Google Is Building a Chrome App-Based IDE 209
An anonymous reader writes "Google's Chromium team never ceases to amaze. Its latest project is a Chrome app-based Integrated Development Environment (IDE) codenamed Spark. For those who don't know, Chrome packaged apps are written in HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, but launch outside the browser, work offline by default, and access certain APIs not available to Web apps. In other words, they're Google's way of pushing the limits of the Web as a platform."
Local webapp (Score:5, Interesting)
First we tried to replace desktop apps with webapps and that's why we stood the awkwardness and immaturity of JavaScript, CSS and HTML. At least, we could justify it by saying "you'll be able to access the application from everywhere" (not true: new versions of browsers broke apps everytime)
Now, we are using those same immature and awkward technologies (JS, CSS, HTML) to develop local apps, which could be developed in C#, C++ or even Delphi in a fraction of time, integrate better with the platform and have more direct access to local APIs. I'm sorry but I don't understand this.
And yes, JavaScript, CSS, etc are way immature if you compare with what you can do in C# (WinForms, WPF), C++ (Qt, Boost) or even Delphi. The debugging process in itself is a nightmare.
Re:Local webapp (Score:5, Interesting)
Adding my rant, particularly about how this is far from an isolated incident...
Some notable examples....
Palm's WebOS bragged on how developers *got* to use javascript and css to develop local applications.... Despite some decent UI design elements, the thing was a beast to develop for in that model.
Gnome 3 in it's infinite wisdom has gone to javascript and css for their shell...
iPhone in its original vision figured web browser would suffice before realizing pretty quickly that a decent framework would be called for...
Of course we also have the peculiar entity of Node.js, because web developers had to deal with languages that were just too reasonable in the webapp server space (yes, I know the I/O semantics natively act in a reasonable manner, but things like eventlet bring that sort of model to python).
It's related to the phenomenon where so many vocal developers believe if you do *anything* over a network it better be http. I've even seen scenarios where developers have advocated for http over TCP as IPC for multiple processes that are related by common fork() ancestory, meaning they couldn't possibly run on distinct servers (ignoring the massive security exposure it represented on top of the weirdness).
Now there are decent and reasonable things in the space (e.g. network apis that reasonably *can* map to REST semantics can be explored decently) among the abominations (e.g. SOAP which of course has been plaguing the world for a long time, but still it's the best example of a widespread moronic standard over http for no good reason on top of being a mess in and of itself). Of course everyone jumping on the 'REST' bandwagon means a great deal of interfaces claim to be that way without really usefully being in that camp, and even in apis where it's done mostly correctly, developers think they suddenly have no obligation to write client libraries or utilities or even so much as document it. It's the latter that seems to be most prolific sadly...
Dumb (Score:-1, Interesting)
Just the latest step in the "anything but C" parade.
The only reason this bullshit continues is because developers are too fucking lazy to learn to write in a real programming language.
When Google writes Chrome itself in HTML 5, then real programmers will listen. Until then, it's just another inflatable doll for lazy people to hump and say they got laid.
Intriguing ... (Score:5, Interesting)
I guess Chromebooks are selling well --- but I haven't seen one in a store (I avoid "un-Best Buy") --- or one in real life.
Yet
I'll have to keep an eye out
Nothing new. GIB has been a browser IDE for years. (Score:5, Interesting)
What's all the excitement? The General Interface Builder [generalinterface.org] is basically full-blown bsd licensed browser-based offline IDE of Eclipse proportions. It's quite amazing, certainly speeds up development of non-trivial GeneralInterface Ajax Applications quite a bit and is very well matured.
I'm not holding my breath for Google to catch up on GI anytime soon.
My 2 cents.
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Embrace and extend (Score:3, Interesting)
Do you remember those words. That was how Microsoft set the web back 20 years by killing standards compliance. Now google is the evil.
Komodo, anyone? (Score:2, Interesting)
So, basically Google is taking it on itself to do for Chrome what ActiveState did for Mozilla years ago -- which led to the excellent and constantly improving Komodo IDE (build on the Mozilla framework)?
Re:What the hell is the point? (Score:2, Interesting)
Yet now we need both heads of a family to work, to pay more taxes than ever, to get fewer services as we hire more and more "competent" (they went to university!) people to manage, decide, do, undo, think, manage some more, do, undo and "produce" patterns of electrical charge on slivers on silicon that we all agreed "mean" something.
And all these people expect to be paid and they all think they're important. So we invent more and more absurd types of work. There's very little that needs doing, the rest is all theater.