I've heard about Chromeless from Mozilla which from my understanding is a relaunch of previous initiatives to create web apps on the desktop (programs using web technologies like HTML, CSS etc) as a User Interface.

https://mozillalabs.com/chromeless/

I believe there is KDE has JavaScript support for application scripting but I wonder if it is possible for Chromeless to have access to KDE libraries so that KDE applications could be created using Chromeless as the UI?

Why would you do that?

Tenno Seremel wrote:Why would you do that?

In a 'former life' I had been mucking about with a part of Gnome called Seed which provided JavaScript bindings for Gnome libraries. An off-shoot of this was SeedKit which provided a HTML/CSS front-end UI to Gnome applications written in JavaScript.

One of the arguments for Seed/SeedKit was that as it used Web technologies like HTML/JS/JQuery, it could open up Gnome to a wider pool of developers. It is based on the assumption that web devs will be attracted to the desktop as the barrier of having to learn desktop UI programming like Gtk or KDE/QT would disappear as they can use their web programming skills instead. The other argument is that with new HTML5 technologies like offline storage, the boundaries of web and desktops apps will be blurred and was utilising upcoming technologies.

I think it is a valid argument that if Web technologies can be implemented on the Desktop will attract a wider pool of devs (although I do have concerns about security and privacy issues in regard to the web technologies). I am in two minds about the blurring of web and desktops apps for the same reasons and the fact that an constant internet connection might need to be required to run these apps (even though you have the option of offline storage because I look on the internet as a way of access content rather than having to run my applications if you understand what I mean).

Would KDE bindings for Chromeless be a good idea, is the Web/Cloud desktop just hype or is there room for both? I would be grateful for positive debate about this.

Qt already has webkit, JS and all that is needed. What's the purpose of embedding XUL (maybe GTK too?) into KDE?

If by whole UI you mean any and everything including menus, then I'd rather not see abomination like that on my desktop… Although I think you can try that just fine with Qt.

Tenno Seremel wrote:Qt already has webkit, JS and all that is needed. What's the purpose of embedding XUL (maybe GTK too?) into KDE?

Aarrghhh! I do sometimes run with an idea without stopping and thinking about it. I see where you are coming from. I didn't stop to think whether KDE has something similar to XUL.

If by whole UI you mean any and everything including menus, then I'd rather not see abomination like that on my desktop… Although I think you can try that just fine with Qt.

Why not have a web-based UI for desktop applications? IIRC, menu's on the web are done by a HTML list element and the relevant JQuery module but is it that different to doing the same in QT? The point I was trying to make is that it might encourage web devs to move to desktop applications if they can bring some of the existing skills with them and don't have to learn at least one new API.

Why not have a web-based UI for desktop applications?

If you do it with HTML elements it cannot use system style for it. Even more, all programs will look different as a result.

Constructing UI using HTML is awful. It does not have enough elements too.

There is also Qt Quick thing now. Although I'm not really familiar with it to say whether it is an improvement or not.

Tenno Seremel wrote:

Why not have a web-based UI for desktop applications?

If you do it with HTML elements it cannot use system style for it. Even more, all programs will look different as a result.

Constructing UI using HTML is awful. It does not have enough elements too.

There is also Qt Quick thing now. Although I'm not really familiar with it to say whether it is an improvement or not.

JQuery, CSS and other JS API's are used as well to create consistent look UI's on the web, I can't see why it can't be done on the desktop.

Because… you can't make consistent look with just API alone. Program A will be different from program B unless it will use the same resources. If they do not do that — they look different. If they do — you are starting to invent a new GUI toolkit inside native one. (IMO) it is pointless.

Also JQuery is more that 100 KB in size already. Something is really wrong if platform needs so many supporting code just to make it workable. Besides, JQuery itself has nothing to do with widgets. So you need to do them, or use plugins. Then you might lose integration and/or accessibility.

This is already being worked on. It is called Project Silk. I am not sure what progress there has been lately, but developers have expressed in an interest in a push on this for KDE SC 4.7 or 4.8 on the mailing lists.

That's like the first time I've seen it

TheBlackCat wrote:This is already being worked on. It is called Project Silk. I am not sure what progress there has been lately, but developers have expressed in an interest in a push on this for KDE SC 4.7 or 4.8 on the mailing lists.

Silk sounds like a really interesting concept. I am currently learning a new language and from what I've read the best way to learn it is by being in an immersive environment where you are surrounded by the learning language rather than your host language. While Silk looks like it is aimed at the facebook market, I can't see why there isn't room for education and cultural uses. I'll have a wee gander at it when I get a minute.