--------------------------------------------------
From: "Bert Freudenberg" <bert at freudenbergs.de>
Sent: Monday, September 06, 2010 1:17 PM
To: "The general-purpose Squeak developers list" 
<squeak-dev at lists.squeakfoundation.org>
Subject: Re: [squeak-dev] Squeak browser plugin and JavaScript

> (un-cc'ing vmdev)
>
> On 06.09.2010, at 15:02, Rob Withers wrote:
>
>> Hi Bert,
>>
>> I should start by explaining why I think the use of JavaScript is 
>> desirable. JS enables client side UI and behaviors.   It is back to fat 
>> client, with a server publishing the UI and the content, but the UI runs 
>> in the client.  JS supports client-side behaviors to respond to mouse 
>> over, hover, move?, click, selection, etc.  It is a professional look and 
>> feel and accepted industry wide - broad support in modern browsers.
>>
>> Let's look at the alternatives you mention, and please correct me if I 
>> have the wrong read on it:
>>
>> 1) HTML/DOM - no client side behavior.  Not a robust UI.   All static 
>> elements.
>
> Huh? All you do in Javascript is manipulating the DOM. Unless you draw 
> your own UI using the HTML Canvas object.
>

I don't understand this.  Could you explain what you mean when you say "All 
you do in Javascript is manipulating the DOM".  I realize a DOM comes from 
the servlet, but there are all these objects that are created and interact 
(to mouse events, timers, other events).  It talks to the server with DOM 
but the behavior is more than just manipulating the DOM, isn't it?


>> 2) Serving up JS from Seaside - This is possible I think, using Seaside 
>> as the Servlet.  My intention is to use a ToolBuilder, which I am 
>> woefully ignorant of, to build UI objects that would get translated to 
>> JS.  I think this is my "GWT" solution.  We would just need to figure out 
>> the best way to translate Morphic windows to JS.
>
> If you use ToolBuilder you don't have to worry about Morphic. It's whole 
> purpose is to not depend on a particular UI framework.

Sweet.


>> Since I want JS as my UI, a third approach in addition to GWTSqueak and 
>> v8 integration is to write a JS compiler/interpreter/jit in Squeak and 
>> run Squeak as a JS plugin in the various browsers.  We would still need 
>> to translate Morphic to JS.
>>
>> I hope this helps clear up what I am looking for and the reasoning behind 
>> it.
>
> Maybe you should re-read what I wrote in my previous message assuming I 
> understood what you wanted ;)

I struggled to get past the assertion that HTML was the way forward...

Cheers,
Rob