Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Web Platform Is the The Web Platform Is the Past, Present, and Future Past, Present, and Future

Today's keynote was from Alex Russell of Google. Author of the Dojo JavaScript framework and more recently tasked with improving the web as a platform for Google products. He had a good perspective on the topic and presented his observations on what he thought need to questions that needs to be worked on, including:
  • JavaScript is slow
  • No component system
  • No data model
  • Testing web apps difficult
  • Its reach - availability
  • Its language - how rich an API
  • Its contract - how long will it run
He went on to describe the compelling aspects of the web that are in its favor:
  • Web platform common amongst OS's
  • View source - steal code
  • Fault tolerance - error recovery and feedback
  • High level by default - rendering under hood, no paint()
  • Declarative forms
  • Competition & standards
  • Magic web elements, e.g. <a> or anchor tag. Says little about what it will do, is flexible and just works without exposing internals.

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