Technology Tradeoffs : Client-Side Solutions

• Program runs on participant's computer
  • Allows direct control of participant's computer
  • Usually requires some plugin or interpreter to be present on the participant's computer
• JavaScript:
  • A scripting language interpreted in client browser
  • Requires a scripting interpreter in the browser
  • Is an kind of object-orienting scripting language
  • Viewers of the page can get the program
  • Is not related to Java though some similarity in commands
  • Installed on most browsers but some people turn off or limit
  • Standard part of HTML5 the new version of HTML
  • Editors:
    • Aptana: http://www.aptana.com/
      • Eclipse with the Aptana plugin
    • Sublime Text Editor (not really free but they only ask if you wish to buy periodically) http://www.sublimetext.com/
      • Some nice plugins to test your coding
  • Can directly interact with page and alter it.
  • Susceptible to Browser implementation
• Java
  • Object-Oriented Langauge
  • Partially compiled
  • Free open source version - basis of Android Operating System
  • More complete version owned by Oracle (bought when bought out Sun)
  • Is supposed to be same on all platforms and is mostly true but not all
  • Timing is not great
    
  • Editor: Eclipse : http://www.eclipse.org/

Advantages Greater control over participant's computer Can increase interactive aspects of experiment Less need to communicate with server during experiment

Disadvantages Usually requires plugin which participant may not have Greater impact of participant's setup Participants may turnoff ability to run plugin May require large download to run Not all timing issues have been solved

 

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