As we all know, web2.0 has nerds foaming at the mouth all around the world. If there’s something used by more than two people, there’s probably two other people putting an ajax interface on it at this very moment in hopes of becoming the next flickr. That said, it’s also pretty amazing what people have pulled off with just javascript, dhtml, and an XML request. Which brings us to why I’m even typing: Paul, who’s done at etech, made a post which mentioned an platform called TrimJunction. It seems this guy, Steve Yan, implemented a RubyOnRails style MVC and a relational data storage with SQL support entirely in … wait for it … javascript.
The idea is that you write the same app which can run thick or thin (offline or online) through a brower. If you’re familiar with Rails, you’ll see the similarities: activerecords, templates, the usual MVC stuff. It’s a powerful idea considering every web2.0 app falls apart when you don’t have an internet connection. Steve even implemented a complete system for creating schemas, datasets, and full SQL queries in javascript. I can only imagine the shitload of work this must have been. Honestly, I remember a time not so long ago (2002) when the pinnacle of javascript was generating x10 pop-up windows.
The demo on this site, a todo app, isn’t visually flatterly but when you consider how it works under the hood it’s utterly ricockulous. You can even modify the schema and code on the fly. The application development is actually within the application. The thing even has unit tests which you can run to test your newly modified code.
I still think the real future of thin client software is in technology like xul and xaml, but in the meantime you’ve got to give credit to Mr. Yan. I have no idea if TrimJuction scales, or even if it’s useful enough to exist, but it definitely impressed me.
That is pretty interesting shit, though I still don’t see the need for applications that work online and off. I don’t remember the last time my net connection was down. (Of course, I may just block such events out, they would be so traumatic.)
JavaScript: Mr. Yunioshi of [scripting] languages. JavaScript is so underrated (–and I’m a kernel developer). Think “out of the browser”. Name another [lightweight] language that supports closures and dynamic typing (including dynamic function typing!)? I bet Yan wrote all that shit in a single function. Yes, yes, the web is generally wholesome, but don’t forget that it’s solely responsible for heinously smothering the awe of animated GIFs (or was that IBM and their flaming logo ad?) and, until Yan, suppressing the potential and reputation of JavaScript. Go, Yan! Show those bitches!
[...] John Lam on Software: Steve Yegge ported Rails to JavaScript. it’s too bad he didn’t add on to TrimJunction, which I actually blogged about over a year ago. [...]