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WebAppKit - create web applications using Cocoa

webappkit.org

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Re: WebAppKit - create web applications using Cocoa

#11

Post by mvzink »

cpr wrote: post #3

Boy, I really don't know. I've actually enjoyed using Objective-C and Cocoa when used for Mac OS/iOS development (the dynamicity of Smalltalk data structures with the control flow of C), but I don't think I'd ever voluntarily choose it outside that context. Too verbose, too fragile.

Fragile? Compared to what? Not going to argue with verbose though, and I also wouldn't choose it for web apps.

Re: WebAppKit - create web applications using Cocoa

#12

Post by stephth »

cpr wrote: post #3

Boy, I really don't know. I've actually enjoyed using Objective-C and Cocoa when used for Mac OS/iOS development (the dynamicity of Smalltalk data structures with the control flow of C), but I don't think I'd ever voluntarily choose it outside that context. Too verbose, too fragile.

Objective-c could be a good fit for web development, unlike c++ it's dynamic, unlike ruby it's fast, and it's runtime and libraries are solid (its verbosity is a downer). and I say could, because it's crippled by the fact that half of its strength - the full runtime and libraries - is proprietary, closed source and platform specific. It puzzles me that Apple cripples its adoption this way. Yes, I'm aware of CFLite, cocotron and GNUstep, I don't think any of these solve the problem.

Re: WebAppKit - create web applications using Cocoa

#13

Post by SeoxyS »

Ohhhh, yes! This sounds awesome, I've been meaning to write something like this myself. Essentially, a node.js equivalent, but for Cocoa. Of course, I'm way too lazy to add that to my work-load, but I'm very glad somebody did.

Now, if only I could use this in an Amazon EC2 environment. I guess with OS X Server supporting virtualization now with Lion, it might be a possibility?

Re: WebAppKit - create web applications using Cocoa

#14

Post by ReneeKline »

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Re: WebAppKit - create web applications using Cocoa

#16

Post by SeoxyS »

pavlov wrote: post #15

Isn't this basically what WebObjects did back in 1995? (WebObjects used to be written in Objective-C, but Apple switched it to Java sometime during the server-side Java boom in the late '90s.)

Yes, that's essentially what WebObjects was. However, WebObjects today is a mess, and it's written in Java.

Also, we have a ton of conventions today, with regards to MVC development, REST APIs, etc. that we did not have in '95. Which means that therefore WebObjects is not suited to modern web development.

The only company still using WebObjects in production today is Apple.

Re: WebAppKit - create web applications using Cocoa

#17

Post by GrooveStomp »

mbreese wrote: post #6
GrooveStomp wrote: post #2

Cool. Anything similar for *nix and Windows? I'm fairly certain you can embed WebKit in GTK - in fact, I think that's functionality exposed by the API. I'm not sure to what extent it's supported with other language bindings, though.

I'm fairly certain that this isn't related to WebKit at all... just similar names.

Naturally, I didn't read enough and then commented something that makes little sense in context. Thanks mbreese!

Re: WebAppKit - create web applications using Cocoa

#18

Post by jonknee »

SeoxyS wrote: post #13

Ohhhh, yes! This sounds awesome , I've been meaning to write something like this myself. Essentially, a node.js equivalent, but for Cocoa. Of course, I'm way too lazy to add that to my work-load, but I'm very glad somebody did. Now, if only I could use this in an Amazon EC2 environment. I guess with OS X Server supporting virtualization now with Lion, it might be a possibility?

How is this similar to node.js? This looks just like a MVC framework that happens to be in Obj-C.

Re: WebAppKit - create web applications using Cocoa

#19

Post by dxq »

SeoxyS wrote: post #16
pavlov wrote: post #15

Isn't this basically what WebObjects did back in 1995? (WebObjects used to be written in Objective-C, but Apple switched it to Java sometime during the server-side Java boom in the late '90s.)

Yes, that's essentially what WebObjects was. However, WebObjects today is a mess, and it's written in Java. Also, we have a ton of conventions today, with regards to MVC development, REST APIs, etc. that we did not have in '95. Which means that therefore WebObjects is not suited to modern web development. The only company still using WebObjects in production today is Apple.

Your statement that Apple is the only company still using WO has no basis in fact. There is even an annual conference[1] for WO developers, in which Apple has zero involvement.

[1] http://www.wocommunity.org/wowodc11/

Re: WebAppKit - create web applications using Cocoa

#20

Post by SeoxyS »

jonknee wrote: post #18
SeoxyS wrote: post #13

Ohhhh, yes! This sounds awesome , I've been meaning to write something like this myself. Essentially, a node.js equivalent, but for Cocoa. Of course, I'm way too lazy to add that to my work-load, but I'm very glad somebody did. Now, if only I could use this in an Amazon EC2 environment. I guess with OS X Server supporting virtualization now with Lion, it might be a possibility?

How is this similar to node.js? This looks just like a MVC framework that happens to be in Obj-C.

I'm thinking about the fact that neither JavaScript on V8, nor Cocoa are equipped with HTTP networking. So the framework supplies that part. A big part of node, when used for a web app, is that it supplies an HTTP server. Same with this.
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