To give Konqueror, the KDE Web Browser a complete XUL implementation
Synopsis:
To give Konqueror, the KDE Web Browser a complete XUL implementation. As an added bonus, this could be extended to allow Konqueror to use Mozilla Firefox plugins.
Details:
XUL, the 'XML User Interface' is an open Specification for writing graphical applications in a mixture of XML and Javascript. At the momant, Mozilla Firefox is the only browser (of which I am aware) that provides an implementation. XUL opens up a new world of possibilities to web applications, and it is important that it gains acceptance as a standard. Adding this functionality to Konqueror will improve not only KDE's native web browser, but put a little more weight behind the XUL case. Firefox's many handy plugins, for which it is famous, are all written in XUL - and it's about time Konqueror uses got a piece of the plugin pie too! Once XUL support is added, it should not be too difficult at all to support Firefox plugins in my favorite KDE web-browser.
There have already been rudimentary efforts to create an XUL parser for KDE - George Staikos began work on a project called KaXuL to do just that. The project has pretty much stalled now, though - and it was external to Konqueror in any case. I have been in touch with George and he is supportive of my proposal, and has agreed to be my mentor if the sponsorship comes though!
As I am sure you are aware, Apple's 'Webcore' is derived from KHTML, Konqueror's rendering engine, so perhaps my work could also eventually end up in Safari - who knows!
Background:
I have been following KDE development for some years now, and am subscribed to their development mailing lists, so I have some feel for how the project works. I have benefited enormously from the KDE up to now, and I feel it is time to give something back. I have already contributed the odd one-line patch to AmaroK, a KDE media player, and manned the KDE booth at last years' UK Linux Expo in London - but I think I am ready to make a more significant contribution this summer!
In three days, I will have completed my second year of a Computer Science degree here at Cambridge, so I have some fresh programming skills ready to be put to the test - and a summer vacation stretching before me. I will be going back home to Nottingham, where there are not many computer related jobs, so unless Google comes to the rescue it will be to the temping agency for me!
I am aware that I am taking on quite a sizable project here, but I think I am ready for it. Google's sponsorship would be a _huge_ help, and would let me spend my summer hours coding useful free software for a great project, with great people!