[webkit-dev] opera unite api: extensions to add web server capability to browser engines

[Joe Mason]

Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton wrote:
>  perhaps a better question is, instead of saying "it's not possible,
> it's not possible", is to ask: how can the javascript namespace be
> extended?
>   
This might indeed be a better question, and it's a shame you didn't ask 
it in the first place.
>  how can objects be dropped into the global javascript namespace [such
> as how google added google.gears into the namespace]
>   
It varies by platform.  In the Qt port it's 
QWebFrame::addToJavaScriptWindowObject.  
(http://doc.qtsoftware.com/4.5/qwebframe.html#addToJavaScriptWindowObject)  
Other platforms have their own interface.
>  how can those objects be dropped into the global namespace _without_
> having to recompile webkit?
>   
You don't need to recompile the WebKit library to use this function.  
It's part of the public interface.
>  how can those objects be dropped into the global namespace in a
> generic fashion using free software tools _without_ requiring a
> boat-load of apple-only [near-proprietary] technology [i.e. without
> requiring objective-c]
>   
Qt is a free software tool which does not require Objective-C.  The 
binding of QObject to JavaScript objects is quite generic.
>  thanks to COM, and thanks to the design of the mozilla XUL system,
> developers of firefox extensions can drop objects into the global
> namespace at will, without having to ask the mozilla developers to
> drop everything and add some random extensions.
>   
If you want to add a generic extension system to your browser, go right 
ahead.  Hopefully the link I posted above is enough to get you started.  
If you don't want to use the Qt port, you'll have to take a look at the 
API you want to use to find out how they do it.

Joe