New Document Format CDF, Get rid of the barren paper web!

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New Document Format CDF, Get rid of the barren paper web!

Wolfram Research once again tried to revolt: The famous math programs for Sofwarefirma wants to establish a new format for interactive digital documents. CDF is to put an end to the dictates of the static on the web. Conrad Wolfram is dissatisfaction with the digitization. Scientific papers, company reports, books – all that is now in digital form “flat, lifeless, inactive”. In principle, tungsten laments, has become the format of all these documents has not changed. Conrad Wolfram is co-founder of Wolfram Research, he has made with his brother Stephen, the software “Mathematica” to the standard tool for scientists and mathematicians, some kind of universal computer tool kit of mathematical models.

And so Conrad Wolfram has found a unique approach to resolve the defendant of his Missststand: Wolfram Research introduces a new document format: CDF, the Computable Document Format. The idea to oversimplify: CDF documents are intended to represent not only ready-interpretations of the authors, but also allow the user’s own experimentation with the models.

In this diary, for example, like this: In an annuity as a CDF document, the recipient does not only that he gets X amount of 67, if the assumptions agree that he will earn up to that amount Y. The CDF users can experiment, change how the payouts, even if he should earn less if he goes more in retirement, if the interest rate will be lower or higher.

Of course there are already many examples of mathematical models for which someone has created interactive visualizations in a CDF. Or, a classic example: a company’s quarterly report, the change in the values in the table, depending on which of two quarters compared to the time line about choosing.

A new format to PDF, Flash, HTML 5 and TeX?

Sure, it could create a quarterly report with HTML5, or Flash. If you listen to Conrad Wolfram, when he goes into raptures, what you do with CDF anything could keep to the plan first for a megalomaniac: CDF – so it seems at first – to compete with PDF, Flash, iPad Apps, HTML5, and TeX . So with just about any format, which is now published digitally.

One thinks of the last major tungsten project that outside the Mathematica user base for stir was caused by, the knowledge base alpha tungsten . Stephen Wolfram developers announced they modesty as a “new paradigm for the use of computers and the Web” on. Some time hypten Alpha Media tungsten as alleged Google killer, then the offer in mid-2009 went online and has since been beautifully prepared answers to some questions. Google‘s success has been wearing nothing.

(! In CDF) in Conrad Wolfram’s presentation to the CDF, a similar comparison immodest: A timeline shows that since 1970 there is word processing, desktop publishing since 1985 and since 1989 the web. And then in 2011 CDF.

Only the science, then perhaps the mass market

Quite as megalomaniac project CDF’s not that: First, the company will probably win for scientific publishing, digital publications as determined to offer CDF. For many physicists and mathematicians working anyway with Mathematica, one can export their models to this format would be an attractive option. For the publishers might be interesting: It should give the opportunity, besides free to distribute the Web accessible CDFs also paid versions.

At the beginning you have to see CDFs, a tungsten-install software – the CDF player (available for Linux, Windows, OSX). So you can also use Web sites to integrated CDFs. Over the next few months, Wolfram Research offers a Web-based version of CDFs that can be used without additional software using the browser. These CDFs are then bound by the tungsten-server, the company wants to offer publishers the opportunity to leave the CDF run back to their own servers (for a fee of course).

Basic version of the CDF-writing software for free on the Web

How successful CDF is, however, depends primarily on how many people will use it for creating interactive documents. All CDF users of the database is available as a raw material of tungsten Alpha for direct integration available, also can be interfaced live data feed in CDFs.

In the coming months, Wolfram Research offers a free web tool with which CDFs can create that run directly on the tungsten and the server can be embedded on any site similar to YouTube videos. Conrad Wolfram promises that any layman can use this tool to create interactive documents is. He speaks of a revolution similar to the Desktop Publishing: With CDF, it should be easy to create information graphics for which you previously committed flash professionals.

We will see

When the sample CDFs, the tungsten demonstrated the idea that stand out above all the scientific papers and textbooks, which are between footnotes and subheads in the print layout in one interactive graphics like you’ve never seen in the context . In the infographics on the effects of earthquakes, the tungsten showing off to advantage by urging the media not to CDF: This has been seen so already in HTML 5 or Flash.

“We do not publish as 300 years ago”

Apart from these details CDF is an elegant plea for new forms of presentation in teaching, research and journalism. How interesting mathematics could be a textbook full of interactive models! What could be more insightful presentations, where you could change the basic assumptions of forecasts. Conrad Wolfram grumbles again to the dead Documents: “Governments around the world give out $ 500 billion on research and get these documents as a result we do not have to do it like 300 years ago..”

However, whether tungsten CDFs will replace the static essays, is another question.