Comments on: Hello JS-CTYPES, Goodbye Binary Components http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/ Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Thomas Heller http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-4216 Thomas Heller Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:09:34 +0000 http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-4216 As ctypes author I'm amazed how ctypes is going to rule the world ;-) As ctypes author I’m amazed how ctypes is going to rule the world ;-)

]]> By: Ryan Paul http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3666 Ryan Paul Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:14:33 +0000 http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3666 This will radically simplify XUL development for a lot of programmers. Very impressive! I'm really looking forward to seeing better GNOME integration for Firefox when this becomes available. Hopefully, somebody will use this to make a nice JS library on top of libdbus! This will radically simplify XUL development for a lot of programmers. Very impressive!

I’m really looking forward to seeing better GNOME integration for Firefox when this becomes available. Hopefully, somebody will use this to make a nice JS library on top of libdbus!

]]> By: napyfab:blog» Blog Archive » links for 2007-09-25 http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3634 napyfab:blog» Blog Archive » links for 2007-09-25 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:43:48 +0000 http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3634 [...] Mark Finkle’s Weblog » Hello JS-CTYPES, Goodbye Binary Components (tags: javascript xpcom programming mozilla c library js firefox development) [...] […] Mark Finkle’s Weblog » Hello JS-CTYPES, Goodbye Binary Components (tags: javascript xpcom programming mozilla c library js firefox development) […]

]]> By: Javascript News » Blog Archive » JS-CTYPES: Calling out to native code from XUL http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3632 Javascript News » Blog Archive » JS-CTYPES: Calling out to native code from XUL Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:03:06 +0000 http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3632 [...] Finkle has ported Python’s ctypes to JavaScript, and has created JS-CTYPES which allows you to declare and call exported methods from binary/shared libraries from Mozilla’s [...] […] Finkle has ported Python’s ctypes to JavaScript, and has created JS-CTYPES which allows you to declare and call exported methods from binary/shared libraries from Mozilla’s […]

]]> By: Benjamin Smedberg http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3631 Benjamin Smedberg Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:04:36 +0000 http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3631 Boris, if you're native code you can just link directly against the library you're trying to access (or use the PR_LoadLibrary dynamic equivalents). How would this API be useful from C++ when you can do the binary call directly? And yes, I believe we are moving away from a C++ platform to a JS platform. Boris, if you’re native code you can just link directly against the library you’re trying to access (or use the PR_LoadLibrary dynamic equivalents). How would this API be useful from C++ when you can do the binary call directly?

And yes, I believe we are moving away from a C++ platform to a JS platform.

]]> By: Ajax Girl » Blog Archive » JS-CTYPES: Calling out to native code from XUL http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3630 Ajax Girl » Blog Archive » JS-CTYPES: Calling out to native code from XUL Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:48:25 +0000 http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3630 [...] Finkle has ported Python’s ctypes to JavaScript, and has created JS-CTYPES which allows you to declare and call exported methods from binary/shared libraries from Mozilla’s [...] […] Finkle has ported Python’s ctypes to JavaScript, and has created JS-CTYPES which allows you to declare and call exported methods from binary/shared libraries from Mozilla’s […]

]]> By: Boris http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3629 Boris Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:12:28 +0000 http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3629 Just to clarify, I think this is a great idea. I'm just worried that we need to either do something similar the other direction, come up with some other way to improve information flow back from JS into C++, or abandon the idea of C++ as a platform development engine and stick to only using it for the core layout code. It seems this last is the direction we're moving toward.... Just to clarify, I think this is a great idea. I’m just worried that we need to either do something similar the other direction, come up with some other way to improve information flow back from JS into C++, or abandon the idea of C++ as a platform development engine and stick to only using it for the core layout code.

It seems this last is the direction we’re moving toward….

]]> By: Ted Mielczarek http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3628 Ted Mielczarek Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:36:28 +0000 http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3628 This is hot, hot, hot! This is hot, hot, hot!

]]> By: Boris http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3627 Boris Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:16:59 +0000 http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3627 Mark, if I'm in C++ in an extension and want to access Firefox code or extension code in another extension, and the API is only exposed to JS (because this wrapper is being used to access the underlying C++), then I get screwed: I have no idea what those libraries are, or whatnot, and more importantly can't depend on it. Again, this is exactly the situation we're in with tabbrowser: one _can_ use JSAPI to get to it from C++, but it's a world of hurt. Mark, if I’m in C++ in an extension and want to access Firefox code or extension code in another extension, and the API is only exposed to JS (because this wrapper is being used to access the underlying C++), then I get screwed: I have no idea what those libraries are, or whatnot, and more importantly can’t depend on it. Again, this is exactly the situation we’re in with tabbrowser: one _can_ use JSAPI to get to it from C++, but it’s a world of hurt.

]]> By: Alex Sirota http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3626 Alex Sirota Sun, 23 Sep 2007 21:35:41 +0000 http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2007/09/hello-js-ctypes-goodbye-binary-components/#comment-3626 Mark - just wanted to salute you for yet another extremely important project. I can testify first hand that this exact functionality has been very important ingredient in many projects I've done in the past - for components written in Tcl/Tk, Perl, C# etc. I believe that introducing this into Mozilla/JavaScript will really take the whole platform to a new level by removing the binary XPCOM barriers and allowing true rapid development and reuse of existing binary components. I actually started working on the exact same thing a while ago, but had to stop because it looked like quite a lot of work and I just couldn't allocate the time to see it through. One suggestion - I think that it's very important to ship this with predefined definitions of all existing win32 functions (and maybe system library equivalents on other platforms). This will allow developers to quickly use any system service without having to create the needed definitions, which can sometimes result in mistakes and bugs. Anyway, great job - I'm looking forward to seeing this as an integral part of the Mozilla platform! Mark - just wanted to salute you for yet another extremely important project.

I can testify first hand that this exact functionality has been very important ingredient in many projects I’ve done in the past - for components written in Tcl/Tk, Perl, C# etc.

I believe that introducing this into Mozilla/JavaScript will really take the whole platform to a new level by removing the binary XPCOM barriers and allowing true rapid development and reuse of existing binary components. I actually started working on the exact same thing a while ago, but had to stop because it looked like quite a lot of work and I just couldn’t allocate the time to see it through.

One suggestion - I think that it’s very important to ship this with predefined definitions of all existing win32 functions (and maybe system library equivalents on other platforms). This will allow developers to quickly use any system service without having to create the needed definitions, which can sometimes result in mistakes and bugs.

Anyway, great job - I’m looking forward to seeing this as an integral part of the Mozilla platform!

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