Slashdot Mirror
Morfik and Rapid Development of Modern Web Apps
Bobby Jasper writes to tell us that The Firebird Database Community News has an interesting writeup on Morfik, a new development tool for beginning web applications. Morfik boasts increased developer productivity going so far as to draw comparisons between themselves and the current industry as VB 1.0 was to GUI development. After five years of development they are getting ready to release an evaluation version of their software, might be worth a look.
So it's the First,Post VB, gui like tool?
Morfik development environment itself is a Windows application
You might have mentioned that in the writeup so non-MSCEs
didn't waste their time reading TFA
"Revolutionary new", "smart client" , "feature-rich", "unplugged", "ground breaking".
Perhaps I'm a cynic but I always feel that a products real value is inversely proportional to
the amount of marketdroid BS in the write-ups. If I'm correct then this is just Yet-Another-IDE
that is (and wow, like this is so radical dude , well if would be if it was 1990 again) - a Smart
Client! Jeez... how many times we been here before?
I have been waiting for something like this, finally I can merge the syntactic and semantic elegance of VB with the power and speed of a compiled language with a fast WYSIWYG development and deployment cycle!
Morfik offers a revolutionary Javascript synthesis technology that allows developers to use a high-level language of their choice to create an application comprised purely of HTML and Javascript.
Pretty cool, but I could not find any info on what languages they support. From the screenshots it looks like VB.
Does anyone have any more info?
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OK, who paid for the Slashdot press release on this?
Interesting, but in every company I have worked at; the language used depends upon the current hosting environment used by the client.
.NET 2.0 is sure to kill me (or fry my chip due to the CPU requirements or their IDEs) so I guess it doesn't matter anyway.
I'm all for "increased developer productivity", however in the work place I have yet to even use Ruby.
Oh well,
For something so grand as they claim, their first job would be to post an evaluation download for everyone to see. I followed the links, but I found nothing; I only found lots of buzzwords, claims and hype.
I don't claim Morfik is vaporware. But let's see it first, and then we can say if it is indeed 'VB 1.0 for the web'.
Morfik claims to be the next generation IDE. Totally for the webbrowser. So what do they build it with: Delphi.
That is not being true to yourself. Build an AJAX version than to show the power of what you believe in.
An AJAX version would also make the more and more preferred development environments accessible to them: Mac OS X and Linux (Around me I hear more and more developers choosing for Linux as their main platform, and if Apple would release OS X for the cheap intel hardware, that they will try that too, at least just to see).
My wife's sketchblog Blob[p]: Gastrono-me
Hey, maybe you should discuss this with Steve Jobs. He is locking Mac OS X on intel with a special chip. It should be possible to use a same kind of chip to lock out certain OS too. That way you won't have the risk of IDEs frying you or your CPU.
My wife's sketchblog Blob[p]: Gastrono-me
Because they give gmail as an example of the stuff that's not easy to do without morfik. Or so they claim.
Morfik is a professional Integrated Development Environment. The developer starts with designing the data layer in a visual environment similar to Microsoft Access or Microsoft Enterprise Manager. This is usually followed by the design of data base queries which again is carried out in a powerful visual environment. For the presentation layer the developer creates forms and reports using a familiar visual environment that resembles VB and Delphi. The application logic is written in the developer's object oriented syntax of choice (currently Morfik Basic, Morfik Pascal, Morfik C# or Morfik Java). There is also provision for developing web services. Once the individual components are defined and written, Morfik compiles the application into a single executable that incorporates a web server and database engine. This application demonstrates the behaviour of both web and desktop applications. The user can access the application through a browser on-line, off-line, locally and remotely. During the development cycle the developer has access to a comprehensive suit of debugging, profiling and testing facilities. Morfik applications are comprised purely of HTML and JavaScript yet the developer does not need to master these languages.
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I really want to take a look at Morfik Basic, Morfik Pascal, Morfik C# or Morfik Java in action. Any one care to post sample code? What about screenshots?
I tend to agree.
Besides, wasn't Slashdot just bashing Visual Studio and other "shake 'n bake" development tools? Why is this "unplugged" and "groundbreaking" new IDE so great? It "rots brains" faster?
Look ma! Morfik made a web-based CRM app, and I helped!
Faster != better when you have no idea how your application works or what makes it tick. Needing to call tech support when your web form breaks for some reason is not a step forward in development.
