Rich internet applications

[joey.jeremiah]

I've been browsing rich internet apps ( RIA ) options.
I was BLOWN AWAY! with XUL in combination SVG, Ajax etc.

XAML is also a strong choice, but it's Windows only which kind of defeats the purpose
and won't be available in IE until Vista, which could take a decade for it to be wide spread.

Of course there are other options like Flex, but it also comes with a steep price.
Any opinions and recommendation will be greatly appreciated. TIA

 

[joey.jeremiah]

Since nothing is better then actually seeing some examples.

Here's some misc SVG samples I googled

http://www.wpsenergy.com/JayNick/default.asp



If you're using a Mozilla browser SVG support is already built-in

Otherwise you can download the adobe plug-in.

http://www.adobe.com/svg/viewer/install/main.html

 

[TomBascom]

This sort of application is what led me to create ProJAX:

http://www.openarchitect.com/pjx/pjax.html

It's not as glitzy as some of the others but if you're a Progress programmer looking to expand your horizons it might help.

 

[Lee Curzon]

Some more supercool demos here:

http://www.backbase.com/#home/pulldown/demos.xml[1]

 

[joey.jeremiah]

Thanks guys,

I'm not sure HTML is suitable for every case
the same thing with Flash, it's too toy story like.

The thing that I liked about XUL and SVG
is the modern desktop GUI and amazing vector graphics.

Another thing about SVG is that it's plain XML not byte-code
and of course no install, cross platform, Mac, Linux etc.

 

[joey.jeremiah]

So is that the future ?

RIA's with an SOA underneath ?

 

[Lee Curzon]

Thanks guys,

I'm not sure HTML is suitable for every case
the same thing with Flash, it's too toy story like.

The thing that I liked about XUL and SVG
is the modern desktop GUI and amazing vector graphics.

Another thing about SVG is that it's plain XML not byte-code
and of course no install, cross platform, Mac, Linux etc.

You're ahead of me - I'm only on Ajax at the moment.

Can you ask them to stop producing all these new technologies for a bit, so I can catch up?

 

[Lee Curzon]

So is that the future ?

RIA's with an SOA underneath ?

I've been wondering that myself recently - now that Ajax/whatever is starting to allow Application like functionality, one wonders if traditional Application front ends like Progress/VB are worth going much further with.

 

[joey.jeremiah]

Oh, btw Tom

Who did you have to kill to setup a Progress demo, seriously tell me who ?

PSC has stricter policies then the army

 

[TomBascom]

Progress is a pretty good language for the backend SOA parts. I've never liked it for GUIs the way I liked it for ChUI.

AJAX lets you keep Progress on the backend and do pretty much whatever you'd like on the front. The whole process and architecture feels a whole lot more "natural" to this old-fashioned legacy character programmer.


I too like XUL. And SVG. I may yet do something with them but they were more than I need right now. I think the Flash stuff is a mistake though -- there's a vendor lock-in poroblem with that and I've already got one vendor locked in.

I'm also finding that JavaScript is a lot more interesting and capable than I expected it was.

 

[joey.jeremiah]

one wonders if traditional Application front ends like Progress/VB are worth going much further with.

... like progress "alternate ui" plans


i don't know enough to make any claims

but it might turn out to be another adm/dynamics investment

 

[avine]

I too was impressed with xul. Somethings I liked were overlays to merge xml templates and XBL for extending xul widgets. Firefox, Thunderbird and and an IDE called Komodo are all written in xul. These apps all run locally. I battled to find examples of remote apps.


Andrew

 

[Lee Curzon]

... like progress "alternate ui" plans


i don't know enough to make any claims

but it might turn out to be another adm/dynamics investment

I've just noticed this, perhaps you have seen it, but it may be pertinent to this thread, I haven't looked into it yet.

http://psdn.progress.com/library/gui/index.ssp

 

[joey.jeremiah]

yeah. the recent postings @psdn were a real eye opener.

after all the talk about mdi this is the first time i've seen one in 4gl.


for me the biggest problems i had with the demos were that

at the moment you'd need to buy almost all the controls

and working with the appbuilder gives me the chills.

 

[joey.jeremiah]

i'm somewhat hesitant about the new gui strategy.

sure i'd like to have it and it'll be much more accessible to all of us then xaml for example.

but i'm not sure it's such a wise strategic move



i think we should have learned alot from the whole adm saga

and progress has to be much wiser and careful in the future.

 

[Lee Curzon]

I thought the new gui strategy was to 'let someone else do it'.

As GUI isn't a Progress strong point, this seems like a good idea.