[REBOL] Re: Multimedia REBOL... yes or no?
From: pwoodward:cncdsl at: 11-Jul-2003 11:05
Hrm -
Multimedia in Rebol, with "rich" media? What about the following idea?
View/Pro allows access to libraries on the host system. Under Windows there
are a bunch of SDKs/APIs for media: MCI, DirectShow/DirectPlay, and even
the Windows Media Player. I suspect that other platforms may have similar
approaches (Amiga - Multiview for instance). What about creating an
Abstract interface within REBOL that describes a core, common set of media
functions that can be supported by interfacing with these libraries?
You want to play an MP3, or Audio from a CD-ROM? Stuff like that should be
possible on just about any system. Of course, you'll face the same problem
Java does once you start to link it with native code - you begin to lose
portability, or at least increase requirements on the underlying system to
have certain things installed.
But, assuming a core set of "REBOL/Media" API calls that could be back-ended
by native code, there's no reason that couldn't be an interim solution,
eventually replacing the function call-outs with native (REBOL)
functionality.
- Porter