"What do you despise? By this are you truly known." --Princess Irulan, Manual of Muad'Dib
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How much they pay you?
Assuming that they actually eat their own dog food, and use their own tool to create their Own site, I wouldn't trust this tool. Their site is an inaccessible piece of table-based rubble with missing alternative texts all over the place. Not even Slashdot in it's old incarnation was this ugly, standards-wise.
Adding to that, their site is severly SEO-deoptimized, which might -- now that I think of it -- be a good thing to end-users, as this will undoubtedly reduce the spread of said markup rubble
http://virtuelvis.com/
I just signed up. AJAX *is* cool. Being able to write apps which work seamlessly in a sometimes-connected environment would be cool. Web deployment models for software are cool. Being able to have software work across platforms the same would be cool. Not having to have a customised local install would be cool. Not requiring plugins would be cool. Being able to remove my dependency on a particular disk would be cool. Being able to have a PC-on-USB with a minimal *nix install, a web browser and web application would be cool.
The vision is sound. Let us wait to see what is delivered.
-BM
(tee hee -- my image word is condom)
Because of the memory stick picture above that says Desktop Gmail maybe?
BIYC Records
Because they used their IDE to create a replica of GMail:
a il_Demo
http://www.morfik.com/prerelease_schedule.html#Gm
This is basically a commercial for some source software package. They haven't released code. They haven't even releasd a closed source evaluation version. All they "released" is some web page with lots of hysterical marketing hype and unsubstantiated vague buzzwords ("JST").
So why, again, is this on /.?
So, cruising around their site, the only thing I can find is a bunch of marketing buzzwords and a screenshot of google.
I am sorry I gave these bozos any traffic.
well i am a mech guy and my FEA prof always used to say this regarding the results
"My friends, dont get fooled by the colors"
thats what flashed in when i saw the website and screenshots!!
and ofcourse, theres no betaware to try out and check the true colors.
...richie - It is a good day to code.
How can anyone possibly claim this isn't an ad?
It's an "article" for a CLOSED SOURCE, WIN32 VAPORWARE PRODUCT that LIKENS ITSELF TO VISUAL BASIC.
For god sakes, that's like saying "WOW!!! THIS IS AS FUN AS AIDS!"
feh. stuff.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
From the site:
"To demonstrate these powerful capabilities, two Morfik programmers used Morfik JST to build a desktop version of Google's Gmail in just 2 months! The application they created is a pixel-by-pixel match of Gmail's interface and functionality, yet it also works offline just like standard email clients such as Microsoft Outlook..."
2 Months?! That doesn't sound like any rapid app development to me. I can go make a copy of gmail in about 3 hours just by downloading the HTML/javascript. Also, it "works" just like Outlook? I'm not sure that's a feature!
stuff |
My RSS feed truncated the title as "Morfik and Rapid Development of Modern We". Somehow my brain assumed "We" was going to be "weapons" - Morfik just seemed like a Defense Department kind of name for a top secret weapons project.
I was really hoping for some kind of macho article about "this new technology can kill effortlessly 10,000 civilians using a rechargable solar battery as a power source, making it a exceptional weapon and environmentally conscious as well"
Life is full of these little disappointments....
"Would you, could you, with a goat?" Dr Seuss
I plan on making a PHP Visual IDE for PHP+AJAX applications. The whole concept will be something like VB (more like Delphi, since it will be OO) and runs in a browser. So far, it's in the basic beta stages, but it works really well. It uses PHP objects to represent CSS tags and HTML tags, and each "object" has actions that will call PHP code (the idea is to take learning an extra language out of AJAX programming, and to create a visual environment).
So, you'll be able to drag and drop and place visually images, text, text boxes, etc. Be able to code these objects to have key events, mouse over events, etc. All from the web browser.
And yes it will be open source, no it won't be free as in free beer, and yes there will be a single site evaluation version for people to use (either with only one site, or to just try out).
right now, the code name is FireFly.
click me
I understand the promotion of programs/apps/etc. on slashdot in the "ask" sections, but is it totally necessary to whore out slashdot for corporate press relaeases?
