Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
4
Future Possibilities
What follows is the next iteration of Webble World in order to mainly solve those
issues mentioned in section 2 with device compatibility. The new version will be
developed in HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript, the later supported by some carefully
selected libraries like the newly Google developed MVC structured AngularJS and
the very helpful and popular JQuery. The HTML5 package has a very wide support
on both mobile devices as well as laptops and desktop computers and it seems that
from most angles this solution will solve all our current needs.
The plan is to have a new running version of Webble World by the end of this year,
2013. The goal also include to make the transition from the Silverlight version to the
HTML5 version as smooth as possible, both by being able to read the same XML
configuration files as the current Webble World version but also by including a new
Webble that can wrap Silverlight content when Silverlight is available.
4.1
New Features and Old Concerns
During this new task of reinventing Webble World a revisit to the ever lingering prob-
lem of simplicity vs. complexity will be made. The concept is easily explained, it
should be very simple to work with Webble World in order to build very complex
things. But to realize that is a completely different matter. IntelligentPad and Webble
World users have discovered for years that it is hard to make complex systems when
the tool only allows simple connections. Usually this has been solved by creating
extremely complex Pads or Webbles that under the hood does what is wanted, but the
question is if that is the right way to always go. How much damaging would it be to
the structure and design if Webbles could communicate freely with any Webble
beyond children and parents, and what if every Webble could create as many slot
connections it wanted. Would it not be possible to maintain clarity and viewability by
a higher level of platform design instead, that helped the user to see the paths and
flows of connections both within and between Webbles. If these questions will be
answered we cannot know, but the questions will be asked.
Another field of research that should be addressed is the creation of a Webble on-
tology. Today Webbles are named and described freely without any second thought
and that is obvious to anyone not a good way to go in a world where Webbles are
shared and distributed all over, cross systems and platforms. How this will be solved
is not cleared, but surveys and input is being collected to find a solution that secure
the longevity of the Webbles. What also follows within the same realm is versioning
of Webbles. Since Webbles are reloaded and resaved during its entire lifetime there
must be a system in place that makes sure users have access to the latest version of a
Webble, but with the choice to continue using the last unmodified one.
Exactly what new features comes with the new version is not all clear yet, but the
new version is on its way and you will know it by the name Webble World 3.0.
