Think Online.ca Cloud Desktop GUI / News: Recent posts

I am currently in the process of building some web apps, sort of "show pieces" but more or less fully featured the way Google Docs are but obviously less polished visually. Using Cloud Desktop as the GUI kit.

So Cloud Desktop is not in an actively developing process as I would like to, but it IS being updated just in much less frequency. There are two Web apps in the current download: a spreadsheet (fully complete with Facebook Data Backend) and a vector drawing program (still long way from being completed)... read more

During the past 2 months the Cloud Desktop stagnated, saying I left it in a limbo state is exaggerated but I did unintentionally paused it since it was actually more capable than my own need.

My attention was diverted to Web Spreadsheet, a small basement project I started, it is called Think Online.ca Spreadsheet that, for the sake of portability, is using Facebook Platform cloud to run as its backend, as it was finished I started on a drawing program using SVG, I'm in the midst of it currently.... read more

Within this Release Candidate the core files are as of yet not being modified, it will have to be some time down the road. There is a very early addition to the release: Think Online.ca Spreadsheet app page.

This spreadsheet is quite minimal at this point, planned for near-future is a PHP-AJAX mate to allow actual file saving. Comparing to full desktop office program it has no equivelents like Object-Linking-Embedding or any kind of Word Processor formatting.... read more

Previously called Think Online Web Desktop Toolkit now this project is renamed to Think Online.ca Cloud Desktop GUI, hopefully the new name is more descriptive of what it is used for. Since it wasn't meant as begin-all end-all for any online programming need.

Fixing a missed error in minimizing, it is quite small issue, but as writing software is like building a cathedral a small error means a show-stopper, it is now corrected.

In this release the core content is essentially the same as last release, but here simply puts in missing pieces such as documentations. If you already figured out how to use the last release this release in fact offers quite little besides some more streamlined examples.

Some of them external websites even have some conflicts in terms of using _top as link rendering destination thus closes out the Desktop in the process. But the potention of quickly assembles a Cloud site is very clear with those examples.

This release fixes some non-critical coding errors, and provided example on how to use set_sticky(window) and set_tearable(menuid_text). Think Online Web Desktop Toolkit is now leaps and bounds better than the dynamic windowing code used within clouds like eyeOS and Lucid.

This is a feature-complete RC, appears to be functional within Internet Explorer 6 in addition to the developing platform of Firefox 3. Only thing left is to add proper documentation that describes how to use sticky window and tearable menu. Though the sample is not as natural-looking as Motif interface.

Tearable menu feature seems to be fully developed, use it by selecting "-------------" that is on the head of each menu. The other feature tearable menu relies upon is sticky window; not slaving window. It is done through a call to set_sticky(win) documentation for above two features will be completed for a milestone release.

A new beta release for you to sneak peek the tearable menu feature. It is now implemented, but has not gone any extensive testing, only a simple proof-of-concept is being written, you are most welcome to voice your thoughts on how it should be, if need be re-implemented.

A new beta release for you to sneak peek the tearable menu feature. It is now implemented, but has not gone any extensive testing, only a simple proof-of-concept is being written, you are most welcome to voice your thoughts on how it should be, if need be re-implemented.

Another feature I planned is sticking window, this is a rather simple feature to implement at this point, a very obvious use to those used to X11/Motif is tearable sticky menu, but it can be used to stick any window to the top.

This release is almost as complete as a stable release except it has not gone through extensive testing, but under Firefox and Internet Explorer 6 is fully functional and documentation is updated to reflect that, if you obtained Oct. 10 release you definitely need to redownload this release given that outdated code is not functional under Internet Explorer 6.

In this release the toolbar windowing feature is much more usable, last night's code in fact calls for DOM functions that is not present therefore cannot function in Internet Explorer 6, it is fixed now, hopefully no one was actually using it. The functionality seems to be fully developed at this point, put into RC, properly write up the new pieces of API, and it should be ready for next milestone.

A beta release today, it contains only part of secondary window implemented, examples of such window is the dedicated window for tools of Photoshop/GIMP and toolbars within Wordpad that is dragged out into its own window, in such window tilebar is smaller, purposely no max/min, and its window functions are entirely dependant on the main window in which it is slaved to, no extra testing is done but seems what was programmed in was fully functional with no problem with previous coding.

A new screenshot display all 3 look styles within the same download of Think Online Web Desktop Toolkit are uploaded, a newer objective is to have toolbar window that essentially calls for a small extension of current coding, as this toolkit matures, this project will need all sorts of volunteer help on all aspects of it.

In this milestone release:

A very simple customized alternate look in alternate.html, it is using no more than just some CSS tricks to perform the change, I was first after the Motif look but it proved difficult without full-blown customization that I documented, just letting everyone know that it was Motif look I was after but involving script work is needed to do that so I opt to left it as it look now.... read more

Think Online Web Desktop Toolkit for HTML is quite complete, totally customizable from look to behavior, the planned new feature in this stable cycle is to add "ALT" dragging, a feature that X11 enjoys in the case that the titlebar is somehow obscured from view.

Today is a milestone release, this release of Think Online Web Desktop Toolkit features a quite advanced DHTML true desktop with menus and windows, for the purpose of limiting its scope no custom widgets nor any server script is part of this project. It is designed as a turn-key plugin to anything from personal webpage to fully AJAX equiped and/or RESTful API Cloud Website such as Google Apps and Facebook. Custom behaviors and visual schemes can easily be created as well.

A new release candidate; this appears to be fully stable but I haven't test it further, it works nicely within Firefox, some further testing and we'll have the next stable milestone; few more tweaks and it should be quite good, it is already quite advanced compare to other GUI interfaces employed by full-blown Cloud OS.

Today is another beta file, the planned points to next stable milestone are:

- new minimized icon.
- improvement on <iframe> fix.
- new mechanism for customizing window.

A public forum was also opened so to allow better interaction between myself and fellow users, it is my hope that better interaction also allows a better approach in the various features.

A Public Forum is now opened for Think Online Web Desktop Toolkit, it is meant to replace the Forum at its home website of http://blog.thinkonline.ca since that was written mostly for demostration, you can access SourceForge's Public Forum feature via https://sourceforge.net/projects/webdesktopwindo/

Soon a daily digest mailing list feature will be implemented if it is required, until then check back to the Forum often.

This kit aims to be most reusable of the HTML/Script/CSS based Web Desktop Toolkit that is portable to any Website (including Cloud Systems) anywhere.

This is a stable release at 2009-0925 that included features such as:
- menu and windows, true draggable/resizable widgets.
- lightweight: total about 35 Kilobytes without any documentation nor excessive graphics.
- customizable colour, shape, behavior.
- SDI (Single-Document Interface) or, with IFRAME, MDI (Multiple)
- documentation with examples.... read more

This contains further streamlining in code and IE fix, otherwise contains same feature set as previous fileof 0922-release candidate.

This is a very small release candidate release for Think Online Web Desktop Toolkit, a collection of client-side scripting and Cascade Style Sheet that enables draggable and resizable window complete with desktop and wide-range of customizable feature.