Re: [Gnash-dev] Platform independent implementation of Gnash?

[Jeremy Slade]

Dieter Krachtus wrote:
> 
>>> I wonder if it would be possible in theory to get a Gnash port to
>>> Java? 

> For me at least a second implementation -- even though it is open source
> -- of Flash on the same platform (i.e. native Win/Linux) is not
> incredibly interesting from a user point of view. Technically it is
> however very interesting. Still I doubt that it will ever come close to
> the quality of Adobe's flash player. Even if it Gnash is equal to
> Flash...or even better then Adobe Flash it will still be used by much
> less then 1% of the people. If Gnash were on a different platform having
> the same quality as Flash this would be a completely different pair of
> shoes. You could do completely new things. Anyway you probably have the
> opposite opinion and I respect that - so no offence.

Java is certainly not the only way of creating a platform-independent
implementation.  Java implies a platform-independent 'binary', but
there's nothing wrong with a platform-independent implementation that is
compiled for the target platforms, as is the case with gnash.

Of course, I'm not a gnash developer, I don't know what low-level stuff
may be platform dependent -- certain performance-critical sections for
bit twiddling / data handling.  But if it is the case that it is done
for performance, implementing it in java is not going to help.  Sure,
JIT optimization is nifty, but it won't beat hand-optimized assembly for
those specific tasks.

I think there's plenty of potential for gnash to get way more than 1%
penetration, especially if it becomes the player of choice for embedded
devices -- think of the 100's of millions of handheld devices that will
be deployed over the next few years.  Being platform-independent and
less restricted by licensing, gnash is in a great position to fill that
need.


Jeremy