[CJefferson]

I usually try hard not to be cynical, but in this case I can't stop myself.

This seems to be another attempt at a grand, unified packaging and IPC / linking method. There have been hundreds of these, and there is no attempt at all to discuss where all the others went wrong, and how this will improve upon them.

[vbezhenar]

There are interesting ideas in this project.

I would love instantly dig into any software component. I can do that with website: I can right-click on button and click "Inspect" and I'm very close to discover what code executes. Imagine the entire computing platform built this way. Few navigations and you are reading TCP/IP code. Click here and there and you are inspecting USB packet from your mouse.

Also live code update is so rare, yet so useful. Set breakpoint on that line, stop there. Add some code and it'll be executed immediately.

Java invented Javadocs, which is awesome. I can read almost 0 documentation on some simple library yet I can use it with autocomplete. JavaScript isn't quite there yet, but it could be.

There's a lot of improvements to be made in current software stack.

[striking]

What's more, I'm fairly certain developers would prefer smaller, incremental, and separate improvements to their software ecosystems.

"One library to rule them all" isn't as compelling as the UNIX principle. Because when one of these systems is proven to be inefficient or buggy, it doesn't discredit the entire library.

I want some of these parts in some of my apps. But not all, always.

[stbn]

Can someone name a couple of those hundreds of attempts?

[CJefferson]

Most languages try this at some point, Java claimed you could link all your code into Java and use OOP.

Self-describing components in .NET

Visual Basic 6's component method.

Windows has had various of these, including ODE and COM.

Obviously, any linux distribution, and plain old C linking, probably comes closest (although that tends not to be self-describing.

Lots of RPC systems I would say fall into this list, just google for "self-describing RPC" to find a bunch of versions.

[_pmf_]

CORBA and WSDL/SOAP.

Also, it's not quite correct to say that these failed. They did what they were supposed to do; they simply were not the magic bullet some proponents made them out to be.

[rtens]

Since you're 100% right I wouldn't call that cynical. It is indeed another approach to create a unified messaging standard. And yeah there are plenty and I haven't even looked at every single one in detail to be able to reject them. But that's definitely an exercise I will try soon.

[mooreds]

Obligatory xkcd cartoon: https://xkcd.com/927/

[euske]

I tend to think that these xkcd URLs are becoming like bible verses for geeks. I find myself memorizing those numbers. (e.g. "Ugh, he's getting like xkcd/386 again.")

[ninju]

386 is funny one!

[kabdib]

But with 698, it all hinges on the delivery. Get the timing wrong and watch the rotten vegetables fly.

[hashin]

Hahaha! I knew it will be this one even before clicking it! This one is so good!