<div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Hello,<br> <br></div> I have been roaming in IT-world, for the last 10 days.<br></div>My project was to make a new CV, since I have to find work again.<br></div>Not an ordinary CV, made in Word. No, I wanted it on a webpage!<br></div><div>A special one, with animations and dynamic content.<br> </div> I didn't like the idea to write it in plain HTML, directly.<br></div>HTML is not the best language to make a layout for a document.<br>It took me some time to make an XML file and a DTD, <br></div></div>Then I had to learn a myriad of XML-techniques and JavaScrpit (quite interesting).<br> </div>But finally I would have to do a lot of programming, my DTD contained nested elements. <br></div>So the program had to be recursive and behave different, depending on the name of each tag.<br></div>Anyway, the final result would be HTML, so I still had this layout-problem. <br> But now much more complicated. <br> <br></div>Then I left that road and took an other one.<br></div>I arrived in the land of Tex and learned the Language of the Texians: LaTex.<br></div>Overkill, for such a small document. <br>They promised me complete control over the layout, while In could concentrate on the text<br> That was what I wanted! <br>With the <a href="http://asymptote.sourceforge.net/">Asymptote</a> package even animations in PDF were possible.<br></div><div>A small JavaScript to ask the height and width for from the screen, adjust the scale from the text and display a pdf in HTML format. Job done!<br> </div>Found a nice package on <a href="http://www.ctan.org/" target="_blank">CTAN</a>, but was not root on my own PC. So I couldn't add it to the already installed packages. Had to re-instal Ubuntu, but no CD-R, no memory-stick here, only a USB-HD that I had to format and take care, so it can boot. Never succeeded.<br> </div>My LaTex story became pretty much hardcore SM (Not really, but they also like latex).<br><br></div>So here I find myself thinking loud about: how IT should evolute and then I thought of my beloved Racket: the land of the wishing wells and the <a href="http://www.infoq.com/presentations/Racket">very smart princess</a>.<br> <br></div>It must be that the princess is not very interested in making part of web2.0. <br></div>There are XML, HTML Libraries in Racket. The next "How to design programs" will be a kind of <br>How to: functional, client-server based, Finite State Machine programming book <br> (just took a glimp of it)<br><br> </div>There are other princesses who wished for small computers, called smartphones( iPhones and Androids), and for XML, XSLT, XPATH, XQUERY, XSL-FO, JSON, JQUERY, DTD, SVG, ... <br>and for JavaScript, Java, ASP, PHP, C, C++, C#, and and and<br> <br></div>Since all the ML's use tags and all the information in it, finds it self in binary trees, this whole web-thing could be well treated by a language that is invented to handle Lists. A language that exist for more then 50 years. So I Ask: Why isn't that the answer for Web2.0?<br> </div><br></div>I like the idea of keeping data, layout and logic separated (MVC).<br></div>I like OO, client-server and state-machines. <br></div>Is there a possibility that a programmer could chose for one language (Racket hint hint)<br> and will be able to do, all what is necessary for making modern web-based applications, multi-platform and multi-screen-size?<br><br></div>The answer is: YES and it could indeed be Racket.<br></div>In theory: theory and practice are same.<br> </div>In practice: practice and theory are different.<br><br></div>I don't know about the existence of webpages that are generated 'Racket-wise.'<br></div>I just checked <a href="http://racket-lang.org" target="_blank">racket-lang.org</a>, did a 'view source' and noticed <br> in the metadata: name => generator content =>racket<br></div>So it does exist!?<br><br></div>The princess already realized my personal wish. <br></div>Only I'm not as smart as the princess. <br></div>She is even so intelligent, she made a method to embed pieces of code, written in other languages. <br> </div>If you can't wish it in Racket, then just embed some C-code or whatever.<br></div><br>I coud use Racket, to call some JavaScript, to do some XSLT, to do ... ... ...<br>from Dr-Racket, that runs in Ubuntu 13.0, <br> that runs on my VMware workstation, <br>that runs on Ubuntu 10.0.<br>...<br><br> </div>Yes, it all can be done! <br>Almost did it yesterday <br>(Until I became so tired, i almost forgot my root-password again :) <br><br></div>I wish the princesses stop wishing and start to unify all their old wishes and make something small and beautiful. Back to basics and no: not BASIC!<br> </div><br></div>Then I will <a href="http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS-principe">KISS</a> them recursively and live long and happy.<br><br></div>Greetings,<br><br></div><a href="http://images14.knack.be/images/resized/119/471/124/164/4/500_0_KEEP_RATIO_SHRINK_CENTER_FFFFFF/image/1194711241644.jpg">Frank</a> <br> <div><div><div><br><div><div><div><div> <div><div><div><br> <br><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br><br><div><div><div><div><br> <br><div><div><div><div><div> <br></div><div><br><br><div><br><br><div><br><div> <br><div><div><div><div><div><div><br> <div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br><br><br><br clear="all"><div><br>-- <br><div>Hazelarenlaan 34 bus 6</div><div>3500 Hasselt</div><a href="tel:%2B32484538321" value="+32484538321" target="_blank">+32484538321</a> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>