in its onLoad method. Jason> _______________________________________________ Zope Jason> maillist - Zope@zope.org Jason> http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope ** No cross Jason> posts or HTML encoding! ** (Related lists - Jason> http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-announce Jason> http://lists.zope.org/mailman/listinfo/zope-dev )
OK... I thought I'd put a little effort into this concept, and out came: http://www.zope.org/Members/sspickle/Zwiff Take a look.... it's a start at the concept of 'on the fly' swf from Zope. I needed a quick way to get up and running so I sub-classed PythonMethod and used the existing swf library from http://www.opaque.net/ming. Anyway.... this is another way to do 'flash' with Zope.... -steve
"Jason" == Jason Cunliffe <jasonic@nomadicsltd.com> writes:
Jason> Hello Jason> I am missing the start of this thread, so I may be off Jason> topic, but you might want to look seriously at Flash5 for Jason> the client side programming and graphics. ....
A number of folks have asked me about ming-0.0.4 and Zwiff. I have just uploaded a new Zwiff that uses ming-0.0.4+ (there is actually a full ming distribution this time with all the patches needed to work with Zwiff.) Let me know how it goes! http://www.zope.org/Members/sspickle/Zwiff -steve
participants (5)
-
David Nimmons -
Hannu Krosing -
Jason Cunliffe -
Phil Harris -
Steve Spicklemire