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There are two main strategies for implementing this:
There are two main strategies for implementing this:
# Running a standard browser, as light as possible, that points to a small local webserver (SimpleHTTPServer). It would use AJAX or a wrapper on top of that (like jsonrpc) to provide the bridge to python. The biggest downside would be that the SSB would have to call the python backend for persistence and interaction with Sugar. Another problem would be that this process could not easily be automated. Some python code would have to be written for any semi-interesting application. It would also be harder for web developers to hack Webified itself.
# Running a standard browser, as light as possible, that points to a small local webserver (SimpleHTTPServer). It would use AJAX or a wrapper on top of that (like jsonrpc) to provide the bridge to python. The biggest downside would be that the SSB would have to call the python backend for persistence and interaction with Sugar. Another problem would be that this process could not easily be automated. Some python code would have to be written for any semi-interesting application. It would also be harder for web developers to hack Webified itself.
# In a small controller application, embed a browser runtime (with hulahop). The resulting activity would be completely standalone and would not depend on a web server anymore. Gears would have to be installed as a plugin for xulrunner. Javascript dbus access through [http://sandbox.movial.com/wiki/index.php/Browser_DBus_Bridge#WebKit_.28JavaScriptCore.29_version_notes this bridge], pyxpcom or, in a worst case scenario, AJAX. It would be very similar to other efforts to bring web apps to the desktop and it could also provide better integration with Sugar.<br />Browse could be used as a base for the Webified SSB. A small utility (probably an extension to the Browse activity) would create activities out of websites.<br />
# In a small controller application, embed a browser runtime (with hulahop). The resulting activity would be completely standalone and would not depend on a web server anymore. Gears would have to be installed as a plugin for xulrunner. Javascript dbus access through [http://sandbox.movial.com/wiki/index.php/Browser_DBus_Bridge#WebKit_.28JavaScriptCore.29_version_notes this bridge], pyxpcom, [https://www.socialtext.net/lukec/index.cgi?xocom XOCOM] or, in a worst case scenario, AJAX. It would be very similar to other efforts to bring web apps to the desktop and it could also provide better integration with Sugar.<br />Browse could be used as a base for the Webified SSB. A small utility (probably an extension to the Browse activity) would create activities out of websites.<br />
I will be focusing on the second stragety.<br />
I will be focusing on the second stragety.<br />
# Webified SSB can load a website (hello world)
# Webified SSB can load a website (hello world)
# Webified SSB can use GMail in offline mode (through Gears)
# Webified SSB can use GMail in offline mode (through Gears)
# JavaScript from within a Webified SSB can make dbus calls
# JavaScript from within a Webified SSB can make dbus calls (dbus hello world)
#
# Browse can successfully "sugarize" GMail.
# Browse can successfully "sugarize" GMail.
* If your project is successfully completed, what will its impact be on the Sugar Labs community? Give 3 answers, each 1-3 paragraphs in length. The first one should be yours. The other two should be answers from members of the Sugar Labs community, at least one of whom should be a Sugar Labs GSoC mentor. Provide email contact information for non-GSoC mentors.
* If your project is successfully completed, what will its impact be on the Sugar Labs community? Give 3 answers, each 1-3 paragraphs in length. The first one should be yours. The other two should be answers from members of the Sugar Labs community, at least one of whom should be a Sugar Labs GSoC mentor. Provide email contact information for non-GSoC mentors.
<strong> Myself:</strong> <br />
<strong> Myself:</strong> <br />
:The result of my project would be something akin to Mozilla Prism, but tailored for Sugar. It would allow users to make separate activities out of websites and, if those websites support Gears, also take them offline.<br />
:The result of my project would be something akin to Fluid (and Prism), but tailored for Sugar. It would allow users to make separate activities out of websites and, if those websites support Gears, also take them offline.<br />
:The web is moving towards websites-as-applications and there are many projects to help integrate these new applications with the various desktop environments ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Integrated_Runtime AIR], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverlight#Silverlight_3 Silverlight Out-of-Browser Experience], [http://developer.mozilla.org/en/Prism Mozilla Prism], [http://fluidapp.com Fluid]). There is also the bold [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_webOS webOS] from Palm, that fully embraces web technologies by making them the default toolkit for building applications for the platform.
:The web is moving towards websites-as-applications and there are many projects to help integrate these new applications with the various desktop environments ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Integrated_Runtime AIR], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverlight#Silverlight_3 Silverlight Out-of-Browser Experience], [http://developer.mozilla.org/en/Prism Mozilla Prism], [http://fluidapp.com Fluid]). There is also the bold [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_webOS webOS] from Palm, that fully embraces web technologies by making them the default toolkit for building applications for the platform.
:It would be great to bring these ideas to Sugar, as they would enable easier usage of web applications and in general more orientation towards the web. It would also allow web developers to easily extend those websites to better integrate with Sugar, increasing the developer pool of and raising awareness towards Sugar.<br />
:It would be great to bring these ideas to Sugar, as they would enable easier usage of web applications and in general more orientation towards the web. It would also allow web developers to easily extend those websites to better integrate with Sugar, increasing the developer pool of and raising awareness towards Sugar.<br />
<strong>Bryan Berry:</strong><br />
:Again, this requires people to learn python, a whole new language that they don't necessarily use at work. We need to enable developers to be very productive in just 2-3 hours per week. For them to be productive they need to be using tools they are already familiar w/.
:Python is a tool popular among sysadmins and hackers. It is great tool. But folks who develop web UIs use css, html, javascript, and flash. I highly doubt that will change in the near or distant future. These are people we need to recruit as activity designers.
<strong> Tomeu Vizoso</strong> <br />
<strong> Tomeu Vizoso</strong> <br />
: "Without needing to get into what is better for our deployments, I do see value in making easier to make Sugar activities using technologies such as HTML, CSS, etc" [feel free to edit/remove]
: "Without needing to get into what is better for our deployments, I do see value in making easier to make Sugar activities using technologies such as HTML, CSS, etc" [feel free to edit/remove]
Are you a mentor? Could I please get a paragraph in here from you? Pretty please?
Are you a mentor? Could I please get a paragraph in here from you? Pretty please?
* Sugar Labs will be working to set up a small (5-30 unit) Sugar pilot near each student project that is accepted to GSoC so that you can immediately see how your work affects children in a deployment. We will make arrangements to either supply or find all the equipment needed. Do you have any ideas on where you would like your deployment to be, who you would like to be involved, and how we can help you and the community in your area begin it?
* Sugar Labs will be working to set up a small (5-30 unit) Sugar pilot near each student project that is accepted to GSoC so that you can immediately see how your work affects children in a deployment. We will make arrangements to either supply or find all the equipment needed. Do you have any ideas on where you would like your deployment to be, who you would like to be involved, and how we can help you and the community in your area begin it?
XL
XL
* Describe a great learning experience you had as a child.
* Describe a great learning experience you had as a child.
The most important thing I ever learned was to never be certain of anything and to always be prepared for the worst.
* Is there anything else we should have asked you or anything else that we should know that might make us like you or your project more?
* Is there anything else we should have asked you or anything else that we should know that might make us like you or your project more?
Web technologies are remarkably flexible and it would be great to encourage children to play around with them.
[[Category:2009 GSoC applications]]
[[Category:2009 GSoC applications]]