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New Language CURL Merges HTML And Javascript

Posted by timothy on from the like-a-hole-in-the-head dept.

jluxe writes: "CNN reports that a new language, Curl, was presented at the Software Development Forum in Palo Alto. This language works via a plug-in to browsers, and attempts to merge the gap between HTML, javascript, java, and even C++. It also supports the Macromedia Flash plug-in. Interesting to note that Tim Berners-Lee is listed as a financial backer of this venture, as well as an adviser." Here's the Curl Corporation's official website as well.

7 of 299 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What about PHP? by smallpaul · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Your post indicates that you have a pretty limited view of the programming language space. PHP is "Perl and C/C++ wrapped into one" because it has "classes", "great string manipulation", "support for CGI" and "now GTK" These are all supported by Python, Perl, Ruby and a host of other languages. PHP is just one among many. PHP's real virtue is that it is totally embedded in the web server environment. It is hard to justify it purely in terms of language features as you seem to want to. It is a mediocre language embedded in a great dynamic web pages environment.

    And anyhow, the existence of these many server side languages do not really have any impact on the need for languages on the client side. Yes, PHP can generate JavaScript, HTML, Flash and other stuff that works on the client-side. But really Curl is competing with those client-side languages, not with PHP. PHP could just as easily generate Curl if it turned out to be better than JavaScript et. al. So PHP is great at what it does but not really relevant to the question of Curl's utility or viability.

  2. Re:Skeptical. by jallen02 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    First, Javascript is a good idea. The language is small easy to use and gets the job done.

    Second the implementation in current browsers leaves a little to be wanting.

    Lets talk about the merits of the language if we are going to slam it. Do not talk about a language being inherently good or bad OR the implementation of the LANGUAGE being good or bad if you are just going to be critical of the stupid things people do with JavaScript.

    People do stupid things in ANY programming language on ANY platform EVERYWHERE.

    I am not sure what the point was to your post other than to be sarcastic or funny.

    Any web developers worth a grain of salt knows that you can't trust data from the client. For every bit of JavaScript data validation I have written there is a nice set of validation routines the data is put through ON the server.

    I think inexperienced developers may put the work to the client exclusively but this again has nothing to do with the merits or flaws of JavaScript as a language IMO.

    I have been using client side validation for as long as I have developed web applications (almost five years now). When people use our intranet we require them to use JavaScript. Why? It enhances the user experience enough that the use of JavaScript is justifiable. 999/1000 times the client is not trying to hack you. What does it hurt to do a little client side validation. This will get 99% of your bad data. Then you ship it to your server validation routines and it all goes smoothly. No extra trips back to the client/server just to validate the data and get the required information in the proper format... all done in one trip to the server. This not only makes an application more robust it makes the application feel smoother for the end user.

    My point being people complain about JavaScript when truly they are complaning about the implementations of other developers, Not the browser implementation and Not the actual language itself. It is just easier to say its all crap and ignore it and blame other developers for being idiots right?

    Jeremy

  3. What about ActionScript & fun stuff ? by beanerspace · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Okay, let me understand this. To harness the vast power of my client-side CPU (just sitting there idle, itching to get into the Internet game), I need to install the Surge(TM) plug-in 1.1 or the Surge Lab(TM) IDE Beta 5. The result, rich Web content.

    Which I wouldn't mind, except I think I already have something like that called the MacroMedia Flash Plug-in, well in my case Flash.

    Only with Flash, I don't have to worry about too much about the learning curve that comes with Curl's seven different integer primitives because ActionScript is a weiner'd down version of ECMAScript.

    Moreover, I can leverage Flash & ActionScript on the client side with languages I already know, and are usually available on the server side, such as PHP, Ruby, Perl ... along with the vast libraries associated with languages (fun stuff).

    Similarly, MacroMedia has opened up it's file format that has given rise to a variety of UNIX, Win and MAC development solutions.

    Considering all this, do I really need CURL ?

    --

    healyourchurchwebsite.com - WWJB?
  4. TM TM TM wonderful TM by interiot · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I count 5 TM's on their homepage and several mentions of patents on their legal page.

    Curl may not be any more proprietary than Java, but the site constantly bares its legal teeth at you. My gut reaction is to stay away.

  5. Skeptical. by wirefarm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Touting this as being a cross between HTML and Javascript makes me wonder why anyone would want to use it.
    Javascript is one of the worst implimentations of a bad idea that I've seen.
    One of the basic tenets of client server programming is "Never Trust The Client". Yet still, people write shopping carts that calculate totals and shipping charges in javascript, then trust the client to send back accurate data. I'm sure that TBL knows this, but is he expecting that every curl developer has even taken a basic CS class and will remember that? I doubt it. Developers will look to push as much of the processing as possible off to the client, imposing more security risks. They say they use a 'sandbox' - doesn't VBScript say the same thing?
    Also, their micropayment scheme is going to turn a lot of people off. First they say how this has been developed using the same grant as the WWW, (my tax money?) then they explain that if I put up 'curl' code on my site, I've got to pay them per user. Sure. No problem. Next!
    Why don't I just put up a page of C++ source and tell people to "lynx -source http://code_url|gcc"?
    Sure, whatever...

    Cheers,
    Jim in Tokyo

    --
    -- My Weblog.
  6. The best part about deja vu... by Kletus+Cassidy · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...is being able to read the most insightful comments all in one place.

    Curl Instead of Java or JavaScript? posted by michael on Friday April 06, @02:56PM

    Re:Java, anyone? (Score:5, Insightful) by Jason Earl (jdearl@yahoo.com)

    Some more words... (Score:5, Insightful)by guku on Friday April 06, @03:18PM EST

    Commentary (Score:5, Insightful)by Nohea (sd at nohea dot com) on Friday April 06, @03:16PM EST

    Curl == Spyware (Score:5, Insightful)by stonewolf on Friday April 06, @03:45PM EST

  7. New Language Actually Found to be Old Language by tswinzig · · Score: 5, Insightful

    http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/04/06/133524 1&mode=thread

    How hard is it to do a search of your own website for "Curl"?

    --

    "And like that ... he's gone."