Monday, June 27, 2011

What I want in JavaScript

I was reading a coding horror post on JavaScript which went over how it was popular, how it can to be and the troubles which it faces in the future. I reflected on this point of view thinking a language's success can have very little to do with itself. JavaScript is no SmallTalk when it comes to languages an one could argue it just a child of previous modern day languages. That said I'm not that interested in new language features being added to JavaScript but would really like to see new deployment formats. The inline JavaScript or HTML script tag include element are to focused around the HTML document. A clean separation between layout and code should be created as to prevent and control JavaScript execution. It is far to easy to include JavaScript libraries and too easy for conflicts to occur until it is too late.

I would like to see a compiled format for the language which is sandboxed so you can be sure no one else overwrite a feature. Something like the SWF format would ideal as you have a lot more control over the binary. I know a lot of js files are minifyed and sent compressed via the web server but that gives you no control over the internals.

Also it would be great nice to see a new HTML feature designed around JavaScript which is being run. So you could state any restrictions on the code which is running. This would look at bring HTML applications inline with other apps that are built complied for deployment on other platforms such as iOS and Andriod.

Even though I dread the thought of HTML, CSS, & JavaScript being the base of modern applications that doesn't mean it will not happen. With web developers now pushing the HTML platform pass some document format syntax and to the base of applications we should expect it to grow as well.

1 comment:

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