[Jmol-users] Re: javascript libraiy, Java Standard Extension, installer, speed

[Angel H. <ang...@ua...>]

Reply over Jmol-users digest, Vol 1 #330 

>    1. Re: javascript libraiy (Miguel)
> It would be good if someone with extensive Chime & JavaScript experience
> could take a look at it.

I hope I will be able to do some testing some day. Right now I am 
trying to learn basic set-up of pages with Jmol.
 
> I hope that some of these mechanisms that were needed to work around
> problems in Chime will not be necessary in Jmol :-)

So do I, it makes things quite complicated.

> > It could be a good idea to create a library for jmol, but it should be
> > very simple to use, otherwise it would only concern power-users who ar=
e
> > already able to do this by themselves !
> 
> A very good point.
> 
> We certainly need to start with a simple library that automates basic
> operations.

I have just done something of the sorts (javascript functions to 
write the applet code into the page), but still needs some polishing. 
I will try to post it when it's matured.

>    2. Re: local use, i.e. no web server (Chris Pudney)
> An alternative to signed applets is to install JmolApplet.jar as a "Java=
 
> Standard Extension" <http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/guide/extension=
s/>

This looks very appropriate to me. Testing pages on the server is 
annoying. We also need to put materials on a CDROM so that students 
can use it off-line.

>    4. JmolApplet as a Java standard extension (Miguel)
> For most Jmol end-users, it would be important that installation process
> be automated.

Certainly!

> Q: Do you have any recommendations as to where I should start looking fo=
r
> information about installers?

Don't know if it will be adequate for installing this sort of thing, 
but NSIS is very good and free --maybe open source too, don't 
remember now--:
http://nsis.sourceforge.net/

> Q: Is there an easy/standard way to detect where the JRE is installed on
> the end-user's system?

Might be in the registry (Windows).


>    5. Re: speed (Miguel)
> This system needs more memory ... independent of Jmol. I believe that
> would help a lot with your 'Java startup' slowness.

You speak as a computing guru.- It's a *laptop*, that means no easy 
RAM expansion. And no budget! Of course, *anything* works better with 
more CPU and more RAM, but that's not the answer; don't be 
Micro$oftish. We also want to design learning material for anyone --
that means old PCs, low internet bandwith -or none at all-, not-so-
technologically-advanced countries... Chime does pretty well for 
this, and we think Jmol may be a good alternative.

> 100% of the screen width! ... I am surprised that you are getting
> acceptable performance :-)

Yes, I am. I read your previous suggestions about size, but we are 
dealing with MACROmolecules, they deserve their space. And one of the 
purposes of the pages will be projection in the clasroom, they need 
to be large. I will try to test window resizing and also to look for 
a way (javascript) to give a "fixed" size number based on actual 
browser screen size --it surely can be done.

> There is tremendous overhead associated with using 32 bit color. I belie=
ve
> that Jmol would run 3-4 times faster if it were restricted to 256 colors=
.
> However, it would not be as pretty.

Agree.  Maybe it could be done as a user option? That would fit a 
wider audience:  choose good looks or speed

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 Angel Herraez  (Mr., Dr.)        ang...@ua...
 Dep. Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular, Universidad de Alcala
 E-28871 Alcala de Henares  (Madrid), Spain
 fax: +34-91 885 45 85
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