Some fools say you can't program on the iPhone.

I'm not talking about programming for the iPhone -- I mean sitting down with just your iPhone and using that device to bang out a new program.

Why not I say?

Fools (and people much smarter than me) are stumped because they point out that the hardware has restrictions which disallow the conversion of data (such as the programs you type) into executable code. And thanks to this deliberate hardware limitation you categorically cannot program on the iPhone. You run apps, not write them. That's what they say.

But -- it has a browser. A browser.

A BROWSER! Don't you see?!

I'm reminded of that bit in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when harry says he doesn't know how to win the dragon ball Z challenge, against a REAL dragon.

What are you good at? asks Professor Moody,

I'm good at flying, whines Harry, but I'm not allowed a broom.

Moody flares his nostrils and shouts You're allowed a wand!!

You see, if you are allowed a wand you can use it to get any other damn thing you want. So he uses the wand to get the broom and uses the broom to win the challenge. QED.

We're not allowed to program, but we are allowed to "browse."

With a browser we have javascript and with javascript we have:

ULTIMATE AWESOME!! This kind of awesome:

So I've built a simple domain specific language, which emits javascript targeted at the iPhone. Via which you can build apps for the iPhone, without resorting to a regular computer.

More to follow in part 2 of this 3 part series with a bitter, tragic end.

(a short advertisment for part 2 of this series now follows, as requested by my angel investors)

Part 2: IT WILL MELT YOUR FACE

A simple domain specific language, which emits javascript targeted at the iPhone:

Will it really melt your face?

Let's see what gas-mask girl has to say:

And how about Jeff Atwood, what does he say:

So, from a scientific point of view, the assertion is proved.

Stay tuned for part 2.