How Else to Interact with Browser (was Re: Revolution Web Browser Plugin)

[Dan Shafer]

Since I've made as much noise about this over the years as anyone, I figured
I'd better not bypass this chance to provide what I hope is clear input on
the subject.

For me -- and this may well be overly simplistic -- there are three kinds of
applications: desktop apps, browser apps and client-server apps. Rev is
outstanding at the first, more than adequate (even excellent in some cases)
at the third, and not much help at all with the second. I'm talking here
about full-blown applications that are delivered to and run nearly
completely inside the Web browser environment. Examples include writely,
dabbleDB, JotSpot, BaseCamp, and others. The key idea -- for me, at least --
is that the software uses the admittedly confining presentation space of the
browser window as enhanced by the poorly named AJAX technology set and
requires the user to download nothing. Those are the kinds of apps in which
I am presently interested, which is why my level of activity with Rev has
dropped off considerably in the past few months.

Now, I'm not at all sure it's either necessary or appropriate for Rev to try
to wedge its technology base into that space which is now largely dominated
by JavaScript but which also includes examples of other scripting and
programming languages such as Ruby, Python and Smalltalk.

I am decidedly NOT interested in any app solution that requires my end user
to download a plug-in or anything else.

Flash is a terribly interesting DELIVERY platform for this class of apps but
the development tools for creating such apps suck big time. There is clearly
an opportunity here for a way to build an app in Rev and then compile it to
Flash and deliver it entirely via the browser. Similarly, there is a great
opportunity for doing the same thing and producing AJAX output. This is the
direction taken by tools like Laszlo and Flex, which essentially use
JavaScript and XML as their linguistic platforms.

That's my $0.06 (inflation taken into account along with the length of my
response). :-)

On 11/3/06, Lynn Fredricks <lfredricks at proactive-intl.com> wrote:
>
>
> WHAT ELSE? What other options are there? Id like to frame this question
> also
> within the bounds of use - if you suggest something, is there a practical
> use you can think of?
>
> Before diving into the Roadster model, I ask that you go back and read
> discussion on the list. I have a very strong opinion about this since I
> was
> directly involved in the last rev of the Roadster plugin for SuperCard.
>
> Best regards,
>
>
> Lynn Fredricks
> Worldwide Business Operations
> Runtime Revolution, Ltd
>
>
-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dan Shafer, Information Product Consultant and Author
http://www.shafermedia.com
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