[sldev] client side scripting (Was: "Unreferenced" assets)

[Brad Kittenbrink (Brad Linden)]

Argent Stonecutter wrote:
> On 2008-05-21, at 22:56, Kent Quirk (Q Linden) wrote:
>> If we're gonna do a client-side scripting language, which has been 
>> discussed from time to time, it seems like we should solve the more 
>> general problem of client-side scripting systems for things like UI 
>> (HUDs) and automation. Given that we've committed to Mono 
>> server-side, seems like we'd want to leverage tools and engineering 
>> know-how and use Mono client-side too.
>
> We don't necessarily need Mono client side. Javascript is already 
> there (in the browser) and is a well understood scripting language.
>

I think it's pretty unlikely we would ever rip the javascript 
implementation out of the browser and break down the abstraction 
barriers separating it from the rest of the viewer code base.  We've had 
enough problems dealing with mozilla even with it wrapped and contained 
within the llmozlib2 subsystem.

Besides ECMAScript has several .Net implementations if your goal is that 
it's the best understood scripting language. (note, I am not familiar 
with any of these implementations in detail: 
http://www.mono-project.com/JScript, 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JScript_.NET, 
http://code.google.com/p/ecmascript-net/)

The tough part about scripting in the viewer isn't the language or 
execution engine anyways.  It's defining APIs and object models that we 
want to export from our native code and commit to supporting for the 
indefinite future.  I would definitely love to see a design discussion 
of what APIs people would find useful in the wiki.  Ideally this could 
involve collaboration with the pyogp project as well.

-Brad