[gambit-list] web framework requirements

Maarten Koopmans maarten at vrijheid.net
Tue Nov 20 02:37:07 EST 2007


Hi,

I haven't done any heavy lifting in Schme but have written a lot 
software in Rebol, a proprietary languag e that (at least to me) is in 
the same family. Just to be sure: the family thing is not what I want to 
discuss.

I have written quite a few web applications and like Scheme, had to 
built most of it from the ground up. I doing so I noticed that the 
framework isn't important; the "intrinsic" power of the language is, 
provided that there are some common libraries. The most powerful 
languages seem (in general) Rebol, Lisp, Scheme. But again that's not my 
point.

Provided you'd want to write web applications you need the following 
functionality at least:

- a dynamic include (module) system

- a templating engine (e.g. the <% %> tags in html edited pages)

- A FastCGI interface with all CGI processing capabilities one would 
expect (FastCGI is pretty good supported the last two years; it took 
some time but finally it is something you can actually use)

- Basic encryption to protect consumer data: RSA, DH and AES as well as 
SHA1 or better

- database interfaces to mysql and optionally postgresql

- some XML (de-)serialization mechanism, though I personally try to 
avoid XML whenever possible

Then your average webapp is just a FastCGI process with a database 
connection that can process templated pages or other CGI requests (hello 
REST) smartly and generate secure sessions. If the language that runs 
all this is symbolic the data manipulation part becomes easier and 
that's where the real gain will be.

Now the question is: if you look at the above list, what's there and 
what's not? I'd be willing put some time in the remaining (to b written) 
components for Gambit-C. And if possible even in a portable way.

Just my 2 eurocents....

--Maarten



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