Ideas for improving the HTML/CSS/JavaScript

Joel on Software ask "What are your ideas for improving the HTML/CSS/JavaScript infrastructure to make web app development better? Write them up and post them somewhere; I'll point to the best ones from my blog."

Well my ideas are simple:

#1) Client side includes: Basically we can add images from any server or file into a web page, why not HTML/Text without crappy documentwrite/ javascript stuff or iframes which doesn't get the job done either. By building includes into html and the browsers HTML pages can now be built with proper components without needing services from a webserver. At one time imagemaps needed servers, server side includes needs a server today it shouldn't need one.


#2) Developer cacheable elements: yes your browser does cache automatically but you are never quiet sure how it does it and some things you don't want cached. Basic idea that as you work a webapp it should only download repeating elements once. For example if you have a site you could have it go through multiple splash pages and download javascripts on each page that you could then have locally when needed later in your application. These elements could also be saved from session to session. So that when my son goes back to noggin.com the applet that he is playing with doesn't need to be downloaded again.

This would be advantageous for latency issues of course but it would also allow web apps (that are properly designed ) to work when they are not connected to the internet.

#3) Save to ftp. The idea is that you can save any page/form to any ftp site. When you call saveftp function, you get a pop-up box that asks for server, username and password. It will like a save as to hard disk and allow you to choose where to save it on the ftp site, including choosing names.


With client side includes you have a way to read data, with save to ftp you know have a way to write data all without cgi or server side programming of any kind, with caching elements you can now control what code exists locally for the user. Notice none of these technology breaks the security of you local machine everything remains in nice secure sandboxes, but would increase the richness of what you can do with client side HTML/Javascript.

Anyway I hope everyone likes my contributions.





  ¶ 8:23 PM           |

  Remember those who Sacrified for freedom

Ayres is a 1989 Dickinson High School graduate. He returned to Texas City on Tuesday after spending 74 days in the hospital and undergoing more than 20 surgeries.

“A month ago, I was still bed-ridden and in a wheelchair, but then I moved to a walker, and now I have walking crutches,” said Ayres.

While looking for insurgents in Fallujah, Iraq, Iraqi soldiers against the occupation attacked Ayres’ unit. A blast from a rocket-propelled grenade nearly blew his leg off, while his arms, legs and back were severely burned.

Two things kept Ayres going as he slipped in and out of consciousness.

“I just kept praying and asking God to please let me go back to see my wife and my daughter,” he said.

  ¶ 12:56 PM           |

  June 2004 A significant Drop In Coalition Deaths

50 total coalition deaths, or 1.67 per day. The lowest death rate since Feb 2004. Lets hope they do even better next month. Say a prayer for our heroes, who are putting their asses on the line for freedom.

  ¶ 12:40 PM           |

  Why the Handover in Iraq is Important: To the Iraqis

BAGHDAD Sa'ad Saddam, a 35-year-old clothing merchant in the Iraqi capital's notorious thieves' market, normally has nothing polite to say about his country's rulers.

So he was surprised on Monday to find himself being optimistic about Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's new government - not because Saddam cared about the symbolic passing of sovereignty from the U.S.-led coalition to Iraqi leaders, but because he was thrilled to see Iraqi police officers pistol-whipping suspected carjackers near his clothing stand.

"Allawi is a strong, powerful guy," said Saddam, who added that the police crackdown on two carjacking and kidnapping rings here indicated that Iraq's new leaders were starting to impose order in the streets.

Most Iraqis are withholding judgment on the new government, which officially and unexpectedly took the reins of power on Monday, two days before the scheduled transfer. People here say they want to see results, first and foremost in the field of security.

But, at least so far, many indicated that they like what they see.

Allawi has offered tough talk, dismissing a televised assassination threat by the Qaeda-linked terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as a "cowardly" attempt to intimidate all Iraqis.

Unlike occupation officials and members of the now defunct Iraqi Governing Council, Allawi has stepped outside the security bubble to visit the scenes of deadly suicide bombings and urge Iraqis not to surrender to fear.

And on Sunday, his interior minister led a platoon of police commandos into the thieves' market, where they arrested dozens of suspected criminals, pointedly kicking them around in front of Iraqi reporters so the message would get out.

"The police have to show some force so that people develop a healthy fear and respect for the law," said Captain Abdullah Muhammad, 48, the traffic policeman in charge of Tahrir Square, the central roundabout in Bab al-Sharji, Baghdad's historic eastern gate that borders the thieves' market. "That's how we can terminate the bad elements."

Tahrir Square, a busy traffic circle in central Baghdad whose name means Liberation Square, was the location of a major suicide bombing on June 14 that killed 13 people and spurred an outpouring of anti-American anger.

The Iraqi police seem eager to prove their mettle. Muhammad, the traffic police captain, proudly showed his ticket book, with carbon copies of several $14 fines issued to motorists who had parked illegally.

"If the police see a gang on the street, they should shoot at them," said Muhammad Yassin, 22, who sells video discs. "The Iraqis have to prove they're in charge."

Yassin said the police commandos had swooped into the neighborhood "like a little army," confiscating weapons and drugs and arresting crime suspects.

If Allawi's government continues to take strong-arm steps - as the prime minister has promised, even suggesting he will impose martial law in some areas - the merchants near the thieves' market said they would be patient in waiting for action on other pressing needs, like electricity, job and housing shortages.

  ¶ 9:49 AM           |

  "Let Freedom Reign!"  ¶ 2:32 PM           |