Zen is a tool I invented to create web pages and web applications with unusual flexibility, given simple GUI-based instructions from the user. The tool is unusual because:

• it can create pages with any level of layout detail;
• it can embed both plain HTML elements and the components of GUI toolkits like Dojo, Google Gadgets, and, eventually, Scriptaculous, Ext, Mootools, and Qooxdoo, etc. within pages with any degree of nesting;
• it allows instant testing and use; and
• it will eventually be able to support simple, visually programmed 'user procedures' where the user will be able to define what happens when she and others interact with the page's widgets.

The combination of all these characteristics makes Zen absolutely unique -- and a highly valuable technology. Web applications augmented with Zen's currently unique combination of features will eventually and inevitably become popular, because they will not have to be programmed in advance and will not have to follow a known archetype. Users will evolve them as their needs evolve, giving rise to new creativity, organizational methods, and collaboration. The barrier to entry to the market for such technologies will be high, due to today's emphasis on statically typed, non-dynamic, non-functional-oriented programming languages. To create a system like Zen, a good understanding of dynamic, functional meta-programming is necessary.

Here are some slide presentations in PDF format (available in QuickTime format in the "mac" folder, in case you can use QuickTime):

(If your web browser has Flash installed in it, you will see a box with some icons in it. If it doesn't, please download the files directly from box.net/zen.)

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