2024- 2023
- 2022
- 2021
- 2020
- 2019
- 2018
- 2017
- 2016
- 2015
- 2014
- 2013
- 2012
- 2011
- 2010
- 2009
- 2008
- 2007
- 2006
- 2005
2004
Silence- Snowflakes
- Paranoia Pays
- Microsoft Help
- Polyglot 11: More C
- Polyglot 11: C
- Polyglot 10: Smalltalk
- Toronto Wisdom
- Exterminated
- The Last Straw
- BT Broadband Trap
- Polyglot 9: Moo
- Polyglot 8: SVG
- Polyglot 7: POV-Ray
- Polyglot 6: Python
- Polyglot 5: PHP
- Polyglot 4: Euphoria
- Polyglot 3: JavaScript
- Polyglot 2: Java
- Polyglot 1: VB
- POV-Ray
- Etch A Sketch
- Slashdotting
- Flashy Lies
- Scientific Illiteracy
- Creeping Featurism
- VidScope
- Saturn V
- Perspectives
- Slide Rule
- eBay Sale
- Iron Filings
- Gimble
- VBA Security
- Random Morsels
- Exact Change
- Easter Egg
- Diametral Pitch
- mod_deflete
- Ethical Spam?
- Deadlines
- CPU Power
- Fosdem 2004
- Academic Reversal
- Mars Memorial
- Culture Clash
- Watching the Users
- 2003
- 2002
Polyglot 8: SVG
2 October 2004
This one was somewhat unexpected. I started implementing the 'colours' application the Moo language, with the output being SVG. Then I discovered that SVG was perfectly capable of generating the pattern all by itself. Who needs the Moo?
SVG is a 2D vector graphics format, it doesn't really like being treated as a bitmap. Thus it takes a little while to render a large grid of pixels. The JavaScript code inside the SVG which does all the computations was lifted straight out of the earlier JavaScript version. SVG is an interesting format, but like all emerging formats it will remain confined to intranets, kiosks and other controlled environments until the majority of browsers can view it.
It would also help if it didn't allow hackers to crash SVG-enabled clients at will. It is trivial to build a memory bomb or infinite loop which crashes Adobe's SVG viewer and its host browser (bug reported to Adobe a week ago, no response received so far, though I'm sure my arrest warrant is in the post as usual). Mozilla is also vulnerable but it takes a bit more work [bug 261974]. I don't know if other implementations (Batik, XML::LibRSVG) are vulnerable.
Here's the SVG source code and a running implementation of the 'colours' program. Currently renders 50 times slower in Mozilla than in IE+Adobe.
