HTML Generator

Wed Jun 6 16:38:01 CDT 2007

I was thinking more like having "Field  xxx  lookup on / noton" work
without having to submit the entire Form, data from a Reference File
display as it currently does in Quick and improving "Dynamic List", in
the current web implementation the Drop Down List (Choice Field) are
static. Next Data could load the data without reloading the entire web
page, etc. Enhancing or making available the functionality that already
exists in Quick.

Some of the common JavaScript customization in common use, could be
available in the "Framework".

Greig

________________________________

From: Deskin, Bob [mailto:Bob.Deskin at Cognos.COM] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 4:16 PM
To: Greig Morrison; powerh-l at lists.sowder.com
Subject: RE: HTML Generator

Now the big question. I understand it's asynchronous. In fact, it would
be a neat tool to let you do a search from PH Web while continuing to do
data entry. But to be useful with existing QUICK applications, it needs
to be serial. In other words, when you enter data into a field and press
enter (this is what you do in QUICK), we need for the data to be
transmitted and for the page to be locked until control is returned by
QUICK. Otherwise, we can't do field-by-field processing.

Of course we also need for the QUICK process to wait for all the data
rather than process it request by request as in PH Web. But one thing at
a time.

Bob

	-----Original Message-----
	From: Greig Morrison [mailto:greig.morrison at sympatico.ca] 
	Sent: June 6, 2007 4:01 PM
	To: Deskin, Bob; powerh-l at lists.sowder.com
	Subject: RE: HTML Generator

	Essentially yes, which is why I think it could work with
PowerHouse Web.

	Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is based on web
standards: JavaScript, XML, HTML and CSS. The idea is to create faster,
more interactive web apps. Instead of reloading the entire page every
time you communicate with the server, AJAX uses the JavaScript
XMLHttpRequest object to exchange data with the web server.

	In addition to providing asynchronous data between the browser
and the web server, AJAX toolkits have all GUI toys on the client to
build web applications with many of features of a desktop application.
All this with a zero footprint.

	Have a quick look at these demos:
	dojo Email  http://dojotoolkit.org/demos/email
	ZK Simply Ajax   http://www.zkoss.org/zkdemo/userguide/
	Thinwire  http://www.thinwire.com/?n=Explore.Explore

	Greig

________________________________

	From: Deskin, Bob [mailto:Bob.Deskin at Cognos.COM] 
	Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 2:00 PM
	To: Greig Morrison; powerh-l at lists.sowder.com
	Subject: RE: HTML Generator

	I looked briefly at AJAX (and will again). My initial impression
was that it allows asynchronous processing and uses the web server and
CGI like any other web page. Is this being too simplistic?

	Is it reasonable to expect good response from a field-by-field
dialog through a web server, even if it's an intranet?

	Bob

		-----Original Message-----
		From:
powerh-l-bounces+bob.deskin=cognos.com at lists.sowder.com
[mailto:powerh-l-bounces+bob.deskin=cognos.com at lists.sowder.com] On
Behalf Of Greig Morrison
		Sent: June 6, 2007 12:44 PM
		To: powerh-l at lists.sowder.com
		Subject: RE: HTML Generator

		I would like to see the PowerHouse Web client support an
Ajax framework, this uses the same zero footprint architecture and
provides a dynamic web page on the client side. Anything useful on the
web has move beyond simply html and now include some form of script
(JavaScript or ActionScript).

		http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajax_framework

		There are plenty of examples, many are Open Source like:

		ZK Simply Ajax http://www.zkoss.org/
		Thinwire http://www.thinwire.com/
		Google Web Toolkit
http://code.google.com/p/google-web-toolkit/

		Regards
		Greig Morrison

		-----Original Message-----

----------------------------------------------------------------------

		Message: 1

		Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2007 09:19:20 -0400
		From: "Deskin, Bob" <Bob.Deskin at Cognos.COM>
		Subject: HTML Generator
		To: <powerh-l at lists.sowder.com>

		Message-ID:
<2B4E386EAEC90947802323BF373DC0EC0B971B87 at sottemail1.ent.ad.cognos.com>

		Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

		Now that we have put the E version to bed (it's in
manufacturing but not quite available yet), we're busy planning the next
release. We have lost of ideas of course, and I'm not specifically
soliciting any more. What I would like to do is follow up on Ken's idea,
which we share, of an HTML generator. We already know that QDESIGN can
generate HTML. And it's not particularly difficult to add to that. I'm
not trying to make it sound like it's a 5 minute job, but we already
know how to do it. It's simply a case of designing the keyword and
determining what HTML should be generated and where.

		But I don't think people want PowerHouse Web with it's
panel-oriented stateless architecture that requires converting subscreen
calls to linkscreens and some other way of handling reports and runs. My
take is that people want is something that feels like QUICK (even down
to the Action field is desired) but looks like a web page. And that it
runs over a local network similar to a terminal emulator as opposed to
the internet (although that might be a possibility). So the first
question is - is that a correct assumption?

		If that is correct, then the next question is how do we
do the execution end of things in a reasonable period of time with
limited resources.
		Sure, it can be done. The browser engines are available
as controls or applets and we could build the entire infrastructure, but
we don't have a large team and 2 or more years. Rather we have 2 or 3
people and 6 months (no, that's not the whole team but we do have other
things to do, and the 6 months is what I'm aiming for because I know
these projects take longer).

		So does anyone have any ideas on how to put this sort of
thing together?

		Are there web sites that describe it? Is it even
reasonable considering that a browser is typically block oriented
whereas QUICK is field oriented?

		Any thoughts? 

		Bob

		PS I removed the other portions of Ken's message because
I won't get into pricing policy in a public forum. Ken's 3rd point is
somewhat dependant on the success of the second. These days, you need to
look good to be noticed. However, whatever we do must be in keeping with
our existing architecture. QKView is a step in the right direction.

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