Re: [Haskell-cafe] Is it possible to "easily" connect Haskell to JavaScript/JavaFX in the browser and use a browser as a Windows GUI? :)

On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 4:27 PM, Stephen Sinclair wrote:

On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 3:11 PM, Stephen Tetley wrote:

...

Claus Reinke posted this a while ago - see the attachment at the bottom of the message:

http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/haskell-cafe/2007-July/029275.html

Thanks for that.  Here's the relevant website that he posted later in that thread: http://www.cs.kent.ac.uk/people/staff/cr3/toolbox/haskell/browsing/

Of course, it would be nice to be able to write the "javascript" parts in Haskell, and even use a Haskell framework for generating the HTML. I'm sure this is possible with things like Yesod, etc.

Just wanted to mention, currently I am working on a project (not in Haskell) that takes a similar approach of starting up an HTTP server and using the browser for the GUI.  We are thinking about including a copy of Chromium in the binary release, and launching it on double-click with the "--app" flag which opens a "chromeless" browser window (i.e just a window border containing an HTML renderer) looking just like a local application.

Another option is XULRunner, which you can use to create an application with native menus and widgets around the border, and add a "<browser>" element to the GUI which points at your Haskell web server.  You could probably even generate the XUL layout code in the Haskell server if you wanted, which would provide a totally native-looking app.  (At least for those who don't consider Firefox very awful-looking, I know there are some Cocoa pedants around who would complain.. ;)

P.s., it would be wrong not to also mention the latest development in UHC, which might exactly let you write the JavaScript part of the app in Haskell: http://utrechthaskellcompiler.wordpress.com/2010/10/18/haskell-to-javascript... I haven't tried it, so can't comment on the readiness of this interpreter.. Steve