[jbosstools-issues] [JBoss JIRA] (JBIDE-13364) Consider changing the way in which BrowserSim uses WebKit engine

[Yahor Radtsevich (JIRA)]

Yahor Radtsevich created JBIDE-13364:
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             Summary: Consider changing the way in which BrowserSim uses WebKit engine
                 Key: JBIDE-13364
                 URL: https://issues.jboss.org/browse/JBIDE-13364
             Project: Tools (JBoss Tools)
          Issue Type: Feature Request
          Components: Visual Page Editor core
            Reporter: Yahor Radtsevich
            Assignee: Yahor Radtsevich
             Fix For: 4.1.x


A perfect solution for BrowserSim must match the following criteria:
* Be Java-based
* Allow to fully customize the application window [skinning]
* Work on every supported platform (Windows, Mac and Linux)
* Use browser already installed in the system [to avoid library conflicts and reduce the size of our plugins]
* Allow to execute JavaScript and/or modify DOM [to simulate some mobile * JavaScript events and Cordova API]
* Allow to change User-Agent header
* Allow to disable web security or support extensions [for Cordova cross-domain requests]
* Support debugging protocol or support extensions [for better LiveEdit/LiveReload and JavaScript debugging capabilities]

Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution, at least I do not know any.
This is the list of the libraries I consider for BrowserSim (+=Pros, -=Cons, ?=questionable):
* Java wrapper for [Chromium Embedded Framework|http://code.google.com/p/javachromiumembedded/]
** + I was able to run it on Windows
** - It failed in a half of a minute :)
** - Not supported since 2010
** ? probably will work better with the most recent version of CEF
** ? looks like there is no Linux support
* [Qt WebKit bindings for SWT|http://code.google.com/p/qtwidgetsinswt/]
** + I was able successfully run on Windows (32-bit) with Qt 4.8 and MinGW
** + At least during my smoketesting it did not fail
** - The plugin page claims that only win32 and cocoa32 are supported
** - requires Qt (and MSVC or MinGW for Windows) libraries to be bundled with it
** - Does not have existing API for invoking JavaScript.
** - Not supported since 2010
** ? I do not know how easy it would be to run it on Linux
** ? I do not know if it will work with Qt 5
* [AppJS|http://appjs.org/] - a JavaScript SDK for creating Chromium based desktop applications
** + Supports Windows, Mac and Linux!
** + Allows to disable web security
** + Has active community
** + Did not fail at my smoketest
** ? need to ensure that applications may be run without borders
* [node-webkit|https://github.com/rogerwang/node-webkit#readme] - the idea is the same as with AppJS - allows to create desktop apps with JavaScript
** + supported by Intel in some way
** ? I did not try it yet
* [Google Chrome Frame|http://www.google.com/chromeframe]
** + the only way to embed _already installed_ Chrome into our application (all other require libraries to be bundled)
** - Windows only
** - [no success to use it as Ole object|http://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/attachmentText?id=25448&aid=7270863545245289566&name=JavaChromeIntegration.java]
** ? Probably will work if use it with Browser(SWT.NONE)
* Stay with existing SWT bindings for WebKit
** + We already use it
** + Support all platforms
** + Allow JavaScript to be executed
** + Do not require to be bundled with our plugins
** + Allow skinning
** - Require Safari on Windows [no updates since May 9, 2012]
** - Web security cannot be disabled
** - Do not support extensions
** - Do not support remote debugging protocol

*To conclude:*
* Firstly, moving to a JavaScript SDK potentially could resolve all our problems, but now I do not think it is worth it.
* Secondly, it would be great if we had good SWT bindings for Chromium, but they do not exist. The only way to get them is to implement them by ourself.
* Thirdly, the last option does not look too bad. And probably it does not worth it to create Chromium bindings or to move to another non-Java language. Especially, if we would be able to create a good workaround for cross-domain requests for Cordova, then almost everything else is ok.
* Fourthly, the biggest issue with existing SWT bindings is that Safari is not supported anymore on Windows. It is an OS specific issue and we could consider a replacement of SWT bindings on Windows only (e.g. use Chrome Frame or Qt on Windows).

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