Java Restart with WebFX. A new web and a new web browser. #FOSDEM 2015 presentation

1. Java Restart with WebFX
A new web and a new web browser
Nikita Lipsky (twitter: @pjBooms)
Excelsior

2. Agenda
• Client side: Web vs. Native clients
• WebFX live demo
• WebFX and Java ReStart technical highlights
• FAQ
– WebFX vs. Java applets
– Java ReStart vs. Java Web Start
– WebFX and Java ReStart vs. RDP
– Security
• Future Development
• Q&A

7. Client side today
• Web
• Mobile
• Desktop
Three different worlds

8. What’s Good with Web

9. Web Advantages
1. No client side installation

10. Web Advantages
1. No client side installation
2. Built-in free “auto updates“

11. Web Advantages
1. No client side installation
2. Built-in free “auto updates“
3. Lazy partial downloading

12. Web Advantages
1. No client side installation
2. Built-in free “auto updates“
3. Lazy partial downloading
4. Simple expressive means: HTML +
JavaScript

13. Web Advantages
1. No client side installation
2. Built-in free “auto updates“
3. Lazy partial downloading
4. Simple expressive means: HTML + JavaScript
5. Runs anywhere (where browser
exists)

14. What’s Wrong with Web

15. Browser Hell

16. Irresponsive UI

17. JavaScript Is Ineffective

18. Mobile and Desktop
• Two worlds, same property:
installable native clients

19. What’s Good with Native Clients

20. Fast and Responsive

21. Effective Programming Languages

22. Look (almost) the same on any PC
• Do not depend on multiple external renderers

23. What’s Wrong with Native Clients

24. Segmentation

25. Large systems weigh too much

26. Explicit Auto Updates

27. Summary
We need a system with the advantages of both
worlds and without their disadvantages.

28. Summary
• No client side installation

29. Summary
• Runs anywhere (where “browser” exists)

30. Summary
• The same in all browsers

31. Summary
• With built-in transparent auto updates

32. Summary
• With lazy downloading of required parts

33. Summary
• Simple!

34. Summary
• With fast responsive expressive UI

35. Summary
• Written in effective programming languages

36. Next Big Client Wish list
1. No installation (one click access)
2. Transparent “auto updates“
3. Instant startup (lazy partial downloading)
4. Fast, expressive UI that is the same in all
browsers (written in effective languages)
5. Runs anywhere (where “browser” exists)

37. Science fiction?

38. WebFX Project
Bruno Borges

39. Live Demo!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LUF7lgpKLg#t=8

40. WebFX Key Features
• FXML as a new HTML
• Any JVM scripting language can be integrated
with FXML
• Arbitrary Java byte-code downloaded
on demand via Java ReStart

41. Java ReStart Technical Highlights
• Client downloads classes/resources on demand
• App executes in parallel with downloading
(streaming a la YouTube)
• Server collects app downloading profile
• Subsequent clients can prefetch required
classes/resources with a single HTTP request
Result: startup of an application from the web can
be at least as fast as local startup!

42. Check list
No client side installation

43. Check list
Runs anywhere (where “browser” exists)

44. Check list
The same in all browsers

45. Check list
With built-in transparent auto updates

46. Check list
With lazy downloading of only required parts

47. Check list
Simple!

48. Check list
With fast responsive UI (native UI is allowed)

49. Check list
In effective programming languages

50. What’s the Trick?!
• Web with native client look-n-feel
OR
• Native client with dynamics & flexibility
of the Web

51. Java Applets
• Have not evolved since 1995
• Applets are foreigners in the traditional web
• Applets are not supported by browser vendors
• Applets are monolithic
• No “download-on-demand” out-of-the-box
• Poor startup time as a result

52. Java Web Start
• Cool idea, but implementation not so cool
• There is lazy jar downloading but no “lazy”
downloading of jar contents
• As a result, applications are monolithic with
poor startup time
• Very unusual for end-user: apps are not
in a browser, but are not native either
• Too many security warnings!

53. RDP-like Approaches
• Tight and constant communication with
the server provokes lags
• Session context on the server is the whole
program
– Result: poor scalability on the server

54. Security

55. Security
• Security is often a social, not technical problem
• Do you feel secure when you run a just-
downloaded native client?
• Are you sure that you can’t get malware when
surfing the Internet?
• I feel secure only when I trust the vendor of an
internet resource

56. Security
• WebFX reuses Java security model
– At least more secure than C/C++
• Can run on top of HTTPS/SSL, to ensure the
source of the remote content
• Can employ mobile like security:
– an app describes what it needs, an end-user has to
provide access for the app to what it needs
• Application stores as secure place for apps

57. Future Developments
• Create Java application store
– Start with Java apps hosting for JavaFX community
• Run Java IDEs via Java ReStart (to employ the
hype around cloud-based IDEs)
• WebFX browser as rebrandable standalone
“small” native client.

58. Conclusion
• Web and native clients have their advantages
in comparison with each other
• It is possible to erase the borders between
web/mobile/desktop
• We can run Java applications from the web as fast
as locally
• So the network is the computer! Finally!

59. Q&A
Nikita Lipsky
Excelsior
nlipsky@excelsior-usa.com
twitter: @pjBooms
https://github.com/brunoborges/webfx
https://github.com/pjBooms/Java-ReStart