I Dream XP Is Cross Platform just that

1
I Dream XP Is Cross Platform just that?

• Neil Stansbury
• Lead Engineer Redback Systems

2
Technology Convergence

• Web Technologies dont exist in isolation
• Should be considered as integrated solution
• Why use proprietry protocols?
• HTTP is message (text) based protocol.
• With SSL/TLS perfectly secure
• Wide application support
• Why use proprietry content formats?
• XML well designed
• Easy to use Windows NotePad?
• Wide application support

3
Whats in a Browser?

• End to End Open Standards
• Data Transport
• Standards based protocol HTTP/S over TCP
• HTTP 1.1 Spec widely defined and implemented
• Data Presentation
• HTML/XML/CSS All W3C standards
• Javascript ECMA standard
• Visual rendering engine (Gecko in Mozilla)
• No Proprietry Protocols or Binary formats
• Bookmarks etc are Icing

4
A Brief History of Mozilla

• Microsoft vs Netscape The Browser Wars
• The Open Source Rug
• Mozilla Suite
• Open Source Mozilla Public License
• Entire user interface is built from XML More
  later
• Cascading Style Sheets provide visual themes
• Firefox The Browser Revisted
• Vandals Viruses
• 10 Market Share
• 8 Million Downloads in first 23 Days
• http//www.mozilla.org

5
XUL is COOL

• XUL Mozillas XML User Interface Language
• Uses XML for application interface
• Immediately Cross Platform Web Enabled
• No more APIs Standard XML tools
• XUL uses CSS to provide visual styles
• Leverage existing web (XML/CSS) skills
• Gecko renders XUL interface and web pages
• XBL - language syntax W3C Standards track

6
Microsoft Dot What?

• Microsoft .NET Is Irrelevent
• Mozilla implements open end to end XP standards
• XUL for UI widgets, CSS for visual styling
• Javascript used for Mozillas (XP)COM
• Square Peg Round Hole
• Microsoft doesnt want to do cross platform
• Why re-invent Mozilla's wheel?
• Even Mono is not complete picture
• Mozilla is fully open standards
• XML, CSS, Mozillas XBL in W3C's standards track
• Microsoft has submitted C and CLI to ECMA
• Java is still controlled by Sun Microsystems

7
Cross Platform is Easy!

• OS Evangelism vs Cross Platform
• Cross Platform is about giving you flexibility
• Linux doesnt change that
• Microsoft can change the Linux value proposition
• Agnostic is a great word!
• Consider Development Costs
• Good VB developer 500 Day
• Good Web developer 250 day
• One is Windows Specific, One is Cross Platfom
• Why not leverage existing web skills, and use
  open standards like XML, XBL, CSS over HTTP/S?

8
Novells GroupWise Clients

• Win32, Web, Java, Evolution (ximian)
• Win32 and Java unpopular
• Slow Hard to customise
• Evolution is Linux only
• Only web interface is agnostic and open.
• No common platform
• Multiple development skills environments
• Cant leverage common feature sets.
• Feature X in Win32 needs completely rewriting
  for Mac or Linux.
• No community benefit

9
Fantasy GroupWise Client

• What would your fantasy be?
• Platform Indepenent
• Windows, Linux Mac OSX at least
• Common Cross Platform Interface
• Common visual styling themes
• Minimise end user training
• Totally Customisable
• Double Choc chip with sprinkles?
• Leverage code reuse core skills
• Customisable user policies via Directory Services
• Built on open technologies (XML/CSS/HTTP)

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Welcome to the fantasy

• Mozilla for GroupWise
• Written as Mozilla Firefox extension
• Only open technologies used
• Client gt Server protocol is HTTP/S
• Data is XML-RDF
• User interface is XUL and CSS
• Programming language is Javascript
• Leverage code across all Mozilla Platforms
• Native Operating System Widgets

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Data Aggregation with XML-RDF

• RDF Resource Description Framework
• RDF is metadata Data about Data
• Yet another W3C Standard Mozilla uses!
• RDF describes Resource/Property/Value
• GUG has an Event property of Today
• RDF wants unique resources
• Consider people, locations, hosts, LDAP?
• Ensures we discuss same thing
• When we agree - we aggregate

12
Mozilla for GroupWise Beta Demo

• Mozilla for GroupWise released 20th December
• Finalising from Firefox 1.0 Release
• Cross Platform XUL example
• Community Driven License
• Questions?