Re: [WedTech] Fwd: 10 reasons the browser is becoming the universal OS ( - Software )
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Fwd-10-reasons-the-browser-is-becoming-the-universal-OS-Software-tp7584335p7584339.html
Object Oriented Programming in NeWS
The NeWS† window system provides the primitives needed to create window managers and user-interface toolkits, but does not, itself, supply either. This is done to achieve a layering strategy for building several higher level systems that can share NeWS as their low level window system. None of the traditional ‘‘tool kit’’ solutions currently span the diverse set of clients NeWS needed to serve; they simply lack sufficient flexibility. We are exploring an object oriented approach which uses a flexible inheritance scheme. This paper presents our initial attempt at introducing a Smalltalk style class mechanism to PostScript‡, and our first use of it.
Introduction to NeWS
NeWS is a server-based window system which replaces the usual network protocols for express- ing window and graphics primitives by an interpreted programming language. The language consists of almost all of Adobe System’s PostScript [5], with some extensions.
The extensions to PostScript include:
Primitives for managing client TCP/IP style connections.
Primitives for light-weight processes.
Multiple drawing surfaces called ‘‘canvases’’.
An event mechanism for handling user input and inter-process communication.
Use of garbage collection.
Owen -
I generally agree with the point you are making but always feel compelled to make the counter point that modern browsers are replacing the Window/Desktop manager more than the OS. Yes, there is a sophisticated JS interpreter in them, but that is as deep as it really goes IMO.
With your background, you obviously appreciate that the current state of browsers is roughly what I think was conceived of when Sun invented the Network Extensible Window System (NEWS), only with JavaScript instead of PostScript. I think NEWS would have been a better (technically) solution if it had been allowed to mature over another 20 years (as browsers have).
That said, I think it has *finally* come of age... I was an early adopter/developer in the WWW space and saw the potential but was frustrated by the ragged pace of such popular movements and oddly competitive markets (remember when McNeally publicly buried the hatchet with Gates at JavaOne II I think... after deliberately crashing their servers publicly at JavaOne I ?).
"the browser" is a very sophisticated but still crufty IMO place to live.
Following Winston Churchill's great quote: "the browser is the worst OS/Window/Desktop system around, except for all of the others".
- Steve
Slightly sophomoric, but interesting:
The reasons:Browser as ultimate OS reason No. 1: The rise of vast, rich Web applications
Browser as ultimate OS reason No. 2: Easy extensibility via plug-ins
Browser as ultimate OS reason No. 3: Its open source foundation
Browser as ultimate OS reason No. 4: Metaprogramming
Browser as ultimate OS reason No. 5: Multiplatform simplicity and mutability
Browser as ultimate OS reason No. 6: A clean abstraction layer
Browser as ultimate OS reason No. 7: Better sharing models for libraries
Browser as ultimate OS reason No. 8: Fertile, competitive marketplace
Browser as ultimate OS reason No. 9: SVG, canvas, vector graphics, great user interfaces
Browser as ultimate OS reason No. 10: Node.js
The article expands. JSEverywhere has been in our minds for quite some time, but this is yet another articulation.
-- Owen
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