RE: XML, HTTP, SOAP (was RE: JIT-compilation for OCaml?)

[Dave Berry <dave@kal.com>]

Here at KAL we do develop many of our applications using scripting languages
in IE, as you describe.  But within this we embed ActiveX controls or
Javabeans that provide significant functionality (e.g. business logic or
device control).  The script handles the events generated by the embedded
components.  So this is an example of advanced web programming that does
require explicit language support, and if you wanted the same program to run
on different architectures you would need a VM (or multiple
architecture-specific installations).

-----Original Message-----
From: Mattias Waldau [mailto:mattias.waldau@abc.se]
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2001 9:12
To: Dave Berry; John Max Skaller; Markus Mottl
Cc: OCAML
Subject: XML, HTTP, SOAP (was RE: JIT-compilation for OCaml?)


> Dave Berry wrote

> 3.  Web programs require interfacing to web browsers.  Perhaps someone
>     could add the OCaml VM to Mozilla?

I don't believe we need Ocaml as a VM, I am not even sure that Java will
exist as a VM in the future. Most advanced WEB-clients today are coded using
Javascript (or sometimes VBscript).

Thin clients is a good approach! By implementing the Ocaml-program as a
multithreaded HTTP-server which exports its functions using XML or SOAP
(typed rpc over HTTP encoded by XML), very advanced interfaces can be done
easily.

The client consists of a Javascript program, or stylesheets or some of the
newer XML-technologies.

If you restrict yourselves to modern browser (ie 5, netscape 6), there are
good nice way reducing the amount of javascript coding. One example is HTC.

These kinds of interfaces can both be used locally (http://localhost) or
over the internet. Performance is very good locally, I know from practical
experience.

Creating a table using HTML is very often much easier than creating a user
interface with a listbox with columns and filling it.

/mattias