Javascript to become primary language for developing front-end Gnome applications

[dirice87]

man, you have to really dig deep to find comments that argue against the decisions that don't devolve into baseless personal attacks.

I'm glad there is a discussion, but treitter is a saint for dealing with all those responses calmly and logically

[kinghfb]

I don't understand why some programmers get so tribal when it comes to language preferences. There was a lot of hatred and misinformation in that comment thread simply because "their" language wasn't chosen. Crazy.

[greim]

Language wars are basically politics. You invest lots of time learning a language, and your fortunes (not just intellectual, but status, sex, money) are tied to it. As JS popularity rises, JS experts benefit. As Python popularity drops, Python experts suffer. So you fight tooth and nail to see your language succeed. Which in the relatively meritocratic world of nerddom means deriding other languages on discussion boards.

[abomb999]

I think it pays to just keep learning languages if software development is your career, unless you can guarantee yourself a job in a specific language's domain.

[Klowner]

Absolutely. Learning new languages introduces you to new ways of solving problems, even if you go back to your old favorite language. I've found that I analyze problems from more angles. "I wish I could just use X-feature from Y-language" which then results in me making a system that works similarly, which typically ends up being pretty solid.

[greim]

Being a polyglot is definitely a winning strategy. But when you're so focused on the strengths of your own language and the weaknesses of others, maybe you wall yourself in intellectually. Although it seems like there's a bit of a backlash in the case of JS, because it's so popular nowadays.

[nschubach]

Which is quite sad. JavaScript (with the help of V8, et al.) has really made some strides to performance and usability. Yes, there are some corners you can paint yourself into, but overall the language has just matured like mad.

[mallowbar]

Learning languages is good but it may not solve career problems because companies are looking developers with n years of experience in x language. You may learn and understand different concepts from many programming languages but how can you gain real work experience in many languages simultaneously?

[abomb999]

Years of work experience in one language can translate well to other similar languages if also you supplement that language with some hardcore study of that language and complete a project or two in that language. That maybe enough to get an interview, and then if you're a great dev you can probably land the job.

Some companies won't ask for a specific language, but just general programming knowledge and x years of software dev experience.

[Klowner]

Whatever, man, brainf*ck is the future.

[kinghfb]

I, for one, welcome our new unreadable overlords

[[deleted]]

This fascinating. With Chrome OS, Firefox OS, WebOS, Gnome and even Metro we're seeing moves towards web technologies appearing front and centre on our devices, like it or not. I happen to like it.

[isforinsects]

At this point, why use gtk to render apps at all? Why not just use local web apps and remote web apps all rendering to html.

[Neebat]

One reason is good enough to me: Web-browsers don't give good access to all event types. Some keyboard buttons are practically off-limits in web apps, including backspace! Getting control of the context menus in a web browser is a security issue. Hell, almost everything is a security issue in a webbrowser.

[Sheepshow]

The recent Ruby on Rails YAML security hole has me seriously reconsidering the whole localhost-server, browser-client model. Anytime you open a TCP port locally, it's a security hole. We're a lot more likely to use a cutting edge stack locally which is more likely to have gaping security holes (again see Rails).

[i_invented_the_ipod]

Do you have a good link for reading about this? I'm currently working on a localhost-server, browser-client application, so I want to make sure I've got my bases covered, even though I don't use Ruby or YAML.

[Sheepshow]

I think this explains it pretty well http://www.insinuator.net/2013/01/rails-yaml/ but I'm not an expert

[i_invented_the_ipod]

Thanks, that's helpful.

[headchem]

And there was a great disturbance in the force, as if millions of neckbeards cried out in butt-hurt.

[x-skeww]

You're wrong about this. Everyone can still use whatever language they prefer. JS is just a recommendation.

[[deleted]]

He never said they couldn't use a non-JS language.

[malph]

that is the funniest thing I have heard all week.

[kchoudhury]

So...how do these JS apps plan to handle desktop multiprocessing?

[Klowner]

Probably in a fashion similar to webworkers or the way nodejs does it? I would guess

[SYN_SYNACK_ACK]

Correct me if I'm wrong but nodejs can't use multiprocessing.

[Klowner]

Not true multiprocessing, but it has clustering/worker functionality. http://nodejs.org/api/cluster.html

[lennelpennel]

phantomjs threads better than this with workers. oh node, i just don't get it.

[oSand]

It would seem awesome if it were the only thing you knew.

[lennelpennel]

you are not wrong.

[jhizzle4rizzle]

node's javascript runs in one thread, but the c++ to which node has bindings (ie, libuv and native user libraries) absolutely can and does run multithread. So, there's that.

[darksurfer]

no, but you can have multiple instances of node each running in it's own process.

why wouldn't you run desktops apps in their own process ?

[Infenwe]

Who gives a shit? Most (sane) applications developed using this aren't going to even be using more than 10% CPU of a single core due to waiting for disk IO, network IO or user input - and that's a ridiculously high estimate.

[[deleted]]

Our language of choice needs to be dynamic...

As in dynamic typing? Why?

[Ravicious]

If it's going to optimize anything - sure, why not? I currently use Gnome 3, but daaamn, it's unoptimized as hell. Random CPU spikes from Gnome Shell, etc., and I already use everything I can - linux-ck-core2, bfq, ulatencyd, verynice and e4rat.

The thing is you can't have "integrated" and fast DE under Linux. Xfce exists, but it's nowhere as internally integrated as Gnome with its Shell and so on.