I think part of your misunderstanding of me is that I'm not talking about html5 webapps. I'm talking about the migration of an html5/css/js environment to desktops and mobile phones. There's no reason not to also install python there, so that a python framework can drive the production of the html. After all, the slow adoption of python as a server language (vs. PHP) is related to the fact that it first developed for locally installed software.
Ian On Friday, March 23, 2012 6:44:30 PM UTC-4, Derek wrote: > > DAL is not going to help any client side storage, it's for server storage. > DAL isn't going to help with any storage client-side. Only your views would > help here. > Python won't run client side, not unless you have Pyjamas, but then you > don't have an HTML5 WebApp, you have a Pyjamas webapp. That may be what you > are looking for. The way I see it, I would not want Web2Py turning into > another Pyjamas. Pyjamas has it's place, Web2Py has it's own place, and > remember one of the keys to Web2Py is DRY. > > On Friday, March 23, 2012 3:34:27 PM UTC-7, monotasker wrote: >> >> Right. For something as simple as an RSS reader I see your point. But for >> more complex applications (I'm working on a web-based educational game for >> language instruction) I think the gluon libraries offer more than this. The >> DAL greatly simplifies the process of working with a db, and to the extent >> that indexed client-side storage becomes the norm the DAL could certainly >> help with that. On the other hand, web2py allows us to write complex >> business logic in python rather than being forced to use js. I know that >> some people write large applications with jquery, but for larger apps I >> would much prefer writing in python. So web2py provides an MVC framework >> for organizing the application (like, say, backbone.js would) as well as >> providing all of the html helper objects. >> >> I realize that, as it stands, web2py requires a server to run and is >> based on a traditional server-client model. My question is, could we take >> advantage of the benefits of web2py in a local environment when other web >> technologies are moving rapidly into local environments. If I code an html5 >> app for win8 or for Mozilla's app store I would like the business logic to >> be in python if that turns out to be a possibility. So could web2py provide >> a framework for that, and if so how much work would it take to >> implement/adapt. After all, web2py already includes the ability to generate >> desktop executables with a freestanding local server. >> >> Ian >> >> >> On Friday, March 23, 2012 6:14:34 PM UTC-4, Derek wrote: >>> >>> It's a server-client framework only. Your question does not make sense >>> because html5+js+local storage = client. This is a server application. If >>> you want to integrate localstorage, you're developing a client app, and >>> thus there is no need for a server framework such as web2py. You could do >>> all of that in your layout as easily as you could do anything else. >>> >>> Now, let's take an example app that is normally server-side and design >>> it as an html5 client app, as an example, let's choose an RSS reader, for >>> example. >>> Your current (non-html5) app parses the rss files on the server, >>> converts it to html and displays it on the browser. The only things you >>> have stored in the database is the login, and urls for the rss files that >>> the user would like to access. >>> >>> Your html5 app (+web2py) would work like this: >>> login to the webapp (server) the first time. this will present your >>> (client side) app - which will connect to the server, retrieve the json for >>> the rss feeds, and saves the json into local storage, then displays what's >>> in local storage based on javascript templates. >>> >>> The only advantage you'd get with an app like this is you can use it >>> while you are disconnected from the network. >>> >>> But what would be better is to rewrite it so it will retrieve the rss >>> feeds directly. Then you don't need the web2py piece at all. >>> >>> And that's my point. >>> On Friday, March 23, 2012 2:53:15 PM UTC-7, monotasker wrote: >>>> >>>> I've been struck by the huge push lately for 'html5 apps' as a (partly) >>>> cross-platform approach to mobile and desktop development. Now win8 is >>>> integrating html5+js heafily into the desktop and the Mozilla app project >>>> is pushing in a similar direction. In many ways I think it makes sense (I >>>> find css, for all its shortcomings, a lot nicer to deal with than qt or >>>> gtk). But where does it leave a framework like web2py? It seems to me that >>>> part of the html5 push comes from developers' reluctance to learn a >>>> server-side language well (even php). If we have jquery and indexed local >>>> storage in the browser, then people can do a lot with simple tools. I >>>> think >>>> this is a mirage in many ways. At the same time, I would like to think >>>> that >>>> I could benefit from the strengths of web2py (and python in general) and >>>> still, say, develop an app for Mozilla's upcoming app store. Has anyone >>>> been thinking about this? Is there room in things like the win8 api or the >>>> Mozilla app api to use web2py? If not, how difficult would it be to create >>>> bindings and an api to be included in gluon? Could the DAL be extended to >>>> work with browser-based local storage? Or should we see web2py as a >>>> traditional server-client framework only? >>>> >>>> Ian >>>> >>>
