Scriptable web applications as first-class citizens

Abstract

Mashups that combine data from numerous web sites into an integrated experience have rapidly become state-of-the-practice way to develop new compelling applications. However, their use has been somewhat restricted, since it is common that such applications can only be run inside the browser, not in a fashion where they would be directly associated with operating system concepts. Consequently their access to the resources of the hosting system has been limited, which forms a practical obstacle for numerous applications that could benefit from e.g. context information available in mobile context. The limitations are not something that is a fundamental restriction of web technologies, but only related to the existing implementations. In this paper, we show how we have implemented a mashup desktop, where applications that download data - and even complete web applications - from the web can be used in the same way as thumbnails are commonly used. Furthermore, instead of being static, the thumbnails can be alive in a fashion that has been made popular by newer desktop systems, such as Windows 7. The implementation is based on our earlier research on composing applications using JavaScript, the Qt framework, and the K Desktop Environment, whose innovative combination has been an enabler for this work. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.