Category: Programming

  • OPML Editor (Frontier in disguise?)

    OPML Editor (Frontier in disguise?)

    Over 24 years ago I learned about a Mac application called »Frontier«. This application taught me, that the Internet is actually a programmable environment. Frontier was a genius concept invented by Dave Winer, because it was not only a script language (called „UserTalk”). It also came with an object database and an editor to edit…

  • Documentary »Hello World! Processing«

    Hello World! Processing from Ultra_Lab on Vimeo. Hello World! Processing is a documentary on creative coding that explores the role that ideas such as process, experimentation and algorithm play in this creative field featuring artists, designers and code enthusiasts. Based on a series of interviews to some of the leading figures of the Processing open…

  • Introduction to HTML5

    Here is a very good introduction to HTML5 by Brad Neuberg that is a must see for web designers and developers – at least if you are new to HTML5: Introduction to HTML 5 from Brad Neuberg on Vimeo.

  • iPhone SDK – a complete solution?

    Apple has released the iPhone SDK. The 2.1 gigabyte download is free after registration and includes the latest Developer Tools as well. I personally don’t use an iPhone. Being able to hack it (or get third party software for it) was a stopper for me. Another argument against the iPhone was the rather limited storage…

  • Hobnox is hiring!

    Hobnox (the internet start-up I am CD for) is hiring: art director web/screen designer system administrator senior developers for C, Flash, PHP and Java junior developers for C, Flash, PHP and Java Work location is Cologne, Germany. More information here. The project is related to WebTV and the entertainment-/music business. It is an international company.…

  • libavg – Kiss Director goodbye?

    libavg is a very interesting package for multimedia installations: libavg is a high-level multimedia platform with a focus on interactive installations. It is meant to pick up where Macromedia Director leaves off and gives you high-quality hardware-accelerated visuals as well as easy and flexible authoring, testing and deployment. libavg integrates well with other open-source solutions…

  • jQuery JavaScript Framework

    As I expected there have been a number of JaveScript frameworks in the making. One I just heard of is jQuery. It is supposed to be easier to use than its counterparts.

  • Flickr/Ajax application with Ruby on Rails

    If there is one word, that could describe what happens in the Ruby on Rails context then it is »elegance«. Just click on the image below to see an elegant screencast of an elegant development framework (Ruby on Rails) with an elegant text editor (TextMate) using an elegant JavaScript technology (AJAX) on an elegant service…

  • Spry framework for AJAX

    Adobe Labs (former Macromedia Labs) offers a framework called »Spry«. It is a JavaScript library that offers easier construction of AJAX applications. Drew McLellan from the Web Standards Project reviews the framework and concludes: As it currently stands, the framework is certainly not ready for prime-time, and if it’s the sort of framework you’d otherwise…

  • The Secrets of Ruby on Rails

    Tobias (flying sparks) points to a audio recording of David Heinemeier Hansson with a keynote at OSCON ’05. He talks about the basic ideas behind Ruby on Rails. Update: There are also slides available as PDF from the Ruby on Rails website.

  • First impressions on Ajax frameworks…

    I had a (very) brief look into some Ajax/DHTML JavaScript frameworks flying around. There are so many and to really compare them in detail would require time that I don’t have right now. So I can only come up with some first impressions: Backbase appears to be a commercial but extremely clean and well designed…

  • The rise and fall of frameworks

    I think the next 6-12 month we will see an incredible buzz about web application frameworks – some on the server side and some on the side of the client: OpenLazlo is competing with Macromedia Flex. for the so called “Rich” Internet Application market. I am somewhat sceptical about thie RIA-approaches. If you can establish…

  • Plone book arrived….

    I just received a copy of the Plone book by Andy McKay (german translation). Lot’s of new things are in there. Good for studying after some extensive trial & error sessions. I had a discussion with Peter Baumgartner two days ago about Plone – and it seems like they’re going to substitute Userland Manila with…

  • Twisted 2.0

    I was so busy doing other stuff so that I completely missed the release of Twisted 2.0. It was a large transition from a monolithic framework to a modular framework (there is a FAQ about this change). I wish I had the time now to test it.

  • WebDev is ‘hard stuff’

    Jeremy Zawodny with an interesting post about the return of client side web programming. I did my diploma with heavy use of DHTML in 1997. I wanted to do it cross-platform and I stopped to support anything but Internet Explorer after my doctor told me I should try to back-off from whatever I currently do.…

  • Frontier Kernel Open Source Release

    Finally Frontier has been released as open source package: This is a fresh start for the Frontier kernel, the technology under Manila and Radio UserLand, and in the future, possibly many more useful system and network applications. We’re releasing the code under the GPL, the rationale for this is explained in the FAQ and in…

  • Top ten truly obscure but useful Java projects

    In response to the top ten obscure java projects list someone (who does not have an about page) replies with an obscure but useful list. I like this a lot – there aree so many gems hidden on the net that deserve more attention.

  • Bootstrapping with Tinderbox and Zope

    I am bootstrapping: The start page of my weblog now renders through a homemade skinning system based on Zope and Page Templates. This means I do not design this pages with the template files Tinderbox uses for the HTML export. For example here is the template of the current start page: There is still a…

  • Ruby on rails

    It is actually the first time that I blog about Ruby. I had a look at Ruby on Rails – a web application framework based on the Ruby scripting language. Ruby appears to be a very well designed scripting language (see here) for anyone who loves “quick but not dirty” programming. Ruby is very successful…

  • Frontier Kernel will become open source

    Dave Winer —former president of UserLand— convinced UserLand to release the Frontier kernel as open source. Manila, Radio and all web applications built upon that kernel will remain commercial software. I really hope this will turn out to be a smart move for UserLand. I am using Frontier since 1996 and I have learned a…