Considering work with livecode server

Wed Jan 20 11:24:59 EST 2021

Andre,
You are probably correct. 

Thanks to all of you who have responded to my question about deployment on the web.

Best,
Bill

William Prothero
http://es.earthednet.org

> On Jan 20, 2021, at 8:22 AM, Andre Garzia <andre at andregarzia.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> Bill,
> 
> :-) that topic is too large for a book to be honest.
> 
> What I recommend is actually building a desktop standalone. Forget the web for that app, push for an app.
> 
> Best
> A
> 
>> On Wed, 20 Jan 2021 at 16:20, ELS Prothero <prothero at earthlearningsolutions.org> wrote:
>> Thank you, Andre, for you wisdom. What I take from your comments is if I want to develop dynamic interactive web based apps with Livecode, I should get up to speed on JavaScript and will need to either use Livecode to generate html5, compiled with webAssembly, or find another platform to develop the software.
>> 
>> Perhaps this topic is an idea for a short book (hint, hint).
>> 
>> Best,
>> Bill
>> 
>> William Prothero
>> http://es.earthednet.org
>> 
>> > On Jan 20, 2021, at 8:03 AM, Andre Garzia via use-livecode <use-livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:
>> > 
>> > WebAssembly (aka WASM) is not a silver bullet. It is not something like
>> > "you compile to WebAssembly and then PROFIT".
>> > 
>> > WebAssembly and ASM.js (which is what the current HTML5 LC Runtime uses)
>> > are very similar. The advantages of WASM is that it is a lot smaller –
>> > since it is bytecode and not strings in source code – than ASM.js, also, it
>> > can be streamed so you can start loading it in the VM before it finishes
>> > transferring. Given the same source code in WASM and ASM.js, the WASM one
>> > will transfer and load faster, but that is it. One of the main objectives
>> > of WASM was to reduce latency between the beginning of the load action and
>> > having something running.
>> > 
>> > WASM backends have been integrated in many languages – mostly notable LLVM
>> > – which means that is somewhat doable to compile C/C++ code to WASM. That
>> > doesn't mean that all libraries work. WASM has no graphics part. It deals
>> > with memory and integers (floats?). It doesn't even have a string type. It
>> > is basically a small assembly language to be targeted by compilers.
>> > 
>> > Apps made with WASM do not work with just 100% WASM. You always need JS.
>> > JavaScript is the glue that links DOM, events, and WASM. What you usually
>> > do is have a bunch of JS and then speed up some parts of that code with
>> > WASM. WASM can't touch the DOM, WASM can't handle input events. JS and WASM
>> > are built to complement each other.
>> > 
>> > Most languages targeting WebAssembly deployments have their own "JS
>> > Standard library toolkit" so that when you compile, you end up with a
>> > combination of WASM and JS files (maybe even HTML).
>> > 
>> > The benefit for LC would be a smaller runtime and faster loading, both are
>> > great.
>> > 
>> > Just don't believe it is something magical like we were promised in the 90s
>> > with Java Applets that you'd compile your Java App and it would magically
>> > load on the Web. That is not how this works.
>> > 
>> > If you want to learn more about WebAssembly go to the learning area of MDN
>> > WebDocs:
>> > https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/WebAssembly/Concepts#what_is_webassembly
>> > 
>> > 
>> > 
>> >> On Wed, 20 Jan 2021 at 15:53, Andre Garzia <andre at andregarzia.com> wrote:
>> >> 
>> >> So,
>> >> 
>> >> Displaying bundled content only (or mostly) allows Apple's static analysis
>> >> tools to take a look at your app. They can also identify outgoing
>> >> connections, so they know if you are opening remote pages. If all you do is
>> >> display local content, and there is no outgoing connections, then security
>> >> analysis of your app is easier (also, it works offline from the start which
>> >> is good). This is not an infalible system, but it works for the average
>> >> case.
>> >> 
>> >> As for having an app, that displays external webpages which allow you to
>> >> buy stuff might be a violation of Apple TOS. That is why you don't buy
>> >> Kindle books on the Kindle app on iOS. Amazon doesn't want to give Apple a
>> >> cut. An app that advertises itself as a browser has more leeway with this
>> >> than others. For example it is OK for Mozilla to ship "Firefox" (not really
>> >> Firefox, more like mozSafari) in iOS even though you can open web pages and
>> >> buy stuff with it. It is not OK for you to create an app that opens your
>> >> webstore and sells stuff.
>> >> 
>> >> I'll write another message about WebAssembly...
>> >> 
>> >> On Wed, 20 Jan 2021 at 12:22, Mark Smith via use-livecode <
>> >> use-livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:
>> >> 
>> >>> Thanks Kee, but I am a bit puzzled by the restriction.
>> >>> 
>> >>> That would require complicity from the businesses, which if reputable
>> >>> would be a stretch, no? For example, if I had an app that linked to course
>> >>> selections on University websites, are they going to suggest that these
>> >>> could be portals to pedophile shopping sites by entering a secret pass
>> >>> phrase? By the sounds of it, please correct me if I am wrong, no iStore app
>> >>> can link to a website for content regardless of the status of the
>> >>> organization that stands behind the site? Hmmmm, I still have a lot to
>> >>> learn in this space.
>> >>> 
>> >>> Are there any links available to guidelines that describe these
>> >>> limitations?
>> >>> 
>> >>> Thanks
>> >>> Mark
>> >>> 
>> >>>> On Jan 20, 2021, at 4:25 AM, kee nethery via use-livecode <
>> >>> use-livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:
>> >>>> 
>> >>>> An app to web content is a mystery app. Your restaurant review app that
>> >>> pulls from the web could easily be transformed into a pedophile shopping
>> >>> app by entering a secret pass phrase and then changing the data on the web
>> >>> site. (as an extreme example)
>> >>> 
>> >>> _______________________________________________
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>> >>> 
>> >> 
>> >> 
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>> > 
>> > 
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