@reiver ⊼ (Charles) Apr 24

HTML used to (mostly) be a format for reading and writing documents.

As time went on, it got changed to an application format.

These 2 use-cases (doc vs app) are at odds.

One of the motivations in the small-net / small-web space is to take HTML back to its document format roots. Although some have have chosen to use alternative document formats such as Gemini's GemText and Markdown.

@talon
RE: https://dragonscave.space/@talon/116456716105999739

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Show thread@reiver ⊼ (Charles) Apr 24

There are good reasons why HTML became the dominant front-end format in the late 1990s.

Before that, developers had to build separate native apps for platforms like DOS, Mac OS, MS Windows, NeWS, X Windows, etc

Not only was this expensive, it was tiring.

As the internet spread, HTML became the ubiquitous front-end format, eliminating the need for multiple versions

But, this put these 2 use-cases (doc vs app) at odds

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Show thread@reiver ⊼ (Charles) Apr 24

The point of small-net / small-web isn’t about plain-looking documents — you should still be able to make them look good.

One of the goals is to separate document formats from app formats, so they aren't at odds — and through it try to eliminate the kinds of abuses seen on the Web today.

Some have chosen GemText or Markdown as that document format. Other use a subset of HTML.

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Show thread@reiver ⊼ (Charles) 

At least as of the current date — the small-net / small-web communities have focused a lot on document formats

Which is great!

(Although I think people should try stuff that doesn't look like GemText & Markdown)

But, there hasn't been much effort to create app formats

I think a risk is, if we don't create app formats too, people will start trying to use document formats as app formats — just like what happened with HTML

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Apr 24 at 6:01amWeb
Show threadJohannes BrakensiekApr 24
@reiver There are nice and well done app formats like Cocoa/GNUstep, GTK, Qt, shell.
Show thread@reiver ⊼ (Charles) Apr 24

@lazarus

Back in the day, GTK/GNOME had the Glade XML format.

But, I think Blueprint has become more popular now. Ex:

```
using Gtk 4.0;

template $MyAppWindow: ApplicationWindow {
default-width: 600;
default-height: 300;
title: _("Hello, Blueprint!");

[titlebar]
HeaderBar {}

Label {
label: bind template.main_text;
}
}
```

Show threadJohannes BrakensiekApr 24
@reiver GTK‘s native description lang still is XML. But they both work well and are readable as well. Blueprint is easier to write though.
Show thread@reiver ⊼ (Charles) Apr 24

@lazarus

Decades ago, I used to write apps in XUL.

It was somewhat similar to Glade XML.