At las(t)
I haven't checked out all the details of the new Atlas Web Client Framework yet, therefore I don't know whether I like it or not. What I certainly like is that -- finally -- there has been some progress in the field of interactive Web services since I built my first Web service in 1995 and shook my head in astonishment that it was necessary to reload a complete Web page when all you wanted was to swap an image. Not anymore! Since Google's GMail (if you're faith-based) or MSDN's left-hand navigation bar (if you're closer to the reality-based community) Web pages are truly interactive!
So, at last, there's Altas! Besides all the bells and whistles required to build graphical Web UIs the framework also simulates non-JavaScript language features such as namespaces, classes, and interfaces. I'd have to play with it (build a small Weblication) to experience myself whether these extensions make life easier or only the framework more complex. But so far I haven't.
However, I have (like on similar occasions before) provided pretty-printed, color coded and InScript™-enhanced listings of some of the the various Atlas files drawn from the Atlas Quickstart Guide. To that end, I have extended (as in "hacked") the InScript Code Listing Enhancer technology :-) to "recognize" namespaces, and to allow folding and unfolding of the various classes.
If you can't guess from the names above what's likely to be found in the various files there's perhaps little point in your going there anyway (and my telling you, for that matter).
There's some overlap in the various code files. In particular the AtlasRuntime contains parts of the AtlasCore. As I said, I don't know in detail what's in all the files but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't have the tools to find out yourself. Hence this post!
You may also want to see the video of MSN Web Experience architect Scott Isaac unveiling the MSN DHTML Foundation over on Channel 9.
