HTML-based/Browser apps (was Re: anti-cheating)

[Sameer Verma]

On Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 2:15 AM, S Page <info at skierpage.com> wrote:
> Carlos Nazareno wrote:
>
>> - I'd also like to see more work done on a method to easily bundle
>> Gnash or HTML-based/Browser applications as stand-alone activities, or
>> at least launch the browser with the wrapped activity loaded upon
>> startup.
>
> See the Help activity in 8.2.0, it instantiates the WebView from hulahop
> that underlies Browse and points it at help/XO_Introduction.html.
>
> But is it so bad to make your "HTML-based application" an installable
> collection that shows up in the "OLPC Library" navigation on the Browse
> home page?  See <http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Creating_a_collection>.  Just
> because most library content is static non-interactive ebook material is
> no reason really cool browser apps shouldn't go in the OLPC Library.
>
> One thing that might make collections more appealing and feel like
> applications is if the collection's library.info icon (which seems
> otherwise unused?!) or the web site's favicon would appear in the
> Journal instead or as well as the generic globe icon of Browse.  I filed
> a confused ticket #9188 for this enhancement.
>
>> - Using a local daemon or service of some sort, the method I
>> previously outlined can also be used here for "standalone" mode of the
>> tests. This way, the learner can also practice with them and learn
>> outside of class hours.
>
> The WikiBrowse activity (WikipediaEN.activity on G1G1 8.2 laptops)
> starts a local python Web server and fires up a WebActivity (Browse)
> instance pointing at it.
>
> Better, Browse's engine is XULRunner 1.9 and it has support for most of
> the HTML 5 offline application spec
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-html5-20080122/#offline>.
> E.g. http://starkravingfinkle.org/projects/offline/todo.html is an
> expanding form you can fill out while offline that will update the web
> server when next online.  It should work on an XO (I can't try it, my
> wireless router is bust! :-( ).
>
> I concur with where you're going.  *Never* ever bet against the browser.
>  Browse or a custom WebView activity can do everything that Firefox 3
> can do, without worrying about compatibility with abysmal MS Internet
> Explorer that's keeping the web stuck in 2004.
> E.g. http://wiki.laptop.org/go/FindTheCountry -- why bother with crappy
> static PDF atlases when interactive technology like that is available?
> And you can View > Source it!
>

This is one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time!!! This is
definitely going down in the SVG examples section for my class in
Spring.

Sameer
-- 
Dr. Sameer Verma, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Information Systems
San Francisco State University
San Francisco CA 94132 USA
http://verma.sfsu.edu/
http://opensource.sfsu.edu/