Ok nifty idea but how does it perform in the real world. How well does it optimize the code to make up for the dismally slow IE java script engine. Both browsers could use some java script engine speed improvements but IE darn sure needs alot of help. Of course I don't expect the monopoly to do this as it is not in their best interest to allow applications to run in this fashion as it neutralizes their platform.
Got Code?
it makes code easier to read http://www.morfik.com/js_sshot.html
From their site: ... ... to contribute to its evolution within this vision. ... Pioneers will be able to influence the direction of Morfik's technology and to share insights about future directions for the web."
"What is the Morfik Pioneers Program?
The Morfik Pioneers Program is for technology visionaries, commentators and practitioners who see the current web as an embryonic form of a global operating system and the WebOS as major development in this process.
The Morfik Pioneers Program allows such enthusiastic individuals
So:
1.) We're supposed to contribute to their for-profit-corporation out-of-the-geekness-of-our-hearts.
2.) And the whole current Internet is just in its infancy, and we're all going to "grow up" into this WebOS based on Javascript/AJAX using Morfik's products; seeing as they're the leader with the vision.
This is just another BIG-HEADED-CORP with no humility; lots of bark and little bite.
I'll wait for version 2 or 3.
I think you meant MSCDs.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
This all looks and sounds like a pile of steaming dog turd. Why else hide behind marketing hype?
There have been many times when dealing with people that I wished I could kiss my own butt goodbye
rtfa: "implement the business logic of their application in a high-level object-oriented language of their choice. Morfik then automatically compiles this code into a JavaScript AJAX engine."
Also: "The process is a true compilation and avoids boilerplates or code snippet libraries. The source code is put through a parser which includes a tokenizer and syntax analyzer. The parser output is then passed to a semantic map builder which creates a detailed semantic map that conveys the entire 'meaning' of the application - a technique in widespread use by CAD systems.
Finally a synthesizer uses this map to create JavaScript (or optionally, obfuscated JavaScript!) code which is semantically identical to the original source and conveys the same 'meaning'."
It had to happen: a compiler with a JavaScript backend...
For all the complaining y'all are doing about these guys, they sure are getting a lot of play. Google morfik. It might be a well-orchestrated campaign of lies and deceit, but at first blush it doesn't look that way.
Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.
Never forget: 2 + 2 = 5 for extremely large values of 2.
They just give me a email with subject "Confirmation of your Morfik Pioneers Registration" and content:
Thank you for applying to be part of the Morfik Pioneers Program. Your application is being reviewed by the Pioneers coordinator who is responsible for providing successful applicants with the login details to the Program.
I just wonder how hard would they just giving people direct access to their vapour-buzzword-like application?
This is the only post in the entire thread that actually RTFA before posting. Yes, the article claims to compile other high level languages into javascript.
It's a neat idea, and it's even relatively easy compared to writing a real compiler. However, it requires that you have a good knowledge of the exact syntax+semantics of each language (*unless they're compiling HLL->ASM->Javascript). This is not something that you can just pound out in a few months. It will take perhaps half a century of labor to perfect (* for a 10-person group, that's only several years).
I'm guessing that the perl and C++ versions will never work perfectly, because their syntaxes and/or semantics are just too difficult. They'll also have problems with obfuscated C programs.
the visual data models ... yada yada yada.
... and more: including outputing java clients (not just web clients).
sounds like another wannabe webobjects.
apple's xcode already does this all - for free (the tools are part of osx distro).
the more drivalware like this fritters away the attention at places like slashdot the bigger the impact will be for apple when the intel boxes ship next year - and the linux kiddies & windoze dolts see for themselves what they have been missing!
Who do you have to bribe for articles like this? And how much?
Or is there any other reason why an article submission for my GPLed webapplication framework gets rejected, but a ridiculously over-priced, closed-source, windows-only offering, whose main feature seems to be buzz-word compliance and marketing-droid BS, gets free PR?
*grrr*
while (!asleep()) sheep++
http://www.morfik.com/media/The_Making_of_Northwin d_Unplugged.pdf
They made a presentation of another demo, then made one of GMAIL. Both use almost exactly the same language, it just looks like some marketer did a find-replace on Northwind. Both were made in 2 weeks for a protoype, and 2 months for a full version.
Fishy.
StickyWidget
The claim that morfik can "compile" any source code in any language, extract the "meaning", and replicate it is not very credible. For example, if the meaning of my code is "Halt", then they've solved the Halting problem.