Browser Bindings for Python, Perl, and other Languages?

Garfycx asks: "Hi everybody! This week Slashdot linked to a story about Java and its roll over C/C++. While reading it I remembered one of the first strategies to make Java a de-facto standard - the browser-applet. as far as I know it did not make it, and I don't see many of them in cyberspace. But in combination with servlets they may come up again. I am not quite sure who is in need of applets but I wondered why there never was a browser-plugin for languages like Python or Perl. I would like to hear about reasons why there is no effort to expand the capabilities of websites with language-plugins. Couldn't there be a universal CORBA-like plugin for Mozilla to be used by most languages or such?"

Comments

It exists on Windows: ActiveScripting

[Krelnik]

This already exists on Windows, it's called ActiveScripting. Basically, the API's that both VBScript and JScript (JavaScript) use to integrate themselves into the browser are exposed to others as well. If you follow the API guidelines, then you can use any scripting language from any hosting program including IE.

Of course, the problem is that a web site owner can't assume that an end user has a given language runtime installed. So that limits how you can use it. But it could have great applications on intranets where you have more control over the client situation.

ActiveState has versions of Perl, Python and TCL that follow these API's on Windows. Here is a session they were going to do at the cancelled O'Reilly P2P conference on using this stuff

Basic Philosophical Difference

[NutscrapeSucks]

IE ships with ActiveX/COM support, which provides a language-independent mechanism to plug anything you want into your browser. The user gets code-signing and some level of download control, but ultimately there's no 'sandbox' to prevent that code from doing what it wants (deleting your home directory, e-mail bomb, etc). They've been ripped for the security implications, as anyone who reads Slashdot knows.

Netscape chose the safe route and only provided Java applet support. This relies on the Java security model to protect the user through sandboxing from anything that they might automatically download, but locks you into Java. Mozilla/NS6 may allow some sort of XPCOM application to be downloaded and installed, but it's not as seamless as ActiveX.

The important point is that you don't get 'unsafe' languages like C++ and Perl in your browser without the security implications that everyone's roasted Microsoft's ass over.

The MS .NET approach will be the hybrid. While you still have a Java-like runtime that has a security model, at least you won't be locked into a particular language.

TCL

[redhog]

There is a plug-in for TCL/TK. I don't know about Python and other languages (e.g., Scheme and other LISPs). But perheaps, no one else cares about stupid web-crap :]