RE: RE : GSMBrowser.

[Vaisburd, Haim]

Fabien VALLON <fabien.vallon@fr.alcove.com> wrote:

> Peter Cooper (comrade@obverse.com.au) a écrit:
> > It would be very nice to be able to use the Workspace to browse to a
> > SMB server, as well as an arbitrary FTP server, or a CVS space
> > ... and simply use my favourite apps to edit in-place...
> 
> No it will not nice at all.
> 
> *Step is not a Web workspace.
> FreeSoftware have already a very good "web desktop" : 
> KDE/Konqueror....(even if I don't like the feel of this type of desktop)

and Helge Hess <helge.hess@skyrix.com> wrote:

> When *Step was available the networks were not capable of FTP like 
> filesystems, now they are and *Step should evolve into one if possible.

Let me share an opinion, too.

I like the idea of uniform access to local files/FTP/CVS/tar arhive/rpms
etc.
(what Favien Vallon calls "web workspace") very much.
Moreover, a hope to finally create such an environment is the main reason
of my interest in GNUstep.

I prefer to call this "emacs-like environment" though. There was an aricle
with that name (and ideas!) some 6 or 7 years ago on GNOME discussion site.
Unfortunately, I do not remember the name of the author and I could never
find this aricle again.

Apart of virtual filesystems, another, even more powerful idea was to
show different file types in the same window (frame). This is an extension
of emacs modes to broader range of file types - not only texts, but folders,
pictures, archives, etc.

This is similar to what KDE did, but they set several fundamental
restrictions:

1. For most types, they do not provide editing. In Konqueror you can only
   look and read. I think I'm just repeating here what Peter Cooper wrote.
   
2. For each type, there is only one mode (so-called "embedded viewer").
   However, there are many situations where it does make sence to see
   (and edit!) the same file with different modes. The simplest example
   is to edit html file as plain text an then look at it "as a web page".
   I can add more examples.

3. Integration with command line is hard, but nesessary. I do not know
   to how exactly do it. KDE tried to make an integration, and I think
   their attention to command line is great. But I could never use what
   they wrote for real work ( except of Ctrl-T, launch rxvt in the current
   dir, of course ;).

Therefore, I can not agree that "Free Software already has a very good 
web desktop". Some great ideas are implemented, but, IMHO, we do not have
a flexible and powerful modular-based environment in the Unix spirit yet.

Numbers 1, 2 and 3 are pretty much borrowed from that article and my
understanding of emacs. I have additional one:

4. Instead of splitting - docking. Konqueror splits one document
   window into panes, after that one pane can control another, e.g.
   you click on files in the left pane and they are opened in the right.
   Probably, we can instead dock document windows to each other and let user
   assemble complex programs on the fly. Underlying applications would
   know what they are docked to and modify they behavior. Now I'm not quite
sure
   whether it will be useful, but maybe some of you would like that idea. 
   With Objective C it seems to be possible.

Greetings,
Tima.