Putting the Web in GTK+

Brandenburg GateThe word is out. I’ll be coordinating with Epiphany developer Christian Persch to see how the GTK+ team can put Web functionality in or alongside the UI toolkit in the weeks leading up to the GTK+ Berlin hackfest 2008.

We’ll be studying existing toolkits featuring Web widgets and considering what changes might be necessary to support something like a GtkWebView. Some possible lines of investigation include:

  • A shared HTTP stack
  • A standardised GObject/C API representation of the DOM
  • The provision of editing capabilities
  • A generic inline search toolbar

My personal interest is in GTK+ integration, favouring native GTK+ styling and event propagation. (Let’s put an end to ‘Linux’ themes.) Our agenda will tie in with other topics to be discussed at the hackfest including vector-based UI styling which could address the needs of modern content engines like WebKit and Gecko.