Re: Spolsky's requests for Web Applications

To briefly comment on Joel's requirement for 'contenteditable' (as implemented in IE).

This is a *crucial* feature for building a rich UI. Absolutely crucial. But the critical thing to understand about the browser in the context of richer UIs is that we don't have to just build purist web-based apps using the browser.

Instead, we embed the browser as a component in a larger client-side application. This gives us a UI and rendering engine which - and this is equally important - can also PRINT things.

I can't begin to tell you how many thousands of lines of code the browser saves you, as an embeddable component - I build large commercial systems under Windows using VB6 as the application language and embed IE6 as the UI and print engine. Via defined Javascript functions, the VB6 container interacts with the UI. This gives you a beautiful n-tier architecture that is also, potentially, OS neutral. (because, in theory, I could replace either VB or the browser without things changing).

To do this properly in the Open Source world I *need* a browser that supports contenteditable. And vector graphics (VML is at least reasonably well supported in IE, for instance).

Unfortunately the Mozilla/Firefox team appear to have given up trying to implement this feature as it is 'too hard'. Also progress on integrating SVG into the standard builds appears to be glacially slow.

Joel, if you're listening. Or anyone who can help. PLEASE.... Joel, you've got kudos and perhaps some experiences as an ex-Microsoftee at organising teams. Can't you help bang some heads together to make this happen. I am desperate to see this materialise in a non-Microsoft platform!.

Received on Monday, 21 June 2004 08:11:46 UTC