Blobs: An alternate (complementary?) binary data proposal (Was: File IO...)

<278fd46c0805072208t388e6a48vb7b43cb048c872cf@mail.gmail.com>

Current votes: None.


Hi everyone,

> Opera has a proposal for a specification that would revive (and supersede)
> the file upload API that has been lingering so long as a work item.

The Gears team has also been putting together a proposal for file
access which overlaps in some ways with Opera's, but is also
orthogonal in some ways:

http://code.google.com/p/google-gears/wiki/BlobWebAPIPropsal

I would summarize the key differences this way:

chunk of (potentially large) binary data
different APIs, including XHR, the <input type="file"> element,
database, <canvas>, etc.
the input element and allowing exporting a blob to a file).

To answer one of Maciej's questions from the other thread, we intend
this for use on the open web and do not intend for it to require any
particular security authorization.

We would also love feedback, and would like to work with any
interested vendors to iterate this to something others would
implement.

Thanks,

- a