Component Markup Language

[Nigel Hutchison]

At 04:47 PM 2/4/99 -0000, Mark Birbeck wrote:
>Nigel Hutchison wrote:
>> If there was a set of C++ classes that interpreted it and 
>> built up a GUI
>> with the same look and feel, that might be useful.
>> Then a server could project its own GUI api and leave it to 
>> the client side
>> to choose C++, Java etc to build the interface at run time.  
>> I suspect that
>> in most cases the bandwidth required to shift the XML GUI 
>> description would
>> be quite a bit less than the 
>> compiled java classes. If this is so than "Even Cooler" would 
>> be XML GUI
>> interpreter built into a Internet Browser.
>> 
>> But am I running too far with this one?
>
>Great idea. Can I suggest we call it HTML?

I knew you would say that. :-)
>
>(OK I know I've cracked that one already - it's the end of the week. But
>really, if you want an XML specification for a user interface, surely
>HTML 4.0 is the one to choose. Then you could use a 'cool browser' that
>has an "XML GUI Interpreter" built in - like, well, IE4 and Netscape 4.)
>
The trouble is that HTML 4.0 + Dynamic HTML + IE4 + Netscape (with back
buttons etc) still doesn't  quite cut the mustard as far as  GUI interfaces
are concerned. You can get some good effects if you put a lot of work in
but is not very portable or robust. I would also like my GUI interface to
have reasonable session control as well. Current browsers are very dodgy
when it comes to sessions. I do get SSL for free.  But if I use Java
applets I get the other extreme. I have to code the GUI in Java, and upload
the GUI code, and the security and encryption  classes etc  and hope it
will work on Netscape and Microsoft browsers.

regards

Nigel Hutchison






Nigel W. O. Hutchison
Technical Consultant
Software AG Germany		                              
mailto:nwoh at software-ag.de
           
Tel +49 (0)6151 92 1207                   
                                                                   *


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