Google Summer of Code 2008 Project Ideas

The Factor project is applying for Summer of Code. Here are our project ideas.

Applications

• Write a structure editor
• Write a text editor
• Write an IRC client
• Write a package manager for Factor
• Write a file manager

Enterprise Factor

• Update the bindings to MySQL, Oracle, ODBC for the latest DB framework in extra/db
• Add bindings for DB2, Informix, SQL Server, Sybase, etc
• Write a MySQL binding in Factor instead of calling the C library to permit nonblocking I/O operation and avoid GPL licensing issues
• Write high-level wrapper for OpenSSL binding which implements encrypted Factor streams
• Write a SOAP stack
• Improve the continuation-based web framework with ideas from Seaside

Embedded Languages

• Improve the Prolog implementation in extra/prolog
• Revive extra/lisp
• Write an assembler to a microcontroller and cross-compile applications from within Factor
• Write an infix math DSL
• Write a 'language X' to Factor compiler, where X is C, Ruby, Python, Javascript, Elisp, etc

Miscellaneous Libraries

• Write a binding and high level interface to zlib or implement gzip compression in Factor
• Finish the tar library
• Finish the packet sniffer libraries
• Implement the math algorithm of your choice for extra/math
• Implement the data structures described in Purely Functional Data Structures
• Write a COM interface
• Improve the JNI library
• Write a JNI-like bridge for Android
• Write a wrapper for Windows Mobile libraries to make calls and send SMSs
• Integrate the zoneinfo timezone database with Factor's calendar library
• Add more calendars to the library, such as Persian, Hebrew, Islamic, Chinese, Hindu, Buddhist
  

Factor VM

• Write a GC profiler
• Make GC memory areas shrink after garbage collection
• Implement dtrace probes
• Make continuations serializable

User Interface

• Write a binding to an image manipulation library
• Finish bitmap library
• Improve the look of Factor's UI gadgets
• Add drag and drop support
• Add any of the following gadgets: tabs, syntax highlighting text editor using the xmode library, combo boxes, tables, trees, spinners
  
• Implement native font rendering on Windows