Rekonq - the konqueror alternative -

Today, KDE project has announced they start the sub project "Reconq" - the konqueror alternative. This new browser is based on Webkit and featured for HTML5. And it requires Qt 4.8.x or after.

Rails3's form helpers are ready to HTML5 input types

On Agile Web Development with Rails 4th edition chapter21 (ActionView), I learn the fact that Rails3's form helpers are ready to HTML5.

Form helper of Rails3	Corresponding HTML5 input type
search_field	search
telephone_field	tel
url_field	url
email_field	email
number_field	number
range_field	range

There are no form helpers corresponding neither input types related with date or time, nor input type related with color ( type="color" ). I could understand date time ones will be integrated in helper methods like date_select in the future, but could not understand where is color form helper.

IMO, Opera browser is the most advanced browser implementing HTML5 input tag, so that you should check those form helpers on Opera browser.

Where will Qt go? (reprise)

10 months ago, I wrote the article: phosphorescence: Where will Qt go?. In today, despite the fact that Qt 4.7.4 and QtCreator 2.3.1 had been released, Qt again encounters the pinch to be discontinued.

The reason is that Meego is discontinued because Intel decide to marge Meego to Samsung's LiMo, and rename these to Tizen. Tizen announces they recommand to use HTML5 as mobile application platform, not any native applications include Qt.

I agree that the future mobile application platform will be HTML5. And IMO, Qt should go back to just be a library for KDE.

QML sample using Webkit

QML can use Webkit because Qt 4.7 integrates it.

import Qt 4.7
import org.webkit 1.0

Rectangle {
    width: webView.width
    height: webView.height
    WebView {
        id: webView
        width: 640
        height: 480
        url: 'http://html5demos.com/canvas-grad'
    }
}

Of course, it is ready for HTML5.

Will WebM become a default video codec of HTML5?

At Google I/O, Google announced that VP8 turn to OSS 'WebM' and become the default video codec for some HTML5 browsers, e.g. Chrome, Firefox and Opera.

Will Qt Webkit be supported or not?

QtWebkit HTML5 practice

At phosphorescence: QtWebKit practice and phosphorescence: QtWebkit practice with QtRuby, I wrote QtWebKit sample program with Qt and QtRuby. And I also mentioned QtWebkit suports HTML5 in the phosphorescence: HTML5 support in QtWebkit. Then, can HTML5 be rendered with QtWebKit?

First, access to the HTML5 demo: Canvas | Drawing Board by Qt program.

#include <QApplication>
#include <QUrl>
#include <QWebView>
int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
    QApplication a(argc, argv);
    QUrl url("http://htmlfive.appspot.com/static/draw.html");
    QWebView* webView = new QWebView();
    webView->load(url);
    webView->show();
    return a.exec();
}

This runs successfully:

and can draw lines in canvas by mouse successfully, too.

Second, access to the HTML5 demo: Canvas | 1st-Person Gifter by QtRuby program.

require 'Qt4'
require 'qtwebkit'

Qt::Application.new(ARGV) do
  Qt::WebView.new do
    self.load Qt::Url.new('http://htmlfive.appspot.com/static/gifter.html')
    show
  end
  exec
end

Of course. this runs successfully too and move in maze with arrow keys:

Note that canvas tag is rendered easily, but that video tag depends on environment like video format and codec in client. At least, in my environment (on openSUSE 11.1), video tag isn't rendered not only with QtWebkit but also with HTML5 support browsers(Firefox, Opera, Konqueror).

HTML5 support in QtWebkit

A few weeks ago, each developer conference was held by Google and Apple. In each conference, most impressive topic is about HTML5. Google announces Google Wave and recommends Google Chrome 2. And Apple annoucnes Safari 4. All technologies are related with HTML5.

On the other, how Qt supports HTML5? The answer is... already! Several features of Webkit(As you know, it's original program of Google Chrome and Safari) were supported in Qt 4.4, Qt improves its support level in Qt 4.5. See the movie from here:



Of course, API is opened.