The ‘Frameworks’ Browser
The ‘Frameworks’ Browser is one of the 3 Principal Sections of the Magic Browser Website.
The Magic Browser Website chronicles (i) the Context (ii) the Evolutionary Series of “Information Modelling Tools” and Prototype Demonstrator Applications developed and delivered during the late 1980s and through the 1990s under the banner of the ‘IMP Initiative’ at the University of Leeds; and (iii) ‘Frameworks’ – The Book; some of the Ideas Around ‘Frameworks’; two Video Animation: The What and The How; the Methodology and the Prototype Tool; and some short screenshot videos of the Tool being used to construct Models.
The IMP Evolutionary Series
Initiated in 1987, with the ‘HMS Browser’, picked up by IBM UK New Technologies Team and thereafter by Suu Microsystems Distributed Hypermedia Project – the Tools and Applications including the ‘GPE’ (the object-oriented platform-independent graphical programming environment tool and concept demonstrator); the Media Language (an object-oriented platform-independent graphical application programming tool and a series of concept demonstrators, including the ‘STILE’ and ‘VPH’ Browsers); ‘GARDEN’ (an object-oriented platform-independent graphical application programming tool and a series of applications, including the ‘EFC’, ‘ACCESS’ and ‘VUIS’ Browsers); ‘Paris’ (an object-oriented HTML authoring and graphical application programming tool or Microsoft Windows coded in Delphi); ‘The Magic Browser’ (an object-oriented HTML Document authoring and distribution tool for Microsoft Windows coded in Eiffel – employed in a series of applications including the ‘CLCV Browser’ and the ‘The Wine & Spirit Educational Trust Browser’; and ‘IMPFW’ (small. simple, automated object-oriented information modelling tool for Microsoft Windows coded in Java).
The key technologies of the ‘GPE’, ‘Media Language’ and ‘GARDEN’ – were the UNIX OS, X11 Windows and TCP-IP for platform-independent distribution on the network (before the advent of the WWW and the https protocol. And employing Object-Oriented Design & Programming. With genericity, evolution and code (class) re-use in mind.
Meanwhile, in the mid-1990s, the bandwagon of “computer-based multimedia” attracted huge interest and rather overwhelmed by funding initiatives to develop computer-based educational materials and various platform-dependent “authoring” tools for MS Windows and Apple OS. The fashion was development for MS Windows and so we programmed and coded ‘Paris’, ‘The Magic Browser’ and ‘IMPFW’.
The ‘Frameworks’ Browser
The ‘Frameworks’ Browser chronicles the recent development of ‘Frameworks’ 2012-current – some of the ideas around ‘Frameworks’, the Methodology for Structured Thinking and a Tool for constructing Simple Graphical Models of Thinking and Understanding.
The Book
‘Frameworks’ A Simple Methodology for Structured Thinking; Making Sense of It All in the Age of Big Information
BLOG/POSTS
Ideas Around ‘Frameworks’
Following the publication of the Book – there will be series of BLOG/POSTS picking up on some of the ideas around ‘Frameworks’. In no particular order.
BLOG/POSTS include:
The ‘Frameworks’ Project: PHASE ONE & PHASE TWO
PERSONAL COMPUTING IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
The Metaphor of Trees, Hierarchies & Pyramids
Modelling Complexity; Modelling the System; Modelling the Domain
The “Old Computing” & The “New Computing”?
I am hoping that interested parties my discover – or be recommended to read about ‘Frameworks’: in the Book and on the Magic Browser Website. I am hoping to stimulate feedback, critique, discussion and questions.
I addition, I hope to include the occasional BLOG/POST dealing with technical IT and Eductional issues – to include the expertise and insight of Andre Gauthier – who has worked as a Senior Systems Analyst and Programmer for the UK Government; as the Programmer and Coder for the ‘Frameworks’ Prototypre Tool; and who is currently engaged in a career in Education: Teaching Computer Science.