PHP-GTK as alternative to Applet?

ppowell

I read up on some info regarding GTK which has the ability to run as a client-side programming GUI interface, much like an applet. I am looking at means of creating alternatives to applets that can be embedded into webpage HTML as <object> instances, due to the recent global instability (and sketchiness) of applets, and saw somewhere about GTK having such a capability as well, provided the user downloads the "runtime environment".

I looked up info on gtk.php.net and http://gtk.php.net/resources.php and www.gtk.net and found only a smattering of information. If anyone knows of any exhaustive resource of usage of GTK using PHP (and not C, ugh!), please let me know, or if you've ever used GTK in building GUI applet-like interfaces.

Thanx
Phil

poison

has the ability to run as a client-side programming GUI interface

that reads: it runs on the client side.
it can't be embeded into an HTML page
regards

ppowell

When I mean "embed" I mean like this:

<applet></applet>

The HTML to instantiate an applet has its code embedded into HTML, as does an object using <object> tags.

Phil

poison

that's what I meant. it isn't possible to embed as an applet using PHP.
you can only use GTK with the PHP CLI ->
http://zend.com/zend/tut/tutorial-silva.php
regards

ppowell

I am sorry if I weren't more clear. I know you can't create an applet out of PHP, but that's what I am trying to determine: how to use PHP GTK to create a PHP object THAT IS LIKE AN APPLET only it's NOT an applet.

Phil

PS: Thanx for the link to the tutorial, that is a great first start toward what I want!

Sgarissta

What's he's telling you, is that you CANNOT embed client-side PHP-GTK code into a normal PHP script.

PHP-GTK is less like an "applet" and more like a normal executable program.

ppowell

I think the link that poison provided is just what I want, but what I want to do is very simple concept:

I want to create something like an applet, a Flash object, whatever, something you can call from <object> tags in HTML, that will render as if it WERE an applet, only this object you create won't be a Java applet, it will possibly be an object that is written in PHP that will render a GTK widget on your machine just like you would have an applet on your machine.

Phil

Sgarissta

Originally posted by ppowell
I think the link that poison provided is just what I want, but what I want to do is very simple concept:

I want to create something like an applet, a Flash object, whatever, something you can call from <object> tags in HTML, that will render as if it WERE an applet, only this object you create won't be a Java applet, it will possibly be an object that is written in PHP that will render a GTK widget on your machine just like you would have an applet on your machine.

Phil

And for the last time PHP-GTK CANNOT DO THIS. It requires a local version of the PHP interpreter (compiled as the CLI version) to be installed, along with the GTK toolkit.

Even assuming a client has all of the above installed, the closest you could come to having it executed from the website would be to create an activeX control, or an applet, that CALLED your program. But at that point its still running locally, and not really embedded into the page.

So in case my point hasn't been clearly made yet, YOU CANNOT EMBED A PHP-GTK OR ANY PHP APPLICATION INTO A WEB PAGE AS AN EMBEDDED OBJECT.

poison

LOL
if the /client/ has the PHP CLI, the GTK bindings and GTK installed on /his/ machine...he can dowload your PHP script and execute the CLI script on his machine...
if this wasn't clear enough gg

ppowell

What would either of you offer as an alternative to an Applet?

Phil

Sgarissta

Originally posted by ppowell
What would either of you offer as an alternative to an Applet?

Phil

ActiveX control, or Flash is about all I can think of right now. BUT I would strongly suggest rethinking your project if it requires the use of something like this. Question whether the project should be a client side app, or serverside, and if server side, what does the applet do for you, that you can't already do serverside?

ppowell

The project that is being proposed is a simple intranet chatroom. You log into a secure page where you have a window where you have real-time chat with someone else.

That's it. The client cannot accept 3rd party stuff and has no budget to buy anything, all must be custom-built. I was thinking IRC however.

Phil

Sgarissta

Originally posted by ppowell
The project that is being proposed is a simple intranet chatroom. You log into a secure page where you have a window where you have real-time chat with someone else.

That's it. The client cannot accept 3rd party stuff and has no budget to buy anything, all must be custom-built. I was thinking IRC however.

Phil

What do you mean by "the client cannot accept 3rd party stuff"? Does that mean they can't download an application? If so, you do realize that applets are technically downloaded to the client machine and run from there...

ppowell

I mean the client will not accept any applications that were not developed by those in-house, in short, if myself or the other developers in the team did not develop the application for their needs, they will not take it since the client is a government agency and there are rather interesting governmental laws regarding 3rd party sources.

Does that make more sense?

Phil

Sgarissta

Sure. But that doesn't sovle why you need this embedded in a web page. You could still very easily write a client side, 2 person chat program in the language of your choice.

ppowell

I could write that and have before, but it was extremely difficult, very client-dependent and ultimately impossible to manage without a good CRON or scheduled task to handle chat persistence (somebody who just closes his/her browser w/o ever logging off formally). That's why I wanted something more manageable like an object that is not a browser to manage the chat session.

The classic chatroom scenario is to have an applet on the front end with an application on the back end to manage sessions/threads/stuff. You would be sitting on that box and able to manage it or have a CRON on the box to do it for you.

I want to recreate that exact same chatroom scenario, which has been a Java-based staple for years, except that instead of an applet I want an object of some other kind that when the user goes to the website to chat, a window pops up that is NOT THEIR BROWSER, but something like an applet, that would be where they can chat.

Phil

Sgarissta

Why even use a browser? If that isn't a requirement why not take the browser out of the picture entirely? Write the chat client in VB, or C#, or C++ or something, and save yourself a lot of effort.

ppowell

I would, but I don't know enough of any of those to use it. Hence, back to PHP-GTK, all over again.

Phil

poison

I mean the client will not accept any applications that were not developed by those in-house, in short, if myself or the other developers in the team did not develop the application for their needs, they will not take it since the client is a government agency and there are rather interesting governmental laws regarding 3rd party sources.

gg just a dumb question of mine...
why not go to jabber.org and use that ?
since a government agency should pretty much be focused on SECURITY, and don't think you, or me, can write up something that proven in security(which is assured by thousands of people).
of course you can grab one of them java guys in your team...a somewhat usable server+client should be doable in 1-2 weeks...at least I did...
regards