Qt Script For Applications 1.0 Released Today

hpj writes "Trolltech today released QSA. An ECMA based scripting extension to Qt (On which KDE is based) which allows easily adding scripting support to Qt (And in extension KDE applications). It is licensed like Qt under GPL as well as commercial licenses for Windows, Mac and X11 for those GPL is not suitable."

Comments

Problem with Slashdot Users Page

[Andy_R]

I can't seem to find the 'stop showing me every damn press release that trolltech makes' button in my preferences.

Redundant

[Anonymous Coward]

KJS (KDE JavaScript) already provides full ecma script for any applications that choose to make themselves scriptable. The KDE controls all have basic scriptability provided, so this is redundant for KDE.

Looks like TrollTech is once again stealing KDE's ideas.

Re:Redundant

[Anonymous Coward]

Looks like TrollTech is once again stealing KDE's ideas.

I guess by "stealing" you are referring to the
fact that trolltech hired the KDE
developer who wrote KJS and paid him to improve
the library, then released it as open source?

Re:Redundant

[valkadesh]

AFAIK, KJS is based on ECMAScript Edition 3 (implemented in JavaScript 1.5 and JScript 5.5). QSA is based on the forthcoming Edition 4, which is way different from the previous version. (Edition 4 is implemented in JScript.NET and the yet-to-be-released JavaScript 2.0).
To learn more on ECMAScript v. 4, see here.

Re:GPL

[rmull]

It should probably read "for those for whom the GPL is not suitable."

MacOSX Compile

[Dave9876]

I'm not too sure if it's going to happen to anyone else or it was just my bad luck. But if if bitches about not having a license when trying to compile it under OSX, try "touch LICENSE.GPL" before running "./configure".

scripting framework

[vinsci]

Why add just one scripting language, when you can get them all? If you're lucky enough ;-) to develop in Java, you'll be interested in the open source Bean Scripting Framework from IBM.

The Bean Scripting Framework (BSF) is an architecture for incorporating scripting into Java applications and applets. Scripting languages such as Netscape Rhino (Javascript), VBScript, Perl, Tcl, Python, NetRexx and Rexx are commonly used to augment an application's function or to script together a set of application components to form an application.

There are many scripting languages implemented in Java, including Netscape's Rhino implementation of ECMAScript, Jacl and JPython. While each of these is embeddable in Java and provides the ability to interact with Java from the language, using a specific scripting language binds an application to that single language.

The Java world currently does not have a well-defined scripting architecture that allows Java applications to incorporate scripting easily - BSF is such an architecture. The BSF architecture allows an application to be scripted from any BSF supported language, without any scripting language dependencies.

BSF supports both directions of scripting: in one case where the Java-side is in charge and runs/evaluates scripts at will, and in the other case the script runs and controls Java beans. Notice that while we use the word "bean", it is used loosely - BSF works with any Java object and not just a true bean.

Re:scripting framework

[baka_boy]

Most environment have one, if not several, options for adding "scripting hooks" to an application -- Apple's AEOSA/AppleScript, Microsoft's Windows Scripting Host, the GIMP's PDB, etc. That one should exist for Java is not really a surprise.

However, it would be nice to see someone develop a portable system of this sort, which could just be used as a common bit of infrastructure on any platform. PDB (procedural database), as used in the GIMP, probably has a good chance of being the most portable, as I think it's only significant dependencies are on glib, which runs on Linux, OS X, and Windows quite nicely.

Dependant on Qt?

[TomorrowPlusX]

I would assume this is dependant on Qt, but I'm curious to what extent... right now I'm working on a system in which I use SWIG to bind python to c++ (and visa vera) on Mac OSX -- there's nothing wrong with the current system, but I'm eager to explore alternative mechanisms, for ... you know... time wasting and just-in-case paranoia.

If Qt Script can be made to be freestanding language binding system and interpreter, but with no GUI I'd be happy as a clam.

But, the info on the trolltech page was inadequate.

Does anybody know?

Re:GPL

[PhilHibbs]

They have released the full source to Qt on Linux under the GPL.

They have implemented a Windows graphics layer that allows Qt applications to run on Windows. They have not released this under the GPL, which is their right.

I wonder how much work would be involved in implementing a Windows graphics layer for Qt.

Harri Porten and the KJS Framework

[yerricde]

KJS author Harri Porten

Expect a lawsuit from Scholastic Inc., the publisher of the Harry Potter novels by J. K. Rowling.

more about Scholastic's recent legal activities