6 ms·

Erbix: Server-side JavaScript Platform (with JS AppMarket)

22 points by vladd 16y ago

vladd 16y ago
We're using RingoJS under the hood (a server-side JavaScript engine similar with NodeJS --they're both CommonJS compliant) and provide integration with a browser-based editor, online hosting and a marketplace with e.g. two GPLed server-side JS apps, Form Creator and Erbix Blogs (which we've launched today - you can find more details about the announcement at http://groups.google.com/group/ringojs/browse_thread/thread/f762405a7c2e9c05 http://groups.google.com/group/ringojs/browse_thread/thread/... ). We wanted to do a rate-our-startup on HackerNews for some time to get feedback for pivoting the next iteration of Erbix as a JavaScript platform. Due to today's launches, it looks like a good time to request some feedback and what you'd like to see next from us.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
  - mehi 16y ago
    Paul Graham congratulated AppJets in this post: http://ycombinator.posterous.com/congratulations-appjets http://ycombinator.posterous.com/congratulations-appjets. What got my attention was the "all-Javascript application platform" that the AppJets didn't know they were building. We are building a stack of web apps for small businesses, not small apps. Unlike other cloud computing/database software/marketplaces out there, we provide our external developers with a really great platform. Our primary target will always be the end users. Look at Form Creator, an app developed in record time that rivals pricy commercial web services! We are building apps that customers will be willing to pay for. If a JS Rails will emerge from our own endeavor, even better; but we are not writing a framework. We also don't stretch too far with the hosting infrastructure. Erbix will serve its purpose: web apps for small businesses.
    - mehi 16y ago
      I see the parent comment got deleted. The question was in the lines of "I loved AppJet, how will you succeed where they didn't".
xuhu 16y ago
Installing the blog right from the marketplace was impressive, non-technical users will love this. How about integration with other frameworks ? CommonJS is promissing but I'm sure RingoJS/NodeJS can't do everything yet. EDIT: I was thinking of non-javascript frameworks. Apparently the creators are sticking to a "there is only commonjs" policy so far.
- mehi 16y ago
  It's really easy to port/wrap plain JavaScript code to Erbix/CommonJS; this is the first thing we've noticed while coding on Erbix Blog/Form Creator/ActiveRecord (included in Blog, a port from TrimPath Junction). One other example si UnderscoreJS, the library is already "ported"; this code does the trick: if (typeof exports !== 'undefined') exports._ = _; http://documentcloud.github.com/underscore/ http://documentcloud.github.com/underscore/ We would welcome your suggestions on the frameworks you want us to take a look into.
  - jashkenas 16y ago
    It's nice that it already "just works" -- here's a direct link to the bit of code in question: http://documentcloud.github.com/underscore/docs/underscore.html#section-9 http://documentcloud.github.com/underscore/docs/underscore.h...
- mehi 16y ago
  Regarding non-JavaScript frameworks: We are considering other languages (Java especially, given our implementation). Technically, we can add any Java code and run it directly, however there are security issues with this approach. So these frameworks need to be hand-picked and ported with security in mind. Regarding on how fast the server-side JavaScript is catching on: http://persvr.org/Page/Persevere http://persvr.org/Page/Persevere
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
jhrobert 16y ago
The AppJets people were definitely on something. So it is nice to see that the idea survives. I personally go the nodejs way, the asynchronous way, but that's because I need raw metal level performance. The event based programming model of nodejs is hard to get right, dealing with concurrent activities is probably harder than it is already with threads. PostgreSQL comes preinstalled with Erbix. I hence assume that it is fair to call Erbix an SQL JavaScript platform. However, according to the FAQ, "transactions" are not supported yet, this is puzzling, how is synchronization handled? I saw no mention of Comet either. So, I do like the idea but the lack of Comet and SQL transactions seriously limit the range of addressable applications. If I were Erbix, I would brand this "alpha" rather than "beta" and implement Comet & SQL transaction before going to "beta" stage. However there is value in the "release early, release often" motto, so maybe I am wrong or maybe I missed something and synchronization issues are dealt with in some magical way?
- mehi 16y ago
  Thanks for your comments. We actually have synchronization an transactions. You can execute any SQL statement, including BEGIN, ROLLBACK and COMMIT. It's just that we haven't finished the database driver wrapper yet, so you have to handle them manually for now. I was unclear in the FAQs, will update the page.
js4all 16y ago
Great Job. I tried the apps from the market place. Everything runs flawless. Anybody seems to have a market place these times and I really like the idea :) For those who don't know the AppJet web framework, which was mentioned several times. It is still hosted here: http://apps.jgate.de http://apps.jgate.de

