From: not@telling.you.invalid   
      
   rbowman  wrote:   
   > On Fri, 26 Dec 2025 07:13:02 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote:   
   >> On 25/12/2025 22:38, rbowman wrote:   
   >>> For our web application no day and no way would static pages assembled   
   >>> server side get the job done.   
   >>   
   >> Indeed.   
   >>   
   >> The natural way to set up configuration is to enter data and/or move   
   >> controls and switches, and not have a submit button at all.   
   >>   
   >> And it's nice to have a clock ticking the seconds away in the corner, or   
   >> pages that automatically update...   
   >>   
   >> Easy with JavaScript, Impossible without...   
   >   
   > The web app had to accurately represent a system in flux with minimal lag.   
   > CFSes (call for service) are created, updated as the dispatcher gets   
   > additional information, adds comments, person, or vehicle information. In   
   > a busy system they may field 1000 calls a day. In addition the resource   
   > units  (police, emt, and fire) are changing statuses as they are assigned   
   > to a call, arrive on scene, and so forth. Since they are equipped with   
   > GPSs, their location has to be shown on the map.   
   >   
   > Mean time, while displaying and updating all this information, the app has   
   > to remain responsive as the dispatcher enters information, which is   
   > propagated to other dispatch stations or supervisor displays.   
      
   That's fine, you want to write an application in a web browser, you   
   can do that. I won't use it because I think it's a wasteful and   
   fragile approach, but I'll find/write a native program instead.   
      
   But the majority of websites aren't just application platforms,   
   they're doing things HTML was designed for. Recently I posted to   
   a Discourse forum via the web interface rather than email because   
   I wanted to upload photos. As usual it threw up a meaningless error   
   presumably because my dodgy 4G internet connection dropped out for   
   a little time while I had the composer page/pane open. This time at   
   least the scripts didn't get all confused during the image upload   
   and force me to reload the page (which takes ages) and start again,   
   like once before. Of course I didn't compose the message in that   
   mess, but in a text editor running safely outside the browser,   
   before pasting it in.   
      
   Granted plain HTML forms on web forums can eat posts too, but at   
   least everything's under control before you press the submit   
   button. It's turning everything on the Web into an application   
   that's the problem, and occasionally it's enough of one that I   
   figure out the API calls (the Firefox debugging tools can be handy   
   for plucking out undocumented APIs, if the damn page loads properly   
   in Firefox to begin with) and write something myself to process   
   them outside the browser without Javascript.   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)