[ALLY] Re: /View is cool, but...
From: gjones05:mail:orion at: 17-Apr-2001 17:07
From: <[ryan--christiansen--intellisol--com]>
> I don't have anything against /View and I can't wait to find time to play
> with it more, but...
>
> Why is it important that RT promote /View as an interface solution?
>
> Instead, couldn't RT promote REBOL as a back-end scripting solution, using
> web browsers as the interface solution? For example, REBOL could be used
> even as a localhost web server, utilizing whatever web browser is handy as
> the interface solution, accepting GET and POST, etc., and returning output
> to a web browser, using the browser's built-in support for images, sounds,
> animation, etc.
>
> I'm asking this question because I'd really like to know how developers
> benefit from this focus on /View instead of REBOL-browser integration.
>
> Ryan C. Christiansen
Hi, Ryan,
I understand what you are "getting at." In some ways I have wondered the
same thing. But I think that the real point is that RT is targeting a
problem space that goes *beyond* the proto-typical browser interface. I
suspect that if they had infinite resources (excuse the hyperbole), they
would be simultaneously developing a browser plug-in, a multi-threading
Apache module, etc, as a way to demonstrate the proficiencies of the
language. But they are "forced" to focus on the most critical portion of
the target; hence, the fruits of their labors suggest the actual target.
Interestingly, despite being a very widely used language, the Tcl/Tk plug-in
has essentially died on the vine, and the Apache Mod_Tcl is still rarely
offered by the broad market Internet Presence Providers (ie. website
hosters). This trend (or lack of trend) basically has told me that the
problem space is "adequately" filled, even though the readily available
solutions are not really ideal. The only somewhat wide use of this language
as a backend solution is in the AOL server. It is *the* scripting language
for this server. Obviously, AOL manages to serve many a page, but few even
realize that it is Tcl that has provided the scripting solution. In my
opinion, REBOL is far superior to Tcl in many facets, but I just can't see
REBOL as *making it* in the big world just because it has been adequately
placed in the backend server or browser plugin market. Few people think
about COBOL, but it still is largely the real big business solution.
Amazing.
I'm not disagreeing with the idea; I wish it did fill the role that you
invision. I wish it were widely available in this capacity. I just
suspect given the market conditions and the fact that resources are bounded,
it is not likely to happen. I'm curious to see whether CURL will even make
a dent in the big scheme.
I think for the real solution to information processing and dissemination,
RT and REBOL is on the right track. But, it will be a hard, uphill battle,
no doubt. Of course, a killer app would make all the difference in terms of
exposure; I am convinced that Python would still be a relatively unknown
scripting language except for Zope making a splash.
Thank you for expressing your opinion, as these expressions cause us all to
think, which is what is *really* important.
--Scott Jones
