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

[Stephen Sinclair]

On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 4:27 PM, Stephen Sinclair <radarsat1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 3:11 PM, Stephen Tetley
> <stephen.tetley at gmail.com> 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-backend/

I haven't tried it, so can't comment on the readiness of this interpreter..

Steve