Thanks for the excellent explanation of JavaScript - it is exactly for those reasons that we chose it to implement the EasyCHCS system that is running at the Naval Medical Center San Diego and later the EasyEnterprise system.
Terry L. Wiechmann www.esitechnology.com 978-779-0257 Skype: twiechmann ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Self" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2004 2:09 AM Subject: Re: [Hardhats-members] Object languages for working with MUMPS (was: MDC/MUG Revival - Just do it) > Bhaskar wrote: > >Btw, PHP also has similarities to M. > > > >-- Bhaskar > > > >On Fri, 2004-11-26 at 21:45, Tom Munnecke wrote: > >> Has anyone looked at Python? It looks like a nearest neighbor to > >> MUMPS, with lots of similarities. I has an interesting dictionary > >> capability, handles strings well, and a very strong object model. > >> What about embedding M in Python? > > > > Also Perl and Javascript. I think of Perl as being a nearest neighbor because of its use > of every key on the keyboard and the way it lends itself to very short programs with > surprisingly rich functionality. > > On Linux, GT.M can easily call any of these or be called by them. So far we have made very > little use of this capability, but it is there for when you need it. One of our younger > programmers believes that Perl is "the one true language", so I expect that we may be > exploring that option in depth very soon. ;) > > Javascript is unique in that it was designed to easily and efficiently add intelligence to > web browsers. It is an integral part of Mozilla, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Konqueror, IE, > etc. Mozilla especially (including Firefox) can be controlled down to a fine level of > detail with Javascript. > > Client-side Javascript works remarkably well as a complement to server-side MUMPS. > Javascript can be generated on-the-fly by MUMPS applications to represent data objects or > as part of an HTML page in order to handle web browser events such as when a user clicks > on a hypertext link or changes the value of an input field in a data entry form. > Collections of Javascript functions and other objects that can be referenced with a > separate URL can be linked in to a web page with a simple <SCRIPT> tag or they can be > called for dynamically from Javascript XMLHttpRequest objects. > > I have written utilities as part of M2Web that can export database definitions and records > as Javascript objects that are easily downloaded to a web browser as needed. (BTW: This is > much less verbose and more efficient than equivalent representations in XML.) These data > objects can then be used by other scripts running in the web browser to dynamically > formulate database queries and report formats etc etc in a process that could be highly > interactive and open-ended but that requires little server-side processing. > > Every little part or property of a web page can be dynamically changed by Javascript in > pretty much any way imaginable at any time. That functionality is readily available to > MUMPS applications now with just a CGI interface such as is provided in M2Web. > > This route of development for VistA and other MUMPS based systems seems to me to offer > substantial benefits over any alternatives that I am aware of. One thing (of many) that > stands out in my mind in comparison to the current Delphi based CPRS or the proposed > transition to Java is the fact that applications have a definition on the server that > unifies both their server-side and their client-side. There is only server-side > installation of applications. On the client-side you only install a good browser like > Firefox. Applications can be improved continually a little bit at a time as needed - > something that can be easily taken for granted with MUMPS-only applications that is NOT > available with Java or Delphi as far as I know. > > Some applications can be written entirely in MUMPS while others are written entirely in > Javascript. Additionally, some applications or parts of applications on the server could > be written in Python or Perl or Java or whatever language seems most appropriate. This > means that MUMPS programmers can extend their skills gradually while remaining productive > - pretty much without limit. > > --------------------------------------- > Jim Self > Systems Architect, Lead Developer > VMTH Computer Services, UC Davis > (http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/us/jaself) > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > SF email is sponsored by - The IT Product Guide > Read honest & candid reviews on hundreds of IT Products from real users. > Discover which products truly live up to the hype. Start reading now. > http://productguide.itmanagersjournal.com/ > _______________________________________________ > Hardhats-members mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members > > ------------------------------------------------------- SF email is sponsored by - The IT Product Guide Read honest & candid reviews on hundreds of IT Products from real users. Discover which products truly live up to the hype. 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