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Google allows C and C++ code to run in Chrome web browser
SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Google has integrated a native client into its latest Chrome beta allowing for complex applications to run within the web browser.
Google's decision to integrate a native client into its Chrome web browser enables it to run C and C++ code natively in the web browser, meaning full programs, not just Javascript code, can be run within Chrome. Obviously this could pose pretty serious security risks so Chris Rogers, a software engineer at Google was quick to say that all code would be run under the same restrictions as Javascript.
Google also provides a set of interfaces known as Pepper that offer C and C++ bindings for HTML5. This, Google says, will allow developers to make use of existing code to deliver high performance web applications with minor modifications.
While Javascript has done wonders to make web browsers hosts for general purpose applications, the fact is that Javascript's performance and capabilities are severely restricted compared to C and C++. Not only are there decades of experience in creating efficient binaries from these languages, but they also offer developers the chance to do far more while using fewer resources.
By putting a native client into Chrome, Google is making the web browser the single most important application in the operating system. There will now be even fewer reasons to minimise the web browser. µ
Tags: Google
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Yes, by all means, lets take a properly sandboxed, intentionally-limited programming tool and replace it with the very language that has defined computing power ever since it came into existence, on a platform that is destined to be attacked by every single miscreant on the globe, often simultaneously.
Surely there's nothing that can go wrong with that, right ?
Honestly, I am so unimpressed by Chrome.
After using the google toolbar in other browsers I expected it to be more of the same kind of ergonomic utopia, but it isn't, its linux reincarnated as a browser.
OK its not fat and bloated and has loads of strap-ons but they are all malformed abominations devised by idiots who wouldnt know a good idea if it kicked them up the bum. Its not slick and its not useful. This is not what this member of the public wants.
Firefox also doesnt work well still doesnt display numerous pages correctly nor does it work well with google blog cloud, so its back to exploder, can you believe it?
google nerds - eat my shorts!
"Javascript's performance and capabilities are severely restricted compared to C and C++"
No, JS's performance and capabilities are restricted because it's a single threaded, weakly typed, "run a dozen third party libraries to achieve anything useful," "running in a sandbox inside another process inside a web browser inside an operating system that's already several layers abstracted from the real hardware" programming language. If you *MUST* write something that has to run inside a web browser, please do it right, use a java applet.
Everyone repeat: The web browser is not an operating system. The web browser is not an operating system. The web browser is not an operating system.
Another half baked idea for another sort-of-OS that just fragments the ecosystem *even more* and will no doubt introduce a whole new pile of security woes, bugs, complications, etc.
I suspect that things like this will ultimately just play into Microsoft's hands. As developers look around for some sort of stability, MS (and I suppose Linux to some extent) seems to be about the only one out there who try to provide some stability. Everyone else seems to be saying "here's something new, try that! Oh no wait a minute we've had a better idea, you gotta go with this now" etc. etc. It's not so bad if you're developing small pieces of software, but a major app (e.g. the whole of Photoshop) is far to big to keep reimplementing everytime the likes Apple, Google, et al change the ecosystem again.
Isn't that about the same as WebCL since OpenCL is basically C?