22 points by vladd 16y ago

vladd 16y ago

We're using RingoJS under the hood (a server-side JavaScript engine similar with NodeJS --they're both CommonJS compliant) and provide integration with a browser-based editor, online hosting and a marketplace with e.g. two GPLed server-side JS apps, Form Creator and Erbix Blogs (which we've launched today - you can find more details about the announcement at http://groups.google.com/group/ringojs/browse_thread/thread/f762405a7c2e9c05 http://groups.google.com/group/ringojs/browse_thread/thread/... ). We wanted to do a rate-our-startup on HackerNews for some time to get feedback for pivoting the next iteration of Erbix as a JavaScript platform. Due to today's launches, it looks like a good time to request some feedback and what you'd like to see next from us.

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
- mehi 16y ago
  Paul Graham congratulated AppJets in this post: http://ycombinator.posterous.com/congratulations-appjets http://ycombinator.posterous.com/congratulations-appjets. What got my attention was the "all-Javascript application platform" that the AppJets didn't know they were building. We are building a stack of web apps for small businesses, not small apps. Unlike other cloud computing/database software/marketplaces out there, we provide our external developers with a really great platform. Our primary target will always be the end users. Look at Form Creator, an app developed in record time that rivals pricy commercial web services! We are building apps that customers will be willing to pay for. If a JS Rails will emerge from our own endeavor, even better; but we are not writing a framework. We also don't stretch too far with the hosting infrastructure. Erbix will serve its purpose: web apps for small businesses.
  - mehi 16y ago
    I see the parent comment got deleted. The question was in the lines of "I loved AppJet, how will you succeed where they didn't".

xuhu 16y ago

Installing the blog right from the marketplace was impressive, non-technical users will love this. How about integration with other frameworks ? CommonJS is promissing but I'm sure RingoJS/NodeJS can't do everything yet. EDIT: I was thinking of non-javascript frameworks. Apparently the creators are sticking to a "there is only commonjs" policy so far.

mehi 16y ago
It's really easy to port/wrap plain JavaScript code to Erbix/CommonJS; this is the first thing we've noticed while coding on Erbix Blog/Form Creator/ActiveRecord (included in Blog, a port from TrimPath Junction). One other example si UnderscoreJS, the library is already "ported"; this code does the trick: if (typeof exports !== 'undefined') exports._ = _; http://documentcloud.github.com/underscore/ http://documentcloud.github.com/underscore/ We would welcome your suggestions on the frameworks you want us to take a look into.
- jashkenas 16y ago
  It's nice that it already "just works" -- here's a direct link to the bit of code in question: http://documentcloud.github.com/underscore/docs/underscore.html#section-9 http://documentcloud.github.com/underscore/docs/underscore.h...
mehi 16y ago
Regarding non-JavaScript frameworks: We are considering other languages (Java especially, given our implementation). Technically, we can add any Java code and run it directly, however there are security issues with this approach. So these frameworks need to be hand-picked and ported with security in mind. Regarding on how fast the server-side JavaScript is catching on: http://persvr.org/Page/Persevere http://persvr.org/Page/Persevere
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]

jhrobert 16y ago

The AppJets people were definitely on something. So it is nice to see that the idea survives. I personally go the nodejs way, the asynchronous way, but that's because I need raw metal level performance. The event based programming model of nodejs is hard to get right, dealing with concurrent activities is probably harder than it is already with threads. PostgreSQL comes preinstalled with Erbix. I hence assume that it is fair to call Erbix an SQL JavaScript platform. However, according to the FAQ, "transactions" are not supported yet, this is puzzling, how is synchronization handled? I saw no mention of Comet either. So, I do like the idea but the lack of Comet and SQL transactions seriously limit the range of addressable applications. If I were Erbix, I would brand this "alpha" rather than "beta" and implement Comet & SQL transaction before going to "beta" stage. However there is value in the "release early, release often" motto, so maybe I am wrong or maybe I missed something and synchronization issues are dealt with in some magical way?

mehi 16y ago
Thanks for your comments. We actually have synchronization an transactions. You can execute any SQL statement, including BEGIN, ROLLBACK and COMMIT. It's just that we haven't finished the database driver wrapper yet, so you have to handle them manually for now. I was unclear in the FAQs, will update the page.

js4all 16y ago

Great Job. I tried the apps from the market place. Everything runs flawless. Anybody seems to have a market place these times and I really like the idea :) For those who don't know the AppJet web framework, which was mentioned several times. It is still hosted here: http://apps.jgate.de http://apps.jgate.de