[REBOL] Re: REBOL, Flash and Browsers
From: sunandadh:aol at: 11-Mar-2003 16:21
Petr:
> I am afraid now I don't understand? What does have Rebol distributed
> collaborative platform have in common with the need to deploy two
> philosophically different environments? Because - knowing IOS, we know
> Rebol is "distributed collaborative platform" and the worst thing imo is
> - to mix two worlds into one. I prefer clean IOS aproach and html (or
> other formats) as an output device. But I may miss the point here. But
> you may be correct if you meant that:
I think we're taking different meanings for "distributed collaborative
platform", You, I think, are seeing that as the IOS product. I'm reading it
as all REBOL products, including the language itself.
I'll claim that the REBOL website supports my view:
<<[...]REBOL was designed to solve one of the fundamental problems in
computing: the exchange and interpretation of information between distributed
computer systems. REBOL accomplishes this through the concept of relative
expressions.[...] For example, REBOL can not only create a graphical user
interface in one line of code, but it can also send that line as data to be
processed and displayed on other Internet computer systems around the
world....REBOL's consistent architecture provides powerful range of
capabilities, from its small kernel interpreter (called REBOL/Core) up to an
entire Internet Operating System (called REBOL/IOS)>>
http://www.rebol.com/rebol-intro.html
The issue that interests me is what is a platform these days. There is a
generation growing up for whom the browser is *the* major platform -- they
can buy books, view porn. check airline schedules, listen to music, message
to friends, steal essays for homework, etc, etc, solely using applications
that run on their browser.
And they can use those same applications in exactly the same way on the Linux
box at home, on the PC box at work, on the friend's MAC, the
whatever-machine at the mall, and (in many cases) the PDA on the bus.
Inside-browser is a major platform for today's and tomorrow's applications.
Flash is aiming to be language for application deployment inside browsers. If
that happens -- and yes Cyphre, I know Flash is pretty clunky in many ways:
I'm no fan of it -- but if it happens, it'll be the language that is used to
display data "on other Internet computer systems around the world" rather
than REBOL.
And us old-timers will be stuck telling them young'uns about how in the old
days you had to install an operating-system specific package ("what's an
operating system, granddad?"), rather than just clicking "download plug-in,"
to add functionality to an application.
> 2) deployment of rebol is a bit difficult
I'm with you all the way on the rest of your post. Those are key issues that
hinder the spread of REBOL.
Of course, if Microsoft borgize Flash into Visual Office:Flash XP++.Net then
REBOL has a fighting chance,
Sunanda.
