As a developer, what’s particularly interesting about Gliffy is that it is built using OpenLaszlo, which as it’s site states is an:
…open source platform for creating zero-install web applications with the user interface capabilities of desktop client software. OpenLaszlo programs are written in XML and JavaScript and transparently compiled to Flash and soon DHTML. The OpenLaszlo APIs provide animation, layout, data binding, server communication, and declarative UI.
Think in terms of XAML or more appropriately WPF/e. An “app” starts with a <canvas> tag within which you can place text, buttons, images, animations, and so on. Here’s a simple program that displays “Hello World”:
<canvas>
<text>Hello World</text>
</canvas>
A “10-minute” programming tutorial will take you further into what OpenLaszlo can do.
For those of you familiar with WPF, you may want to check out OpenLaszlo’s use of the <class> and <method> tags and it’s ability to embed JavaScript in the XML. This shows a significant difference in philosophy between WPF/e and OpenLaszlo. OpenLaszlo is attempting to be a richer programming framework, not just a declaration of a UI. Yes, unfortunately, this means lots of XML angle brackets, but to me it’s captivating to see what can be done with this approach.
Currently OpenLaszlo generates Flash apps. When the platform can synthesize DHTML–as the site suggests it “soon” will–things could get very intresting. If the user-interaction can stay as rich as the current Flash apps, OpenLaszlo could become the web technology to watch for cross-platform, browser-based apps.
OK, you’re probably wondering when I’d ask myself how ink can fit into all of this. Here goes. Two things: First, OpenLaszlo is an open source project, so for those of us who like to push the envelope of ink adoption in the web, there might be an opportunity here to contribute. Second, I think ink will make more sense once the applications are compiled into DHTML. That way we don’t need to worry about trying to render variable pressure ink strokes in Flash. I imagine that this is something that needs to be natively. It would be nice if Flash could do it, but until then, I bet DHMTL and plug-ins that add ink to the browser are the way to go (such as this Firefox ink plug-in–REQUIRES FIREFOX 1.5).
I need to learn more about OpenLaszlo to see if this will be all that feasible. I don’t even know what OpenLaszlo is written in, nor if the source code is truly available, or if it’s easy enough to add something like an <<nkCanvas> tag to, and so on.